ED75's Random Japanese Trip Photos

[ED75-775]

Once you've had your fill of people and taking photos, it's time to board the SL Paleo Express. When it started in 1988 the train was initially operated using leased in carriages from JR East's Takasaki-based heritage carriage set, but in 2000 Chitetsu would purchase five 12-series coaches, again from JR East. Four of the five would be overhauled, repainted and renumbered, and placed into service on the Paleo Express while the fifth became a source of spare parts.

 

 

Inside, the four coaches haven't been massively modified from their original configuration or appearance. As noted above, the train was decorated as part of the Honkai Star Rail Earth Tour event - note the advertising banners depicting characters from the game above the luggage racks.

 

 

While I've only ridden a few steam-hauled tourist trains in Japan, several have on-board souvenir stamps, and the Paleo Express isn't any different. Located between cars 1 and 2 according to the Japanese Wikipedia article for the Paleo Express (though I'd say it's more likely in car 1), is a stamp room where you'll find the train's special stamp. There's no paper provided so bring your eki-stamp book with you if you want a copy of this stamp as a souvenir.

 

 

What's that sound? The locomotive whistle is blowing... we must be about to depart!

 

Alastair

[ED75-775]

The first part of the journey from Kumagaya isn't particularly noteworthy, although the Chitetsu tracks do run alongside the Takasaki Line until just beyond Kami-Kumagaya Station. From there it's a short amble through the suburbs and two stations, Ishiwara and Hirose-Yachonomori, to reach our first point of interest, Hirosegawara Depot.

 

 

Up until 1969, Chitetsu had its main maintenance depot located at Kumagaya Station, but in 1969 all maintenance services were shifted to a brand-new depot at Hirosegawara Freight Station, between the present-day Ōasō and Hirose-Yachōnomori stations. Quite apart from being home to both the Paleo Express, and one of the railway's two turntables, it's also one of the first places you might see some of the railway's electric locomotives. It also houses a small collection of retired and semi-retired freight stock, mostly old box wagons being used as storage sheds.

 

 

Jumping back from 2024 to 2023, and we have two such locomotives parked in front of the main depot building. Note also the interesting elevated building above the layover tracks; I'm not sure if this is a signal box, an office or some other railway facility, but it looks neat. The locomotives in this shot, for anyone taking numbers, were DeKi 501 and 505.

 

Pointless digression incoming: Hirosegawara Depot has been used in the past as a tokusatsu filming location by Toei for its Super Sentai series. I'm not sure if it's also appeared in the Kamen Rider franchise, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

 

Alastair

Edited 10 hours ago by ED75-775

[ED75-775]

And because I can, here's another shot of that cool elevated building from 2024, taken on the return journey to Kumagaya. Not the best of my shots but the closest I've got for now, so it'll have to do. Parked up in the sidings on this occasion were another 7200 series EMU and DeKi 105, one of three remaining locomotives of this class still in service.

 

 

Alastair

[ED75-775]

The next station up the line is Ōasō, which according to Wikipedia once again (English and Japanese) opened on 7 January 1901. It's a small station with a detached main building and island platform, plus two sidings, one of which looks to have been taken out of use. It was fully staffed until 12 March 2022 when a new PASMO ticket gate was brought into use, at which point it was converted into an unmanned station.

 

 

On my way back from Nagatoro in 2023, my train had to stop to cross a Mitsumineguchi-bound service coming the other way. Now this is where things got interesting - the driver saw me doing so, and beckoned that I could step off the train and take a few photos from the platform!

 

 

And here our friendly driver is, gesturing would I like him to turn the train's headlights back on? I don't know his name, or why he was so kind to me, but I'll forever be grateful to this driver for his kindness.

This particular train, number 5001, is also pretty interesting although I didn't know that until I did a little research while writing this post. It's the first of four 5000 series three-car trains introduced between 1999 and 2000, formed from surplus Toei 6000 series subway cars built in 1972. While set 5004 was withdrawn in 2011 after a level crossing accident, the other three are still running in local train service. For historical completeness, Chitetsu was one of two operators to operate the 6000 series after they were retired from Toei service; the other was the Kumamoto Electric Railway, which had five two-car sets although only one is still in regular use.

 

Alastair

[ED75-775]

Getting back on track at Ōasō, here's the shot that started it all - just a quick grab shot for the memories.

 

 

With the other train shortly to arrive, I scuttled back on board after thanking the train driver for his kindness, but had enough time before we got going to snap the opposing train through the open door. Again, just for the memories.

 

 

Now that I think about it, there's more than a little inspiration here if ever I wanted it. Local stations like this are the best!

 

Alastair