Sacabambaspis: Keio’s New EMU

Set 9701 of Keio’s new 2000 series EMU at Wakabadai Station

I recently joined another event hosted by the Japan Railfan Club—a test ride of Keio’s new commuter train, the 2000 series EMU. Let me share this memorable experience with you today.

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, so please take a look at the photo above. Yes—this is the 2000 series EMU. Quite an impressive face, isn’t it? Japanese railfans affectionately call it “Sacabambaspis.” What an elaborate nickname! Sacabambaspis was an extinct jawless fish that lived in the Ordovician period (from about 488 to 445 million years ago), and is closely related to the modern lamprey. As I’ve mentioned several times before, I’m a fossil collector—a paleo-organism enthusiast—but even I never have come up with such a nickname. Keio accepts this one (see the related link). Hats off to the godfather of this nickname.

By the way, the 2000 series features a special space called “Hidamari Space (Sunny Spot)” for wheelchair and pram users in car No. 5. Please take a look at the photo below. This is the Hidamari Space. The windows here are set lower, so even small children can enjoy the passing scenery while sitting in their prams. This spot is similar to Seibu Railway’s “Partner Zone” on the 40000 series EMU, but Keio’s Hidamari Space is more colorful and much brighter. The locations differ as well. Seibu’s Partner Zone is placed in the first or last car, which is usually less crowded. In contrast, Keio installs Hidamari Space in the middle of the train (Car 5 of a 10-car set), which will naturally be busier. Since there are no seats in this area, I wonder slightly how passengers will feel about this configuration. According to Keio, the location was chosen because many elevators on the Keio Line platforms are placed near the center.

The 2000 series will enter service on January 31. I’m running out of space today, so I’ll save the technical specifications of the 2000 series for a future post. Please look forward to it!

“Hidamari Space (Sunny Spot)” inside the 2000 series EMU

Related links:

・News release on the 2000 series EMU by Keio (in Japanese)

・Official video on the 2000 series EMU by Keio (in Japanese)

・An illustration of Sacabambaspis by Keio (in Japanese, see Page 3)

Jomo’s Yellow-Colored Train

Jomo’s yellow-colored car, DeHa 104, at Ōgo Railyard

Let me pick up where I left off in my last post.

After spending some time observing DeHa 101, I continued wandering around the Ōgo Railyard during the tour hosted by the Japan Railfan Club. Before long, another vehicle caught my eye. You can see it in the photo above—Jomo’s charming yellow-colored car, DeHa 104 of the 100 series. For me, meeting DeHa 104 again felt almost nostalgic, as it had been nine years since my last visit, the same length of time as with DeHa 101.

Some readers may wonder why DeHa 101 is grape-colored while DeHa 104 wears yellow. The story behind it is quite interesting. DeHa 101 keeps its original livery, while DeHa 104 is painted in the color it carried in the 1960s. That leads to another question: why were Jomo’s trains yellow back then?

According to the engineers at Jomo Electric Railway, the reason was safety. In the 1960s, many railroad crossings still had no signals or gates. To help prevent accidents, the company repainted its trains in a vivid yellow so they would stand out clearly. Learning this made me realize that even something as simple as a body color can have a deep history behind it—not just a stylistic choice, but a thoughtful decision rooted in the daily lives of local people.

While DeHa 101 is still active today, DeHa 104 has already retired from service. So why hasn’t it been scrapped? The answer is surprisingly meaningful: DeHa 104 now serves as a donor car for DeHa 101. Since DeHa 101 was built in 1928, many of its parts have become extremely rare. Thanks to the dedication of the engineers who carefully preserve these historic vehicles, DeHa 101 continues to run with dignity even after nearly a century.

Inside DeHa 104

Jomo's Grape-Colored Train

Jomo’s grape-colored car, DeHa 101, at Ōgo Railyard

Today, I’d like to share a memorable railfan experience with you.

After observing and taking photos of Tobu Railway’s grape-colored train, 81111F of the 8000 series EMU, I headed to Gunma Prefecture to join an event held by the Japan Railfan Club at Ōgo (or Oogo) Railyard of the Jomo Electric Railway. During the railyard tour, I had the chance to see another grape-colored train: DeHa 101, an electric car from Jomo Electric Railway’s DeHa100 series. It was my first reunion with DeHa 101 in nine years.

