railsquid's random Japanese train photos

[railsquid]

On 5/8/2022 at 5:12 AM, HankyuDentetsu said:

That shot of Ochanomizu station is fantastic, really had me stumped for a while. Been working away on that for quite some time, haven't they!

 

Yeah, one of those long-term projects for barrier-free access, earthquake-proofing and complicated part-way through by the need to lengthen the Chuo Line platforms, all in a typically constricted site.

 

Talking of which:

 

Ochanomizu Station Chuo Line-platform extension (2022-04-15) by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Edited May 14, 2022 by railsquid

[railsquid]

Meanwhile exciting times at Shinjuku, where this E231-800 series was transiting through the Chuo Line platforms, presumably bound for Mitaka:

 

Shinjuku Station, 2022-05-13 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Shinjuku Station, 2022-05-13 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

And just after I took those I saw what I think was a Boso Line 209 series heading in along the Yamanote Freight line (similar movement to this one I presume), but it has gone before I could take a photo.

[railsquid]

On 4/30/2022 at 9:06 AM, railsquid said:

 

 

Just realised I have a shot from more-or-less the same angle in 2004:

 

Ochanomizu Station, ca. 2004 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[railsquid]

So, this "work-from-home" malarkey is all very good, except having been doing it since way before most of the world had heard of "Wuhan", so every now and then for the sake of my sanity and not murdering my family I do "work-from-train", which if you know the Kanto railway network, works surprisingly well (pro-tip: there's a Tully's coffee shop in the bowels of Omiya Station in the in-between floor above the Saikyo line platforms which is rarely crowded and has power sockets). Anyway one day I decided it would be fun to spend some quality time on the Musashino Line, then it occurred to me it crosses the Edo River, which has an excellent cycle path which is on my pre-bucket list, so on a whim I got out at whichever station was close to it to get an idea of what it's like (nice, not too infested with cosplay cyclists), and thanks to the interwebs I also discovered that if I walked a little way I'd be almost at the northern terminus of the  Nagareyama Line, which was kind of surprising as it was one of those many lines I'd kind-of-heard-of but always assumed it was somewhere way outside of Tokyo, but anyway here it is:

 

nagareyama-2022-04-28_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

in all its pink bought-second-hand-from-Seibu-glory, and I am sure there is some kind of conspiracy which keeps these kind of miniscule railways alive so big companies like Seibu, Tokyu etc. can dispose of their old stock, anyway it's the kind of line which has a timetable you can remember at a glance (every 15 minutes from start to end of the day) and in a sane world would probably be replaced by some kind of light rail, but hey Japan.

 

Anyway it has some interesting advertising stickers:

 

nagareyama-2022-04-28_02 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

nagareyama-2022-04-28_03 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[maihama eki]

The Kato advertisement sticker is related to the impending Hobby Center Kato release of this sunglasses-required-livery Nagareyama train.

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10864777

 

Who in their right mind would pre-order that? Said the guy that is obviously not in his right mind.

[railsquid]

Yeah, forgot to mention those ads were on the stations as well.

 

Nice modellable little line.

[railsquid]

Blast from the past, as I'm sorting through some old photos and have the scanner on:

 

100 series Shinkansen by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Kyoto, May 2002.

[railsquid]

Not Japanese, but what on earth was I smoking?

 

[Giugiaro]

You're sure you didn't cross with Hanish Kapoor?

[cteno4]

I want some!

 

jeff

[railsquid]

Two 4-car Seibu trains vastly outnumbering a 2-car Chichibu Railway train at Mitsumineguchi:

 

Mitsumineguchi (2022-10-23) by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Sadly the random collection of old Chichibu stock forming an ad-hoc, very accessible open-air museum has vanished since last time I was there in 2015.

[railsquid]

Blast from the past - Tokyo station, almost 18 years ago:

 

Tokyo Station, 2005-06-08 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

The station building itself is in the post-war, pre-restoration state; only two of the visible train types can still be seen in this location.

