School Trip Trains

[gmat]

Would 'Charter' be the correct JR term for these trains as in School Trip Charter? They pass through Shinjuku once, probably twice a day. In the morning it arrives at about 10:00 and after a brief stop at platform 4, leaves at about 10:09 or sometimes earlier. I've shot on at about 3:19 coming back towards Tokyo, I guess.

 

 

My wife reads it as Shuukan-ryouko.

 

These and the one above were taken at the north crossing behind Yoyogi Station.  It is a nice spot for shooting trains on the Yamanote Freight Line. Shonan-Shinjuku,(Takasaki/Utsunomiya/Yokosuka/Tokaido) Saikyo/Rinkai, Home-Liner Tochigi, Home Liner Odawara, Super View Odawara, Party(Chartered) and Diesel Freight trains pass through. The overpass for the Chuo Line limits shots in one direction. But it is different from the usual shots from Shinjuku Station.

 

 

Looking through the tunnel under the Chuo line overpass.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[gmat]

I don't know why, but sometimes the same train had a different sign. I've seen this posted as 'Party' on the sign boards. Same time, different day and taken from the South end of platforms 5 and 6 at Shinjuku Station.

 

 

And after a quick run, was just a little bit slow to get a good photo of it leaving. Taken from platform 7. Pant, pant, whew.

 

Sometimes the kids will wave at people at the platforms.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[to2leo]

I am curious.  Where does the school trip train take them?  Why is this particular model?

[gmat]

Same train and time but Out Of Service name plate. It was empty. Heading North.

 

 

Same train coming back, later in the day.

 

Train fans appear in the unlikeliest of places.

 

They were apparently shooting this. These older trains attract loads of photographers.

 

If you wave, sometimes they wave back. Makes for more interesting photos.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[gmat]

Don't know, but Nikko might be a good guess. As to why this model, after the model was retired from regular service, it picked up secondary roles and this was one of them.

I was hoping that someone would be able to enlighten me on this.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[gmat]

Not a School Trip Train, but an example of the power of older trains. Stopped at Shinjuku on Wednesday, empty. Out Of Service.

 

 

People came by to give it a glance.

 

Or to snap a quick pic.

 

While I was here waiting to snap a pic of it leaving, the Emperor's Train passed.

 

 

Every few minutes or so, someone would come by to snap a pic or two.

I hope rail fans won't mind me snapping their pics. I think that these might be of interest to fans outside of Japan.

Best wishes,

Grant

[Martijn Meerts]

Over here they wouldn't notice an interesting train even if it hit them right in the face ;)

[bikkuri bahn]

Yes, you're right- they are school trip charter trains (shuugakuryokou ressha) ferrying primary school age children to Nikko.  The 183/189 series units are based at the Tamachi Rolling Stock Center (just next to Shinagawa Station).  The other train type is dantai ressha, or group charter trains (such as for company trips).  These types of trains often utilize these older rolling stock types-in JR West territory, you'll occasionally see a 489 series long bonnet type (kodama type) handling the duties, or even a kiha 181 DMU, as I saw this summer on the Nara Line.

 

Aforementioned Nikko school trip train, between Nogi and Mamada on the Tohoku Main Line in Tochigi Pref:

*love that JNR emu traction sound!

[scott]

Over here they wouldn't notice an interesting train even if it hit them right in the face ;)

 

At least you *have* interesting trains.  

 

Well, to be fair--I'm reasonably fond of AEM-7s, but I only ever see them parked at Union Station in Washington.

 

ferrying primary school age children to Nikko.

 

I know a certain 7-year-old who would love a field trip like that!

[Martijn Meerts]

Over here they wouldn't notice an interesting train even if it hit them right in the face ;)

 

At least you *have* interesting trains. 

 

Well, to be fair--I'm reasonably fond of AEM-7s, but I only ever see them parked at Union Station in Washington.

 

Well... Most of the interesting trains have been taken out of service a long time ago. Once in a while you see one still running for some private company.

 

I actually quite regularly take an older, slower train to work, simply because I still love those things. On top of that, it's actually more comfortable and less crowded than the express train that runs on the same line.

 

I take this one regularly: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/NS_894_als_stoptrein_van_Tilburg_naar_Deurne%3B_19_april_2008.jpg (not the best picture, you can't see the bad ass nose on the thing too well ;)) instead of this one http://www.brouwerkwt.nl/img/advies/VIRM-station.jpg

 

My favorite Dutch train (or locomotive at least) is still this one though: http://home.planet.nl/~efolst/terzijde/1200_1.jpg (crappy picture as well ;))

[gmat]

Thank you,

Bikkuri bahn for the info. I'm reduced to compulsively photographing the platform signs and destination signs on the ends and sides of trains to find out what I'm taking pictures of. Here at Shinjuku the Saikyo/Rinkai and Shonan-Shinjuku/Takasaki/Utsunomia/Tokaido/Yokosuka trains drives me crazy. If you look at the kanji and look at the color of the trains, it's hard to tell what is what. I started shooting the train numbers but haven't bought a train schedule book yet. They're pretty daunting to one who is barely literate in Japanese.

Best wishes,

Grant