Tokyo Area Train News

[gmat]

I haven't had much time to take photos this year, but have noticed some things around Omiya and Shinjuku that might be of interest. A recent School Trip charter used 185-200 B2 8584M rather than the older 183/189s. The 189 M50 Holiday Fujisan to Kawaguchiko had a new orange/blue head display with Mt. Fuji replacing the old blue Holiday Kaisoku Kawaguchiko from at least Dec. of last year. Don't know when it was renamed. It is still in use as of yesterday. Noted Holiday Yamanashi Sakurambo 481-1550 Irodori N201 returning to Chiba. There weren't many people snapping pictures, so I guess it might have replaced the 215 series. The Saikyo Line 205s have dwindled enough so that some of the younger spotters wait around to shoot them. I shot one yesterday and noted a few students shooting it as it came and returned. Another student arrived later and asked me if the 205 had appeared so it is of interest. 

The Kusatsu 185s have largely been displaced by the 651 with the new orange trim. The week night Homeliner Akagi 185s have been replaced with Swallow Akagi 651s.  The Akagi going to and from Shinjuku still uses 185s, though. Have seen a 185 used as an ordinary charter so I guess it will replace the 183/189s for that purpose. You can still shoot 185s passing through Omiya going to and from the Rolling Stock Yard.

Last Tuesday a crowd of fans tipped me that something special was coming. It turned out to be The Cassiopeia being used as a charter and returning to Ueno in the late afternoon. Red EF81-81 was pulling it.  I also caught EF81-80 with the sleeper cars consist on the training run. I believe that the crowds shooting the retirement of the Akebono lead to new posting for rail fan behavior at Omiya Station. Some points, no tripods, no standing on metal camera cases, don't crowd the edges of the platform and no flashes, which Japanese rail fans have told me includes the range finder light! I've unknowingly violated the last item for years. Sorry. 

I've been using the Seishun 18 pass on the Chuo Line to ride the 115s before they disappear. Have seen the 211 series in the new Chuo Line colors, but haven't had the luck to ride one. 

The last day of the Golden Week is another good day to shoot unusual trains. I stopped at Tachikawa on May 6th and shot these trains. 183 N101 used for the Kaiji service passed by returning to Shinjuku just before four in the afternoon. Then 115 C13 445M in the Nagano livery left bound for Matsumoto! I would have loved to ride that train.

That's all for now.

 

Sorry, no pictures.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[Davo Dentetsu]

I noticed my YouTube feed got a bit weird the other day when this turned up.

EF64 and EF81 double heading.  I cheated a bit and recreated something similar...

[miyakoji]

gmat, I now realize how few posts we've seen from you lately.  I hope all is well.

[Sacto1985]

I think at the rate things are going, JR East is starting to accelerate the retirement of the 185's. The last stand of the 185 could be the Odoriko service, though even that I don't know how long that would last.

[bikkuri bahn]

The Saikyo Line 205s have dwindled enough so that some of the younger spotters wait around to shoot them. I shot one yesterday and noted a few students shooting it as it came and returned. Another student arrived later and asked me if the 205 had appeared so it is of interest.

 

Apparently there is only one 205 series trainset left (ハエ２８編成).  You were lucky to get it.  Of course, it amuses me a bit when those Saitama fans get all excited about a lone 205 when you can see plenty of them on the Nambu Line and a few still on the Yokohama Line. Also saw (and rode) quite a few this morning on the Hanwa Line (along with my favs, the 103's)- just got back from Kansai this evening.

 

btw good to hear from you Grant.  Hope all is well.

Edited June 15, 2014 by bikkuri bahn

[gmat]

Thank you Miyakoji and bikkuri bahn for asking about me. I'm fine but my new job as a full time teacher at a preschool sucks up much of my time. My wife has been after me to do some severe downsizing of my books and plastic models, so I've been stuck at home dithering when I could have been at a station during my days off. 

