June 10th is Tram Day in Japan. I don't know the origin of Tram day; but it was enacted in the meeting of the 2nd National Tram Summit in 1995. Several tram operators, such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Hiroshima Electric Railway and Toyama Light Rail held an event for rail fans in commemoration of Tram day this year.
I visited Arakawa Depot on the Arakawa Line of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government at the end of last week. Although it was rainy, plenty of rail fans, families and couples flocked to the Depot. The main attraction of the event was a photo session in the yard. I could shoot a row of two retro-colored streetcars (unit number 7001, 7022) and a bus. Special rounded plates to celebrate "2014 Tram Day" gave pleasure to rail fans.
On the other hand, numerous precious instruments were exhibited in the factory. They were tram bodies, which were under inspection, electric motors, bogies, master controllers, switches and so on. Among others, the most popular one was a pantograph. I saw that many kids enjoyed pumping and dumping it under the guidance of engineers.
The visitors could also enjoy shopping, such as goods and stationery with tram designs. The event was indeed a great success. Specifically, all employees were very friendly. Engineers were eager to respond to visitors' questions. I am truly grateful to Arakawa Depot, the Bureau of Transportation, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to have held this special event.
I visited Arakawa Depot on the Arakawa Line of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government at the end of last week. Although it was rainy, plenty of rail fans, families and couples flocked to the Depot. The main attraction of the event was a photo session in the yard. I could shoot a row of two retro-colored streetcars (unit number 7001, 7022) and a bus. Special rounded plates to celebrate "2014 Tram Day" gave pleasure to rail fans.
On the other hand, numerous precious instruments were exhibited in the factory. They were tram bodies, which were under inspection, electric motors, bogies, master controllers, switches and so on. Among others, the most popular one was a pantograph. I saw that many kids enjoyed pumping and dumping it under the guidance of engineers.
The visitors could also enjoy shopping, such as goods and stationery with tram designs. The event was indeed a great success. Specifically, all employees were very friendly. Engineers were eager to respond to visitors' questions. I am truly grateful to Arakawa Depot, the Bureau of Transportation, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to have held this special event.
Demonstration of a pantograph operation in the Arakawa Depot factory