 

From left to right:

• Chuo Line 201 series
• Yamanote Line E231-500 series
• Yamanote Line E231-500 series
• Keihin-Tohoku Line 209 series
• Tokaido Main Line 113 series
• Tokaido Main Line 211 series
• 251 series (I think)
• E2 Shinkansen
• 300 series Shinkansen
• 700 series Shinkansen
• 700 series Shinkansen

(Note: it wouldn't surprise me if one or both of those 700 series subtypes are also history, but I'm not very versed in those).

Edited February 19, 2023 by railsquid

[200系]

2 hours ago, railsquid said:

(Note: it wouldn't surprise me if one or both of those 700 series subtypes are also history

 

History they most certainly are,

 

The C formations (JR Tōkai, 0 sub-type cars) were scrapped between January 2013 and March 2020, while the B formations (JR West, 3000 sub-type cars) were scrapped between September 2017 and May 2020. That said, both formation sub-groups were officially retired from scheduled service on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in December 2019, with the last scheduled 700 series service operated by a C formation taking place on December 1st, 2019, while the final scheduled service operated by a B formation took place on December 22nd of the same year. Irregular services continued through February 2020, for both additional services during busy periods and for special group trains, with Nozomi 315, planned to run on March 8th, 2020, intended to be the last run. However, because of the appearance of the health crisis caused by the covid pandemic, on March 2nd 2020 it was decided to cancel the last run and all events surrounding it, resulting in the March 1st service becoming the de-facto last run, at least as far as the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is concerned.

 

->JR Tōkai formation C54 operating Kodama 636, the final scheduled service to be operated by one of the C formations, between Nagoya and Tōkyō on December 1st, 2019. [Dr. YELLOW Movie by charanzoom]

 

-> A great overview of the final month of operations Formations C53 and C54 operating a variety of scheduled (additional) services as well as a couple of chartered services between the 12th of February and 1st of March 2020. [Dr. YELLOW Movie by charanzoom]

 

Now the story of the B formations ended a bit different, though in the end the same health crisis would impact the sequence of events in a similar manner to the C formations.

The last scheduled service, though scheduled in this case actually meant a substitute for a regular scheduled service as opposed to a special charter as with the C formations, would actually take place after the final run of the C formations, with B formation B4 operating Hikari 441 between Shin-Ōsaka and Hakata on March 13, 2020. As opposed to JR Tōkai, which would scrap the final two remaining C formations, formations C53 and C54, on March 11 and March 12 respectively, JR West would initially retain one of the B formations, the aforementioned formation B4, with the intention of using it as an Hadōyu Sharyō, or wave transportation vehicle, basically a formation specifically used to provide additional capacity during busy periods (e.g. Golden Week, Obon, end of year/new year etc.) as well as school trips etc, on the Sanyō Shinkansen. To this end she would actually receive a general inspection, and would in turn become the only 16-car 700 series formation to become entirely non-smoking in the process, with the inspection being completed in the middle of may 2020, with her acceptance test run completed on May 15 2020. the first time she would see service in her new role would be in August 2020, as she operated Kodama 770 between Kokura and Shin-Yamaguchi as well as the return trip between Shin-Yamaguchi and Hakata as Kodama 777 in lieu of a 500 series V formation.

 

-> Formation B4 operating Hikari 441 between Shin-Ōsaka and Hakata on March 13, 2020. [Dr. YELLOW Movie by charanzoom]

 

However, as the ongoing health crisis saw passenger numbers plummet all over the Japanese railway system, with the Sanyō Shinkansen being no exception, the need for special trains likewise evaporated, which meant formation B4 became surplus almost not long after, with the formation being scrapped on the 28th of February, 2021. The formation would be stored at the Hakata General Vehicle Centre for nearly 10 months, with preparatory work for dismantling (removal of the interior, doors, windows electrical and mechanical equipment etc) starting near the end of December 2021, and the actual dismantling process starting with car 1 (723-3004) on the 13th of January 2022, with the work being completed on the 23rd of March, 2022. 

With the dismantling of formation B4 all 16-car 700 series formations have disappeared, leaving the 8-car E formations (Hikari Railstar) and 923 type formations T4 and T5 as the only 700 series, or 700 series based in case of the 923 type cars, in service as of writing [note1].

