Seibu cement trains

[bikkuri bahn]

In 1985 a Seibu Rlwy. freight conductor picked up a video camera, and recorded what is now historical footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T2fZQLBHkY

@Yokoze. Co-worker hamming it up.

 

Again at Yokoze. Radio chatter

 

Light move at Yokoze

 

Train 2704. Cameraman gets on train at the end.

 

A ride on the train.  Additional trackside/platform footage.

 

Bonus- different cameraman, 8mm film of action at Ikebukuro Station mid-70's, when it still had freight facilities:

*before the interchange was built at Shin-Akitsu, interchange with JNR occurred at Ikebukuro and Kokubunji.

[Nick_Burman]

Thanks BB. It seems that railroaders are all part of the same bunch, wherever they might be - what a cheeky conductor! One thing I didn't understand was why on earth that caboose hop (to use the US term) was doing at Yokose...they came down the hill, did a spot of wandering around the yard and then bummelled back up the mountain...

 

Interesting that passing sidings on single-track lines on the Seibu are all signalled for bi-directional running. I watched a video of a cab ride on the Kokubunji Line and it was interesting to notice the train taking the passing sidings against the general direction of traffic (expressed by the direction the catch points are set up).

 

Cheers NB

[westfalen]

Railroaders are the same all over the world but even when they are fooling around they are the smartest dressed freight crews I've seen, I bet they have trouble keeping those white gloves clean.

 

My first thought on the 'caboose hop' was they run down to the yard to change crews rather than run the new crew up to the cement plant or wherever the rest of the train is and then bring the old ones back down, when they first come to a stop straight away the guard/conductor gets off with his bag as if to say "My shift's over, I'm outta here".

 

I wish I'd picked up one of the Kato Seibu freight sets now.