westfalen Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Another late night, ended up at Namba on the Nankai so I thought I'd go on a hobby shop crawl. I started out by going on Thunderbird #3 to Kyoto so I could get a good seat on Super Kuroshio #5 to Wakayama and get a ride on a 381 as their days are numbered. The Meiji chocolate factory is shaped like a giant chocolate. I took a photo of my hotel at Noda from the train window, my room is circled in red. At Wakayama I took a ride on the Wakayama Electric Railway. Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 The Tama train wasn't in operation today and was parked in a hard to photograph spot at the depot. The station building at Kishi is shaped like a cat but the cat itself wasn't doing much. I took a phot of the taxi garage across the street. Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 The service on the JR line from Wakayama to Wakayamashi is not very frequent so I had lunch and photographed a few trains at Wakayama before continuing on to the Nankai Railway. Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 I crossed the Nankai branches to Kada and Tanagawa off my map before heading back to Namba but didn't get to the end of the line at Wakayamako because I would have had almost a two hour wait for a train, maybe they only run to connect with ferry sailings. Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 I changed to a local and got off at a local only station so I could get video of a Rapit speeding past and ended up getting two as they passed each other at the next station. The girls in Nankai uniforms (there were two more in the next car) stood at the doorways and leaving each station they would move to the side opposite the platform at the next station so they wouldn't get in the way of passengers getting on or off. On the way to find the hobby shops at Namba I walked throught an arcade full of shops selling everything you would need to run a restaurant, there were three shops selling nothing but blackboards and signs for menus. The shop with the racks of green packages was in Den Den town and sold nothing but nuts, bolts and screws. I visited Popondetta where there was a rental layout, Volks where a guy was building a modular layout at the back of the store, Joshin, and was about to give it up for the night when I found Pochi on the opposite side of the street from where I was looking. I had to cut my visit there short however as they started playing Auld Lang Syne, but not before I picked through their second hand table and grabbed a few container cars and found a Kato DD13 in a private railway's colours. I have an idea for a set of modules with an oil refinery and it will make a good shunter. Link to comment
Bernard Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I have to wonder what the inside of the Chocolate factory looks like, that is a neat building and an easy one to recreate on a layout....all you need are 5 Nestle Crunch bars. (but I know on my layout it wouldn't last long) Interesting seat on the train with tables....it seems casual but I guess the train doesn't get that crowded. Link to comment
Nick_Burman Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 ...and grabbed a few container cars and found a Kato DD13 in a private railway's colours. I have an idea for a set of modules with an oil refinery and it will make a good shunter. In whose colours? Keio Rinkai? Cheers NB Link to comment
The_Ghan Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Hey West, Week 4 … has the Rail Pass run out yet or did you buy two? Love those timber floors and tables in the Wakayama train. Even the seats are timber, but they don’t look very comfortable. Still, there is style here … and I just noticed that one of those tables is “beer-counter” height. See? The Japanese think of everything!!! Now I’ve just noticed the cocktail cabinet built into the second car. While I’m mixing drinks, do you want to see if you can find some olives? Seriously though, what’s in those drawers and cupboards? I love this train! It appears that “Super Station Master Tama” went to the same school as the Hurstville Station Master ….. “Pride” is the word that comes to mind when I see those Nankai girls. Your description of how they behaved on the train is tops. The whole social mentality to this kind of behaviour is good. Polite, no big deal, no fuss … nice. Mrs_Ghan, being a chef and baker, went crazy when she saw those shops … they’re on the list for our trip. She can rummage through those while I’m in hobby shops. Cheers The_Ghan Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 Hey West, Week 4 … has the Rail Pass run out yet or did you buy two? Cheers The_Ghan Rail Pass ran out today, got a 21 day pass and started it on 03/11, my second full day in Japan because I didn't need it till then. I just realised I didn't use it at all today but I think I got my money's worth out of it. Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 Some stuff for the Kintetsu fans tonight. I started out today by getting the Senninchimae subway line that runs under the hotel to Tamatsukuri where I got a Kintetsu Nara line train to Yamato-Saidaiji to do a bit of train watching. 1 Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 The blue and white train attracted the attention of some local railfans who didn't seem to bother about all the other trains coming and going. CaptOblivious and I had planned to meet in Kyoto for lunch and go for a ride on the Eizan but he had something come up, fortunately a railfan is never lost for something to do in Japan so I decided to go for some cable car rides as I hadn't been on one yet this trip. The Ikoma line was closest so I did it first. It's actually made up of two parts with the bottom section having two lines side by side with one only used during busy periods. The two cars in regular use on the bottom section are decorated as a dog and cat. 1 Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 The two cars on the top section are also gaudily decorated, the reason becoming apparent when you find the top of the mountain covered with a kids amusement park. Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 They did have a train though. I'm not sure what the structure with the blue ramp on the roof was but it appeared to have been abandoned for a while. Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 When I got back down the mountain I headed back to Yamato-Saidaiji then south to Kashiharajingu-Mae and had my first ride on Kintetsu's 3'6" gauge lines to Furuichi and Kawachinagano where I changed onto the Nankai. 1 Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 Once on the Nankai I headed for Gokurakubashi. On the way my train met a oppposing train with fancy wooden interiors, the destination boards read 'Extra', I assume it was a Joyful Train of some sort. 1 Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 By the time I got there it was getting dark and raining but I decided to do the cable car to Koyosan anyway. The grade has to be seen to be believed, I may have to do another trip up there on a future trip when the weather is better. 1 Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 When I got back to Namba I found a variety of trains lined up at the platforms and a smart place to eat. Tommorow, weather permitting, I will try and get in a couple of my goals in Osaka, filming some freight trains crossing the Akagawa truss bridge and finding the last remaing EH10. Link to comment
keitaro Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Ikoma Skyland http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ the park itself is old and was made free due to a number of factors 1 mainly being USJ taking alot of their customers. The buildng you see was part of a coaster. Was ripped down some years back 2007? due to being old and the park being made non profit. Lucky you went when you did as i beleive it is closed very soon for the rest of winter till march!! Link to comment
Bernard Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 The train with the steep grade is amazing.....I enjoy looking at your photos, I'm getting to see images that I never knew existed....Thank you! Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 Ikoma Skyland http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ the park itself is old and was made free due to a number of factors 1 mainly being USJ taking alot of their customers. The buildng you see was part of a coaster. Was ripped down some years back 2007? due to being old and the park being made non profit. Lucky you went when you did as i beleive it is closed very soon for the rest of winter till march!! It was pretty chilly up there today, the rides were only operating when somebody actually lined up to ride on them. The whole place looked a bit decrepit. Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 ...and grabbed a few container cars and found a Kato DD13 in a private railway's colours. I have an idea for a set of modules with an oil refinery and it will make a good shunter. In whose colours? Keio Rinkai? Cheers NB This one. http://www.rail-way.com/railroad_models_kato/n_gauge_models_kato-7001-1.html Kamioka Railway? Link to comment
keitaro Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Ikoma Skyland http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ the park itself is old and was made free due to a number of factors 1 mainly being USJ taking alot of their customers. The buildng you see was part of a coaster. Was ripped down some years back 2007? due to being old and the park being made non profit. Lucky you went when you did as i beleive it is closed very soon for the rest of winter till march!! It was pretty chilly up there today, the rides were only operating when somebody actually lined up to ride on them. The whole place looked a bit decrepit. yeah cause of its age its hard for them to can it. I guess they use it to right of a loss for tax purposes. Do they charge for a ride? I know the entry is free now but was wondering how they manage to get $$$ for maintainance and to keep the dog alive Link to comment
Eisenbahn Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Hi Westfalen, Excellent photos & stories! Pleased to see that my suggestion of the Toyoko-Inn at JR Noda station worked out well for you this trip . For the benefit of other forum members, it is on the Osaka Loop Line and also has an underground (non JR) station at the hotel door. It has easy access from Osaka Kansai International Airport and is a good launching point for day trips in the Kansai region, eg Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Osaka, Himeji etc. By the way, there is a similar situation at Shinagawa station in Tokyo. I have used the Shinagawa Prince Hotel there and there is a Toyoko Inn next door. They are both opposite the station. As forum members know, Shinagawa station is on the Yamanote loop and also has easy access to Narita Airport and Haneda Airport. All sorts of exotic rail traffic passes through Shinagawa. For me, getting on a train inside an airport terminal and getting out at the hotel door is a big plus.....as is, being on the main city loop line. best wishes... Eisenbahn Link to comment
keitaro Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Working link http://jp.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyland_ikoma ... can angone confirm this works?? Does on my pc but not on mobile. Link to comment
westfalen Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 Working link http://jp.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyland_ikoma ... can angone confirm this works?? Does on my pc but not on mobile. The link works for me. I also found the park's website. http://www1.kcn.ne.jp/~skyikoma/ They charge from 300 to 500 yen depending on the ride, 300 for things like the train and 500 for the bigger rides like the roller coaster. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now