Electric Car KoDe 165: New Color

Electric car Izu-Hakone KoDe 165 (new color)

I recently visited the Daiyuzan line of Izu-Hakone Railway for the first time in two years. What was new with this local private railway?

I found that the coloring of the construction vehicle named KoDe 165 was changed from yellow to a chocolate color. KoDe 165 was built in 1928 as MoHa 30166 passenger electric car on the Japanese Government Railways. In 1960, it was moved to Sagami Railway and used as a passenger car known as KuHa 2510. In 1976, it was transferred again to Izu-Hakone Railway and used as a passenger car with a name change to MoHa 165. Eventually, it was modified to a construction vehicle known as KoDe 165 in 1997. For your information, "KoDe" stands for a "construction electric car" in Japanese.

One of the missions for KoDe 165 is to pull commuter trains as a freight train. It happens when the commuter train is to be inspected. As you may know, Izu-Hakone Railway doesn't have its own railway factory on the Daiyuzan line. Their sole railway factory named Daiba Factory is located only on the Sunzu line; therefore, the commuter trains on the Daiyuzan line have to be transported to their Sunzu line via JR East Tokaido main line. That's an important mission for KoDe 165.

In March 2018, KoDe 165 got a change in its body color and appeared before rail-fans. Its new color is my favorite, as it is what I saw many commuter trains in my childhood. It is so nostalgic.

KoDe 165 (left) and 5501F of the EMU Izu-Hakone 5000 series (right)

Standard Commuter Trains on the Kintetsu Line

Set VC56 of the EMU Kintetsu 1230 Series

Following the EMU 1810 and 1010 series, I am going to show you the Kintetsu trains today. 

Sitting on the stool bar in the observation room of the Ise-Shima Liner, I continued taking photographs of Kintetsu trains coming from the traveling direction. I frequently met the EMU 1230 series. It is a standard commuter train operated on the 1,435 mm-gauge tracks of the Kintetsu lines. The 1230 series has 20 meter-long aluminum alloy bodies with 8 doors per car. One set is composed of two cars (1M1T). All units were built by Kinki Sharyo from 1989 to 1998. A total of 40 sets, 80 units, are currently operated on the Kintetsu lines. The electric system is 1,500 V DC overhead and its control system is GTO-VVVF (variable frequency drive) manufactured by Hitachi.

The 1230 series are the most flexible trains in their operation among the Kintetsu trains. It is operated not only on trunk routes such as the Osaka and Nagoya lines, but also on local routes such as the Shima, Nara and Kyoto lines. Furthermore, it is able to be directly operated onto the Hanshin Electric Railway.

There are subtle differences in the technical specifications among the 1230 series. For example, some sets have Schlieren-type trucks; meanwhile, the other sets have bolsterless trucks. The Schlieren-type truck was developed by Kinki Sharyo in 1954 under a technical tie-up with Schlieren Company in Switzerland. It is fun for me to perceive the fine difference among the Kintetsu trains as a trainspotter.

Set VC32 of the EMU Kintetsu 1230 Series

Official information about tge EMU Kintetsu 1230 series (in Japanese):

https://www.kintetsu.jp/kouhou/Train/B28.html#1230

Early Blooming Cherry Blossoms on the Daiyuzan Line

5506F of the EMU Izu-Hakone 5000 series arrives at Odawara station

I recently took the Daiyuzan line of Izu-Hakone Railway with my family for the first time in two years. Our destination was Fujifilm-mae station as we visited a cherry-tree-lined path named Harukimichi near the station.

It was still the middle of March but the cherry trees were already fully blooming there. It was too early. Why? It was because the cherry blossoms of Harukimichi are early blooming species called Harumeki-sakura. This precious species was developed by the local people 19 years ago. Its blooming season is later than Kawazu-sakura (Kawazu cherry) but earlier than Someiyosino (ordinary cherry) so that Harumeki-sakura acts as an intermediary between two kinds of cherries.

To get to Fujifilm-mae station, our vehicle was the EMU Izu-Hakone 5000 series. It is the sole model on the Daiyuzan line. A total of 7 sets, 21 units were built by Tokyu Sharyo (present J-TREC) from 1984 to 1996. Only the 1st set (5501F) is steel, while the other 6 sets (5502F to 5507F) are stainless-steel. One set consists of 2 motorcars and 1 trailer (2M1T). The electric control system is a rheostatic with an electric power generation brake.

For your information, the Daiyuzan Line was opened in 1925 between Odawara and Daiyuzan stations. It was constructed to transport worshippers to the famous Saijo-ji Temple. The route length is 9.6 km. The track is 1,067 mm-size single and electrified. The electric system is 1,500 V DC overhead. Trains are operated every 12 minutes on average.

Harumeki-sakura (early blooming cherry) trees are in full bloom near Fujifilm-mae station