 

 

->Formation B4 arriving at Shin-Yamaguchi as Kodama 770, and later departing to Hakata as Kodama 777, for the first time after having completed her general inspection (note the freshly repainted look, all shinkansen receive a full repaint each time they go through a general inspection which takes place every 1.2 million kilometres or every 3 years whichever comes first(which is usually the 1.2 million kilometres)). Unfortunately this would also be the very last time she saw service as well, as the height of the covid pandemic resulted in a severe reduction in passengers carried on the Sanyō Shinkansen which in turn curtailed the remaining service life of this specific formation, a sad end to what has otherwise been an incredibly successful series. [にさんがた (Nisan Gata)]

 

So, tldr, thems been gone for a while.

 

8 hours ago, railsquid said:

but I'm not very versed in those

 

Well, I guess that should be rectified to somewhat versed after this😅

 

Cheers!

 

Sander

 

[Note1] Though this should technically include the 800 series as well, as the 800 series is mostly based on the 700 series. This includes the electrical and mechanical equipment as well as the overall carbody design and construction, though of course the nose design, pantograph(s) (which in turn is a modified version of the PS207 type pantograph used on the E2 series 1000 sub-type cars, PS207K for the 800 series) and overall (equipment) layout differ from the 700 series. Though they are of course different series, considering their familiar heritage I would classify them as (half) sisters at the least.

[railsquid]

Very good, I was working on the basis of a vague memory that the newer 700 types have narrower cab windows. So anyway I guess the E2 is the only type still running, and even then only just, I suspect (assuming it's not of an already defunct sub-class, though the resolution is not good enough to see any subtleties).

[railsquid]

Random old phone photo from 2015, one of those everyday scenes which is no more:

 

Takadanobaba Station, 2015-04-17 19:43 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[railsquid]

Another break from Japanese train photos - here the proof that I am officially old, as it's statistically likely I have ridden in this Berlin S-Bahn car, and now it's in a museum:

 

Berlin S-Bahn BR485 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[railsquid]

Continuing the non-Japanese theme, some loco-hauled goodness from the recent trip:

 

Berlin Hauptbahhof (2023-12-11) by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Not sure what kind of loco, some new-fangled thing no doubt. Anyway due to circumstances beyond Deutsche Bahn's control, it departed on time, and arrival in Prague was only a few minutes late. By some strange coincidence, the reservation system placed me at a table seat opposite the only other person in the carriage wearing an actual facemask.

[railsquid]

Prior to that I was in the Untied Kingdom of Great Britainland, where the whole concept of railways was kind of invented, and boy do they like to keep things traditional:

 

worcester-foregate-street-2023-12-07_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Due to some freak set of circumstances, the train which was due to strike action my last chance of reaching a London airport was running and on time:

 

worcester-foregate-street-2023-12-07_02 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

and comfortingly traditional, in that it was a terribly rattly DMU (I actually have some video of the incredible rattliness, it was impressive), which decanted me at the actually quite delightful Birmingham Moor Street (if you ignore the giant silvery slug which appears to be draping itself over the station roof, and the banal 2000s architecture rising above the orignal-ish Edwardian terminal building), where I decanted myself into another DMU which had seen better days:

 

birmingham-moor-street-2023-12-07_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

and which though crowded got me as far as London, where I was somewhat delighted to see this extant remnant of a sector of the former British Rail which has been defunct for almost 30 years:

 

marylebone-station-2023-12-07 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

The tube was working reliably:

 

london-tube-2023-12-07_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

but after that I gave up taking pictures, as I was somewhat anxious to arrive at the airport in time, which I did, and to reward my efforts I was landed straight into a 24 hour German railstrike, which - rather than a direct S-Bahn to my hotel - gave me the pleasure of a late-evening trip on Berlin's U7 and U8 U-Bahn lines, where you really need to be drinking from an open bottle of beer and/or not have showered within the last calendar month to fit in, and the latter stopped one station before my destination with the inevitable Schienenersatzverkehr, but it was nice to be home, so to speak.

Edited December 27, 2023 by railsquid