railsquid's random Japanese train photos

[miyakoji]

Not a train photo exactly, but Tokyo from above on a fine clear winter day.

 

 

Is that from the Metropolitan office building?

[railsquid]

Lobby of the Park Hyatt Tokyo.

[railsquid]

train-reflection by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[railsquid]

Now here's a sobering thought - this is (AFAIK) the last JNR-era class of train which makes a regular appearance at Tokyo Station.

185-tokyo-station by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[miyakoji]

Now here's a sobering thought - this is (AFAIK) the last JNR-era class of train which makes a regular appearance at Tokyo Station.

185-tokyo-station by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Nice pic.  The 185 is a favorite of mine, I'd like to ride one before they're all gone, which is probably soon.  I assume there's a schedule revision this month.  The 185s have survived the mid-March schedule revisions for a few years now despite surplus 651s, etc.  Will they make it through this year?

[Suica]

I love how I'm almost always greeted by an 185 whenever I come to Tokyo Station. However, it's always been an Odoriko livery one. Never saw any of the others. I also never rode one so far. Something I gotta do.

Question is, before they go is there even anything to replace them with?

Edited March 3, 2017 by Suica

[miyakoji]

Question is, before they go is there even anything to replace them with?

 

I hope not :)

[Sacto1985]

I think the 185's will still continue to run--they are primarily assigned to the Odoriko resort train, various weekend resort trains, and to the Home Liner service.

[westfalen]

During my visit to Japan last September I was trying to get a shot of a 185 because I didn't know if I'd see them again but always missed the shot, until the last day when I got photos and video of one passing Akihabara after the last minute hobby shop visits.  Always keep the camera handy until you step off the NEX at Narita.

[Kiha66]

Great photo as always squid!  Hopefully the 185 sticks around for a few years yet! 

[ToniBabelony]

185s are great! Today I had a little rewarding pass as -after installing an exhibition in Yokohama, on the way home a coupled pair of 185s sped past my train in Higashi-kanagawa sta. Those old motors sound so nice at full speed...

Edited March 4, 2017 by Kabutoni

[railsquid]

The Japanese Wikipedia page mentioned speculation that they might be replaced e.g. by surplus E259s or E257s cascaded by the introduction of E353s, but nothing has been decided yet. Surplus E651s have been used to replace them on routes north of Tokyo.

 

Another train-on-a-viaduct shot:

Keihin Tohoku Line train at Yurakucho Station, 2017-03-03 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[railsquid]

Jostling to get on board a rush hour train at Kai-Koizumi Station on the Koumi line.

 

Kai-Koizumi Station (甲斐小泉駅), 2017-03-24 by Rail Squid, on Flickr


Kai-Koizumi Station (甲斐小泉駅), 2017-03-24 by Rail Squid, on Flickr


Kai-Koizumi Station (甲斐小泉駅), 2017-03-24 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[velotrain]

Hmmm . . . I see they're using wye switches for the platforms, just as I recommended to valkyriepm.

 

I like the ped crossing design which kinda forces people to look in the opposite direction before going over the second track.

 

 

P.S. - I don't see anyone else around to jostle with ??

[Pashina12]

I'm not sure I'd do well in such a massive crowd...

[railsquid]

P.S. - I don't see anyone else around to jostle with ??

 

Mrs. Squid and the Squidlet are behind the camera, and there was a little old lady in the waiting room.

[velotrain]

Just the sorts of jostlers that you need to watch out for ;-)

 

Sorry - I had an incorrect meaning in mind.

Edited March 27, 2017 by velotrain

[railsquid]

Tokyo Metro 5000 series at Ayase, Sept. 27th 2009.

P1020998 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[railsquid]

Another blast from the past from the past - on Sat. Aug 30th 2008 I espied this very JNR-esque sign at a station between Shinagawa and Tabata:

Showa-era JR (JNR?) station sign by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

The only clue I have as to which station is the next photo I appear to have taken on that day, which is evidently near Ryogoku. Not entirely sure any more what took me in that direction on that day, something involving a date and a cinema vaguely comes to mind. As I was living near Mejiro Station at the time, this could have been Akihabara, though I was also working a few stops down the Keikyu line from Shinagawa so in the event I was in the office beforehand (unusual but not unheard of) it could be Shinagawa. Or I might have had some time to kill and spent a while poking around somewhere like Ueno, which seems a likely candidate.

[railsquid]

More recently, a lady I know who knows her kihas from her kuhas (seriously).

 

kiha-25 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[JR 500系]

Enjoying these pictures... thanks squid san for posting them!

 

I really envy the large pool of train fans including female ones in Japan... Imagine it's so fun to go on a date with a common interest for trains!

[railsquid]

I was sitting minding my own business drinking coffee when I saw an alarmingly heavy-looking crane hook swinging in front of me. Turned out it was extracting stuff from this hole in the street:

Construction work under the street by Rail Squid, on Flickr

What's the railway connection, you ask? Well I think it's part of a new pedestrian subway linking the nearby metro stations (the Yurakucho/Hibiya complex) with a new office tower.

[railsquid]

More subterranean construction work, this time the new east-west passage underneath Shinjuku station, which has been under construction for years, but I've only just caught a glimpse of:

shinjuku-station-construction by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

This will ultimately replace the east/west exit ticket gates with freely accessible east-west passages with the ticket gates in-between, vastly improving access between east and west sides of the station.

[JR 500系]

Nice ~ It's like part and parcel of my everyday work, only on a more professional level of construction works  :P   Would you happen to see who the contractor might be?  (there are usually hoardings around to shield from the public, with the company's name on it)

[railsquid]

Now here's a sobering thought - this is (AFAIK) the last JNR-era class of train which makes a regular appearance at Tokyo Station.

185-tokyo-station by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Bzzzzt, turns out my assumption is only correct for the above-ground part. Venture into the labyrinthine depths of the Keiyo line platforms to espy this genuine 1985 (Showa 60) 205 series from the Musashino line:

 

205-tokyo-station by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

205-maker-plate by Rail Squid, on Flickr