DD51 to make appearance at Tokyo Station Nov 2

[miyakoji]

Having had addresses in Japan that were not too far from unelectrified lines, this doesn't seem like such a big deal to me, but I guess Tokyo Station doesn't see a lot of diesel equipment. On November 2, a one-time revival(?) of the Amanokawa, once upon a time a sleeper service for Akita via the Joetsu Line, will run. It looks like the DD51 will provide traction only to Takasaki, where an EF81 will take over. Seems like a lot of effort to appeal to railfans, I'd be satisfied with just running the route and maybe a nice bento . So, break out your camera gear and look out of the kimoi tetsuota at Omiya!

 

Here's a thread on Ompuchaneru with an image of the poster, plus a shot of DD51 842 (the Emperor's own DD51!) with 2 24-series (maybe) passenger cars parked at former Manseibashi Station, Tokyo's most mysterious siding: http://rail-uploader.khz-net.com/index.php?id=1119639

[westfalen]

Now if they had C61 20 pull it as far as Takasaki that would be something.

[Davo Dentetsu]

Honoured that they will celebrate my birthday in such fashion.  Cheers JR for doing it all for me!

[bronzeonion]

If this was only a few days later!!! :@

[ToniBabelony]

I expect chaos, screaming and squabbles. A full-size diesel loco in the metropolitan area is rare stuff (yes there are mountains of small maintenance locos, but they don't count, right?).

[Sacto1985]

I'd love to see them have JNR Class C61 20 pull the train from Omiya Station to Takasaki Station (easy to do since the route between Omiya and Takasaki is pretty much flat), then have the JNR Class EF81 take over from Takasaki to Akita.

[westfalen]

I'd love to see them have JNR Class C61 20 pull the train from Omiya Station to Takasaki Station (easy to do since the route between Omiya and Takasaki is pretty much flat), then have the JNR Class EF81 take over from Takasaki to Akita.

Or from Takasaki to Minakami, C61 20 and D51 498's regular run where steam qualified crews who know the road wouldn't be a problem.  Probably would have increased the cost considerably though.  Anyone know what it would cost to go on this trip (provided it wasn't booked out thirty seconds after it was advertised of course)?

[bikkuri bahn]

Anyone know what it would cost to go on this trip

If travelling alone, between 30000~34000 yen depending on the option you choose:

https://www.travel.eki-net.com/pdf/20131017_akita.pdf?link_id=top_Osu10171

[westfalen]

If travelling alone, between 30000~34000 yen depending on the option you choose:

https://www.travel.eki-net.com/pdf/20131017_akita.pdf?link_id=top_Osu10171

$315~360 Australian, reasonable price for a trip like that compared to what they cost here.

[gmat]

Anyone know what time it will pass Omiya?

 

Thanks, Grant

[bikkuri bahn]

Grant, the schedule may be in the latest issue of DJ magazine, or the Nov. JTB or JR Timetable.  I'm away on a business trip tomorrow, but I'll try to look it up if I can get to a JR station or bookshop sometime over the next few days.

[gmat]

Thanks, bikkuri bahn. Hope that you are fine and well. 

 

Grant

[bikkuri bahn]

Grant, I checked the JR Jikokuhyou and the DJ magazine, but no luck in finding a schedule of the train.　Given the Tokyo Sta departure of 17:53, you can estimate based on 10 min (conservatively) between Tokyo and Ueno, and 24 minutes between Ueno and Omiya (the time it takes for Akebono), so approx.18:27 arrival (or passing) at Omiya. 

[bikkuri bahn]

The train went via Shinagawa and Shinjuku.  A video with scenes at Tokyo, Shinjuku, Akabane, Omiya, and Takasaki.

[yakumo381]

A final moment of glory for the DD51? - as I doubt this run into Tokyo will ever be repeated. Anyone know how many DD51 are now left and where? Given this is my favorite JNR diesel (my Niihama layout has 5 running on it and I have to be forcibly restrained from bidding for more on eBay) I want to make sure I get to see as many in the wild before they go extinct. Trawling the web for "dismantling line" images seems to regularly come up with more and more of my old favorites biting the dust...

[westfalen]

A final moment of glory for the DD51? - as I doubt this run into Tokyo will ever be repeated. Anyone know how many DD51 are now left and where? Given this is my favorite JNR diesel (my Niihama layout has 5 running on it and I have to be forcibly restrained from bidding for more on eBay) I want to make sure I get to see as many in the wild before they go extinct. Trawling the web for "dismantling line" images seems to regularly come up with more and more of my old favorites biting the dust...

You prompted me to start asking the same thing myself.  According to Japanese Wikipedia were only 72 in service out of the 649 built as of April 12th 2012, JR Hokkaido 13, JR East 4, JR West 5 and JR Freight 50. So there are not as many left as I thought, so get photos while you can. I saw a long line of them being cut up at Muroran in 2010.

Edited November 5, 2013 by westfalen

[miyakoji]

Thanks westfalen, I would have thought that more remain in service.

[bikkuri bahn]

They are almost all gone in Hokkaido- the ones you can still reliably see are the ones pulling passenger trains, the freighters are pretty much replaced by the DF's.

 

If you want to see fairly frequent DD51 in action pulling freights, get yourself to the Kansai Main Line between Yokkaichi and Nagoya- sometimes you can see doubleheaders on loaded tanker trains between Yokkaichi and Inazawa.

[westfalen]

They are almost all gone in Hokkaido- the ones you can still reliably see are the ones pulling passenger trains, the freighters are pretty much replaced by the DF's.

 

If you want to see fairly frequent DD51 in action pulling freights, get yourself to the Kansai Main Line between Yokkaichi and Nagoya- sometimes you can see doubleheaders on loaded tanker trains between Yokkaichi and Inazawa.

I will be doing that in about three weeks.