Inspection Train - JR East style

[disturbman]

So after looking at JR Central DR Tokai I thought it was time to meet the Easti-D and Easti-E.

 

Both trains meeting at a station:

 

Somewhere in Japan, Easti-D:

[disturbman]

Maybe I should mention the East-i (E926) train set, JR East Inspection Train for shinkansen line:

 

EAST Japan Railway (JR East) has started to test a new Shinkansen inspection train called East-i. The new train is able to inspect tracks, catenary, signalling and telecommunications equipment at up to 275km/h. The tests should be completed in March. East-i will then replace the existing 210km/h train introduced in 1982.

 

East-i will inspect the Tohoku, Joetsu, and Nagano lines every 10 days. It will also inspect the Yamagata and Akita lines, which have a smaller loading gauge, four times a year. The inspection equipment on East-i is greatly improved compared with the old train. For example, East-i has a front image recording device, a digital automatic train control measuring device, and a digital train radio measuring device.

 

East-i consists of five motor cars and one trailer. The car bodies are 2.94m wide, 4.29m high and either 20m or 22.8m long. The train can operate on lines electrified at 25kV at either 50 or 60Hz and at 20kV 50Hz, and can cope with three different signalling systems.

source: the International Railway Journal (2002)

 

 

 

 

 

Hard to find a good video of this train.

[bikkuri bahn]

So after looking at JR Central DR Tokai I thought it was time to meet the Easti-D and Easti-E.

 

Both trains meeting at a station:

Somewhere in Japan, Easti-D:

 

Great videos, Disturb.  First one is at Maebashi station, Easti-E bound for the Ryomo Line, and Easti-D in the direction of the Joetsu Line.  Capped off with an arrival of a Ryomo Line 115 unit with its familiar sounds when braking.  Bonus scene there at the end perhaps at Takasaki?

 

But even better is that second video- scenes on the Hakodate Main Line in Hokkaido.  First scene that mountain in the background is Mt. Yotei, nicknamed Ezo Fuji due to its resemblance to the volcano down south.  Fine weather, makes me long for summer- it's still very much winter here at this moment...

[disturbman]

But even better is that second video- scenes on the Hakodate Main Line in Hokkaido. First scene that mountain in the background is Mt. Yotei, nicknamed Ezo Fuji due to its resemblance to the volcano down south.

 

I thought that each JR was using its own inspection trains to check their tracks. The presence of that train on Hokkaido raises some questions:

- What was this train doing on Hokkaido?

- Is this incursion outside JR East realm ponctual or is it a normal work pattern?

- Was it there on inspection duty?

- Does JR Hokkaido subcontract some of its inspection work to JR East? If yes on which lines.

- ...

 

Gee. I really am curious!

 

Now I also wonder if JR Hokkaido has its own inspection train and how they look like.

[bikkuri bahn]

According to wikipedia, this inspection train makes an annual inspection tour to Hokkaido in May (or June, in the case of this video).  I am not aware of any dedicated JR Hokkaido track inspection units, so I think they contract this service out to JR East.  I would think a job on this unit would be interesting for the wandering soul, given the amount of track covered every year.

[disturbman]

One tour per year doesn't really seem enough to observe and keep the mainlines in good shape. I would have thought the tracks were more dutifully checked (JR East Shinkansen lines are after all inspect every ten days)... but maybe I'm over estimating the amount of traffic on JR Hokkaido mainlines.