An update on the situation at Omiya. I visited the station after my lessons yesterday. The Station apparently has become more serious about the crowd of photographers. They've blocked off the southern end behind the small shed on the platform 6/7 island (noted some time ago) and they've painted stripes on the ground outside of the yellow line on the northern tip of platform 11. (noted yesterday) There was almost no one standing at the latter spot when I was there and the very few students that did appear, scrupulously stood inside of the yellow line rather that next to the fence at the end of the platform. I was at the south end of platform 11 when the Kintaro diesel and the Cassiopeia passed through. Usually a small crowd appears to shoot the Kintaro. So I don't know if anyone appeared at the north spot then. May have a chance to go again this afternoon and will see if anything has really changed with the rail fan behavior. 

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[bikkuri bahn]

Interesting about the railfan behavior.  It seems many like to congregate at Omiya in groups, some kind of social dynamic.  I noticed the same thing (on a smaller scale) this weekend at Tsuruhashi, on the Nara end of the Kintetsu down platform there.  About bad railfans, I encountered one (an 18 or 19 yr old from his looks) on the Tobu Tojo line, at one the inner Tokyo stations- he had a camera on a tripod set up on the end of a narrow down platform, whenever an up train approached, his head got into the field of view- I told him could he move a little back as a courtesy- he ignored my suggestion, after I mentioned to him that setting up a tripod a couple of cm from the platform edge was dangerous, he said he knew all the train schedules, that he moved it back before the down train (his side was where all the through trains passed at speed) came- incredibly, he was wearing headphones while waiting for the trains to come into view.  After getting some pictures, I gave up and moved to another station.

[miyakoji]

I mentioned to him that setting up a tripod a couple of cm from the platform edge was dangerous, he said he knew all the train schedules, that he moved it back before the down train (his side was where all the through trains passed at speed) came- incredibly, he was wearing headphones while waiting for the trains to come into view.  After getting some pictures, I gave up and moved to another station.

Whenever I see someone doing something clearly stupid/dangerous (fairly often, unfortunately), I have to get away.  It often involves headphones, come to think of it.  You did your good deed for the day trying to save him from himself; at that point, getting away from him is all that's left.  Good on JRE for trying to control this behavior.  If some of the videos we've seen are anything to go on, this will be no small effort.

[Sacto1985]

Given the number of videos seen on YouTube of REALLY bad railfan behavior at Omiya Station (Omiya is a railfan favorite because a lot of different train types pass through the station daily), I'm glad that JR East has started to crack down on such behavior before an unfortunate tragedy happens.

[gmat]

The problem with rail fan behavior is when there are too many people trying to shoot at the same spot. In small numbers, they are usually very considerate of other shooters and will look back to see if they might be blocking someone or will crouch down to give you a better shot. But when they are more than 10 at one spot, that's when manners and common sense disappears and they start crowding towards the edge of the platform. Since most of Omiya Station is covered, only the end sections have relatively good lighting. And if you try to shoot away from the ends, you constantly have commuters walking along the edge (outside of the yellow line) blocking your shots.   Another problem is that it is not easy to move to another station to get the same kind of shots. Fans seem to prefer head on shots with a telephoto lens to compress the locomotives. It really looks better than when the train passes you and exposes more of its side.

North of Omiya, the lines separate into the Utsunomiya and Takasaki Lines and towards the South, only Saitama-Shintoshin offers any platform shooting before the Musashino line freight trains go underground. The latter station's platform is higher than the rest of the tracks and freight trains use tracks that don't run as close to the platforms. Then you also have problems with catenary pylons crowding your field of view. Nor is it easy to shoot outside of the stations. There are too many tracks, and the built up areas and high fences make it pretty difficult to find a good spot. 

My complaint with bad fan behavior is a young boy who came running up just as the Kintaro diesel passed and stood right in front blocking my shot, with not a mummer of apology after that. I'd like for him to have fallen off the platform. But you take the shots that you can. It doesn't have to be the best. 

 

Best wishes,

Grant

Edited June 19, 2014 by gmat