Back in Japan Again

[westfalen]

At the Mecure Hotel Narita for two nights.  The new Railpass validation process is very time consuming when you have a group of 22 people, after we left the ticket office staff put out the closed sign.  The shuttle 'train' between the terminals at Narita is no longer operating, replaced by a long walkway with travelator, don't know if it is permanent or not.

 

I had hoped to get to the Shizuoka Hobby Show tomorrow but have to be back at Narita by 1525 which wouldn't give me much time at the show.  Instead I will be riding the Chiba monorail and Choshi Railway. I haven't been to the Choshi Railway since they got their 'new' trains and will be a more relaxed day for the first day here anyway than going to the show with 70,000 other people.

[bikkuri bahn]

The shuttle 'train' between the terminals at Narita is no longer operating, replaced by a long walkway with travelator, don't know if it is permanent or not.

 

The change is permanent.  The shuttle lacked the capacity to handle future passenger growth.  Apparently a portion of the real estate taken up by the guideway will be utilized for tenant space, which will add revenue.

[westfalen]

The change is permanent.  The shuttle lacked the capacity to handle future passenger growth.  Apparently a portion of the real estate taken up by the guideway will be utilized for tenant space, which will add revenue.

That's a pity.  I was walking along looking at my phone trying to get it to work and started thinking we had been walking for a long time.

 

We were all dissapointed at having to wait a little longer for our first Japanese train ride.

[Densha]

Never been at Narita, but by getting rid of that shuttle you don't solve the capacity problem do you?

[kvp]

 

but by getting rid of that shuttle you don't solve the capacity problem do you?

Two moving sidewalks have way more capacity than a 2 car shuttle, simply by having a much larger surface and working continously. The capacity change is the same as when two small lifts get replaced by two slightly slower escalators. Essentially you get the capacity equivalent of a continous loop of always moving trains in a slightly smaller footprint.

[westfalen]

A few photos from today's wanderings.  Rode Chiba Monorail and Choshi Railway, caught #70 freight from Kishima that followed us into Narita and then finished in the evening with a trip into Tokyo on the Keisei.

[Densha]

@DSC_3180.JPG

Lol, the stuffed animal was murdered. :P

[miyakoji]

Yeah I'm trying to figure out what it is.  It's this: http://www.yosensha.co.jp/book/b177372.html but I'm not sure what "this" is.  I can't tell if it's just a book or what...

[westfalen]

The murdered bear was promoting mystery week at the Shosen Book Tower in Akihabara.

[JR 500系]

The murdered bear looks strangely familiar to the Rillakumar bear... By the way, nice looking E257! Makes me regret not getting the model then. The yellow and blue looks great! Monorail looks good too, with its painted cartoon scheme. Very vintage and classic mail bike!

[miyakoji]

The murdered bear was promoting mystery week at the Shosen Book Tower in Akihabara.

Ah, I thought it was directly related to the book next to it, it seems to have some kind of assailed cartoon character on the cover.  Weird stuff.  I do miss Japanese book stores though (and not just Tetsudou Fan )

[cteno4]

Nuffield said

 

http://japanrailmodelers.org/photos/_goji/pages/page_72.html

 

http://japanrailmodelers.org/photos/_goji/pages/page_75.html

 

Jeff

[E6系]

On a lighter note ... and slightly off topic:

 

[westfalen]

A few of todays pictures. We traveled from Tokyo to Nagoya then rode the Toyohashi trams and Toyohashi Railway.

 

 

[westfalen]

I headed off on my own this morning to get some video of Sangi Railway freight at Nyugawa.  Had a look at the rollingstock at the Freight Railway Museum there and the locos on display at the end of the line at Nishi Fujiwara.  A bonus was Dr Yellow passing through while we were at Nagoya.  I never cease to be impressed by Kyoto station.

 

Doing a few local lines around Kyoto tomorrow, here for three nights.

 

 

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Kyoto is a lovely city. I know I have just been to Japan, but I am envious!

[Darklighter]

<= B-Train Shorty diorama?   :icon_scratch:   ;)

Edited May 20, 2014 by Darklighter

[Densha]

<= B-Train Shorty diorama?   :icon_scratch:   ;)

What about T-trak?? :)

[westfalen]

Spent today around Kyoto.  A few of the photos.

 

 

 

[Densha]

Nice! Keihan Ishiyama-Sakamoto line... the Keihin line trains do really stand out being almost subway-trains.

[Guest ___]

Never been at Narita, but by getting rid of that shuttle you don't solve the capacity problem do you?

 

I think they fixed the capacity problem by opening up the new international terminal at HND. :)

[westfalen]

Spent today in the Kyoto and Osaka area.  The observation deck of the new 300 metre tall Abeno Harukas building in Tennoji is a good place to look down on the comings and goings at the JR and Kintetsu stations at Tennoji.  A couple of others and myself left the group inn the evening to go from Umeda to Himeji via the Hanshin and Sanyo Railways on our Kansai thru pass then returned to Kyoto by Shinkansen, a route I had not done in its entirety.

 

We head off to Kokura in the morning.

[westfalen]

A few photos from yesterday's wanderings around Kokura.

 

 

[bill937ca]

The weather looks good.  The rainy season is still to come.

[bikkuri bahn]

A couple of others and myself left the group inn the evening to go from Umeda to Himeji via the Hanshin and Sanyo Railways on our Kansai thru pass then returned to Kyoto by Shinkansen, a route I had not done in its entirety.

 

That's a good day trip.  I did it once (as far as Shin-Osaka on the return leg), to catch a 500 series on the last leg of its run on a Kodama service. Also similarly back in the day when the kiha 181's were still used on the Hamakaze services.

Edited May 24, 2014 by bikkuri bahn