As I mentioned in a post back in 2017, DeHa 101 is a remarkably long-serving car that originally entered service in 1928. It has a semi-steel body a little over 16 meters long, painted in a classic grape color. At first glance, this color looks similar to Tobu’s grape-colored train, but there are subtle differences. Tobu’s 81111F looks a bit darker and more blackish, while Jomo’s DeHa 101 has a slightly reddish tone. Officially, the former is called Budō (Grape) Color No. 1, and the latter is Budō (Grape) Color No. 2. I think that it looks different depending on how the light hits it. Sorry for getting a bit nerdy here.

From a technical point of view, DeHa 101 is very old-school. It uses a non-automatic acceleration indirect electric control system, along with a nose-suspension drive system. What really surprised me as a railfan was that there’s no speedometer in the cab. Drivers have to judge the train’s speed entirely based on experience. Even though ATS (Automatic Train Stop) is installed, it still feels like a challenging train to operate, especially for new drivers.

By the way, DeHa 101 is no longer used in regular service and now runs only as a chartered train. According to Jomo Electric Railway, it costs 110,000 yen (about 700 USD) per day (one round trip), tax included.

Inside DeHa 101

Related link:

・Official information from Jomo Electric Railway (Japanese only)

Tobu’s Grape-Colored Train

Tobu’s Grape-colored Train, 81111F, traveling on the Ogose Line

Let me pick up where I left off in my last post. After photographing and riding JR East’s new train on the Hachiko Line, I turned my attention to one of the Hachiko Line’s neighboring railways. This time, my focus was on Tobu Railway’s Grape-colored Train.

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, so please take a look at the photo above. Yes—this is the Grape-colored Train operating on the Tobu Ogose Line, a branch line of the Tobu Tojo Line. Its official designation is Set 81111 (hereafter referred to as 81111F), part of the 8000 series EMUs.

As many railway fans know, the 8000 series has become something of an endangered species on Tobu lines. The series first entered service in 1963 as Tobu’s commuter train for busy urban routes. Over the next 21 years, a total of 712 cars were built. However, even trains cannot escape the passage of time, and the number of 8000 series cars has now declined to just 167.

That said, it’s not all bad news. The Grape-colored Train, 81111F, was introduced as a commemorative project marking the 100th anniversary of the full opening of the Tojo Line. A century ago, trains on the Tojo Line were painted in this distinctive color. To recreate the appearance of trains from 100 years ago, 81111F was repainted from its former cream livery to grape color in July of last year.

By the way, would you describe this train’s color as “grape” in your country? To me, it doesn’t feel quite right. Rather than grape, it looks more like a chocolate. In fact, the name comes from the former Japanese National Railways’ official color classification. According to its color chart, the color of 81111F is designated as “Budō (Grape) Color No. 1.” I apologize for getting a bit technical here.

Close-up of 81111F

Related link:

Official information on the Grape-colored Train by Tobu (in Japanese)

New Hybrid Train on the Hachiko Line

JR East's HB-E220 series hybrid train arriving at Komagawa Station

I’m happy to introduce a brand-new train that has joined the metropolitan area fleet. Please take a look at the photo above. Here it is—JR East’s HB-E220 series hybrid train on the Hachiko Line. This new train debuted last December, replacing the older KiHa 110 series DMUs.

What’s new about the HB-E220 series?

First, the power transmission system has been completely redesigned. On the older KiHa 110 series, the engine’s rotational force was sent to the wheels through a torque converter (a hydraulic transmission) and a reduction gear. In contrast, the HB-E220 series uses diesel–electric propulsion. Power generated from the engine and rechargeable batteries is fed to the traction motors via a main converter. In addition, during braking, the motors act as generators and recharge the batteries.

Second, the carbody material has changed from steel to stainless steel to reduce weight. The number of passenger doors has also increased from two to three per side on each car, allowing smoother boarding and alighting. Inside, the seats have been changed from semi-cross seating to longitudinal benches (see the photo below).

What was my impression?

The train stood out with its silver body accented by green stripes. When it departed, it was as quiet as an EMU. About five seconds later, the diesel engine kicked in—just like a DMU. It felt a little strange, in a fun way.

As for the interior, I was impressed by the spacious, wheelchair-accessible restroom. On the other hand, I was a bit disappointed that there were fewer passenger windows, because machine rooms occupy space inside the cars. And more importantly for someone who enjoys traveling by train, I was shocked to find no cross seats at all. As the saying goes, when you gain something, you lose something.

Incidentally, if you have time, please check out my previous posts on other JR East hybrid trains—the KiHa E200 series, the HB-E210 series, and the HB-E300 series as well.

Interior of the HB-E220 series

・Official information by JR East (in Japanese)