Jump to content

DD51 to make appearance at Tokyo Station Nov 2


Recommended Posts

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 :grin. 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

Link to comment

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?).

Link to comment

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.

Link to comment
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)?

Link to comment

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.

Link to comment

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. 

Link to comment

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...

Link to comment
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 by westfalen
  • Like 1
Link to comment

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.

Link to comment
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.

  • Like 1
Link to comment

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...