On April 5th, 2022, Tokyu Electric Railway made a press release announcing that their old EMU 8500 series will be retired from the track in January, 2023... only four months left.
To start, let me quickly review the 8500 series. It's Tokyu's commuter train launched in 1975, when the Tokyu Den-en-toshi line trains started to be directly operated onto the subway Hanzomon line. This model was then introduced onto the Tokyu Oimachi line as well in 1986. 400 cars in total were built by Tokyu Sharyo, but most of them had already been replaced by new models such as the 5000 and 2020 series. Only one set (8637F) is currently operated on the Den-en-toshi line (see the photo above).
The specification of the 8500 series is rather old. The electric motor is traditional direct current compound. The electric control system is old field chopper. The stainless-steel bodies with corrugated structures... but they are very stout and trouble proof. Furthermore, I'm very fond of its growling running sound, which is exactly the train in the 1970's.
My best memory with the 8500 series trains was the happy reunion with it in Indonesia in February, 2009. One of Indonesian Railways' staff kindly invited me to Depok Railyard near Jakarta, when set number 8613 (8613F) of the 8500 series train was imported from Japan. I lived in Indonesia at that time, so, it was a touching reunion with the 8500 series (see the photo below).
Thirteen years have already passed since then. Time goes so fast.
