Trip report: the Kansai "Big Loop", aka mt54 odyssey

[bikkuri bahn]

I've made numerous references to the charm of Kansai railways due to their use of older rolling stock.  Last Sunday, armed with a seishun 18 ticket I sought out some JNR-era rolling stock, particularly those driven by the archetypical mt54 traction motor, the standard on both commuter and ltd. express stock in the sixties and seventies.  I started at the terminus of the Kansai Main Line, JR Namba Station, hoping to catch a uguisu iro (light green) 103 series trainset, but no such luck.  Instead I boarded a Nara bound service using a 201 series, nevertheless attractive in light green (much better than the orange IMO).  Here is a lineside shot of a 201 series, I assume somewhere in Nara Prefecture:

 

 

Upon arrival in Nara, I caught a local on the Nara Line which is in the hands of light green 103 series units (mt55 motor、essentially a slightly lower powered version on the mt54).  This is a single track line, with meets at station loops, very interesting.　Here is a 103 series Miyakoji Rapid service, note the parallel Keihan Uji Line:

 

Arrival at Kyoto, then a purchase of a Kyoto box lunch (bento) and a waffle from Manneken, then headed to the Kosei Line platform.  Lucky me, it was a 113 series in Shonan Iro colors awaiting- there is a God!　Depicted here is a four car unit with Lake Biwa in the background.  The Kosei Line is quite scenic, much more so than the Tokaido Line on the other side of the lake:

 

This is a video similar to the consist I rode, the rear coupled set like this one was in JR West corporate colors.  At Yamashina:

 

I also observed a set in the new Kyoto colors (macha iro).  What can I say, it's really...green. Departing Kyoto:

 

After a change of trains at Omi Maiko Sta. it was on to junction station at Omi Shiotsu.  The return journey to the Kansai Metro area was on a crowded 223 series, via the Hokuriku/Tokaido Main Line, to complete the encirclement of Lake Biwa.  This video taken at Omi Shiotsu is of a terminating service, you can see the confined space this station area is located in (embankment in a valley):

 

This journey can be done as one of those 130 yen trips, with a start at Osaka Station and end at Shin-Osaka.  Certainly a railfan travel bargain.

[Nick_Burman]

The Kosei Line is quite scenic, much more so than the Tokaido Line on the other side of the lake:

 

Never mind they had to "kill" the Kojaku Railway to get it built...

 

Cheers NB