Another Kiki and Lala Train on the Haneda Airport Line

10031F of the EMU Tokyo Monorail 10000 series, "Kiki and Lala Twinkle Tour"

Following the trainset 10041 (10041F), I'm going to show you another Kiki and Lala train on the Haneda Airport line of Tokyo Monorail Company today.

Let me quickly review the Haneda Airport line to start. It's an airport access monorail line from downtown Tokyo to Tokyo International Airport (Haneda). Connecting Hamamatsucho and Haneda Airport Terminal 2, its operating length is 17.8 kilometers. The entire route is a double track. The electric system is 750V direct current.

Tokyo Monorail Company currently operates Kiki and Lala trains. As you may know, Kiki and Lala are Sanrio's popular mascot characters along with Hello Kitty. Kiki and Lala are siblings called Little Twin Stars. Catching onto the popularity of Little Twin Stars, Kiki and Lala trains have been promoting Tokyo Monorail's services to passengers.

The first set, which I introduced to you before, is "Kiki and Lala Kira-kira (sparkly) Star Train". It's 10041F of the EMU 10000 series debuted on September 14th in 2020. We can see Little Twin Stars in Tokyo Monorail uniform both on the outside and the interior of the train. They are very cute and heal the mind of passengers.

The second Kiki and Lala Train was launched on November 29th last year. It's 10031F of the EMU 10000 series, named "Kiki and Lala Twinkle Tour Train". We can see Little Twin Stars going out in each of four seasons. It's not so flamboyant as the first Kiki and Lala train (10041F), but we can fully enjoy the world of fairy tales.

Interior of the "Kiki and Lala Twinkle Tour" train

Official information about Kiki and Lala Trains (in Japanese):

https://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/kikilala-monorail/

The 60th Anniversary of Katsuta Railyard

Set K451 of the EMU JR East E531 series (special "Akaden" color)

On April 1st, 2021, JR East celebrated the 60th anniversary of their Katsuta Railyard. In commemoration of the anniversary, a special-colored train has been operated on the Joban and the Mito lines since November 5th of 2021.

Let me quickly review Katsuta Railyard. It started as the Japanese National Railways' train depot in 1961. Many types of trains such as the EMU 401, 485 and 651 series have belonged to this railyard since it was opened. Currently, the EMU E531 series is one of the representative trains belonging to Katsuta Railyard.

Let's head to the main topic. The anniversry train is set K451 of the EMU JR East E531 series. Its color design was taken from the EMU 401 series of the 1960s. Its nickname was "Akaden (red-colored train)". Akaden had actually not red but rose pink-colored bodies with a cream-colored accent on the front. Passengers of the 1960's affectionately called the 401 series "Akaden"... good nickname!

Incidentally, the modern Akaden, namely set K451 of the E531 series, is an AC-DC dual electric system train built by Tokyu Sharyo in 2005. It's composed of 5 stainless-steel cars. According to JR East, it will be directly operated onto the Tokaido main line to Shinagawa, a subcenter of Tokyo Metropolis, but I seldom see this special-colored train in Tokyo. That's why I stretched my legs far from home, and visited the Mito line. The gleaming body with rose red-colored stripes of the modern Akaden was very beautiful under the winter sunlight.

EMU JR East E531 series (standard color) travels on the Mito line

Official information about the special-colored train commemorating the 60th anniversary of Katsuta Railyard (in Japanese):

https://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2021/mito/20211102_mt01.pdf

The Old Kabuki Theater and the Inter-Island DMU

DMU JR Shikoku 2700 series arrives at Kotohira station on the Dosan line

On the final day of my short trip to Shikoku Island, I visited an old theater named "Kanamaruza" in Kotohira Town. It's a historic theater constructed in 1835 especially for performing kabuki. As you know, kabuki is a Japanese traditional performing art. Its stage makeup is very vivid. Kabuki is usually performed in the urban large theaters; however, Kanamaruza is an exceptionally famous kabuki theater located in the countryside of Japan. I fully appreciated the traditional architecture of Kanamaruza.

It was time to go home. I took the JR Shikoku-Dosan line from Kotohira station. My vehicle was the limited express train, "Nanpu (south wind)", the JR Shikoku 2700 series. Along with "Marine Liner", Nanpu is the inter-island train. Connecting Okayama on the Honshu Island (the mainland of Japan) and Kochi, the major city in the southern part of Shikoku Island, the total operating length is 180 kilometers. The 2700 series is a DMU (diesel multiple unit), because Nanpu is partially operated on the unelectrified track. It was launched in 2019 to replace the old model, the DMU 2000 series. 41 cars in total were built by Kawaski Heavy Industries. One car has two 331kW diesel engines made by Komatsu. The 2700 series is so-called a "pendulum train" with a computer-controlled tilting mechanism. For passing through tight curves in mountain ranges at a high speed, the train automatically tilts its body to mitigate the centrifugal force just before entering the tight curves. Its maximum angle of inclination is five degrees.

Old Kabuki theater, Kanamaruza, near JR Shikoku Kotohira station

Official information about the DMU JR Shikoku 2700 series (in Japanese):

https://www.jr-shikoku.co.jp/01_trainbus/lp/2700/index.html#

Ex-Keio Train to the Spiritual Energy Site

EMU Kotoden 1100 series (ex-Keio 5000 series) stands at Sue station

A word, "power spot", is a Japanese-made English. It's a location thought to be flowing with mystical energy. It's said that a person who visits a power spot will obtain energy from the land. Kotohira-gu, also known as "Konpira-san," is a typical power spot on Shikoku Island. It's a Shinto shrine dedicated to the seafaring-associated deity, Omono-nushi-no-mikoto. Located halfway up Mt. Zozu, this renowned shrine has 1,368 stone steps to the innermost shrine. Going up the stairs is Shinto training. Before visiting Kotohira-gu, I had been lacking exercise. I was worried whether I could reach the innermost shrine or not, but strange to say, I didn't suffer, and went up the stairs happily. Was it thanks to the power spot?

To visit this "spiritual energy site", I took the Kotohira line again, and got off at Kotoden-Kotohira terminal. On the way back to Takamatsu, I came across the EMU 1100 series at Sue station. This nostalgic train was transferred from the Keio line in 1997. The former name was the EMU Keio 5000 series. Keio is one of the major private railway companies in Tokyo. The 5000 series was a reputable commuter train in the 1960s through the 1990s. It was the winner of the 1964 Laurel Prize, as the most outstanding technical and designed train which was launched in the previous year. Its curved front windows and double rounded front lights of this over 50-year-old train was nostalgic, but still very cool.

To be continued more...

View from the innermost shrine, Kotohirara-gu, near Kotoden-Kotohira station

Official website, Kotoden:

https://www.kotoden.co.jp/publichtm/kotoden/eg/train.html

Official information about the EMU Kotoden 1100 series (in Japanese):

https://www.kotoden.co.jp/publichtm/kotoden/gallery/date/date.html#A4

The Historic Garden and the Train on Shikoku Island

EMU Kotoden 1080 series (ex-Keikyu 1000 series) stands at Ritsurin-koen station.

After arriving at Takamatsu City, I stayed overnight there, and visited Ritsurin Park next day. Ritsurin Park is a large historic Japanese-style garden, which was completed in 1745. It had been a private garden for local feudal lords, but was opened to the public in 1875. I'm specifically fond of the southern garden, where visitors can appreciate a beautiful pond and an arched bridge. When I passed by the pond, newly-weds were taking commemorative photos on the bridge before their wedding ceremony. They looked good in a kimono (traditional Japanese cloth). Congratulations on your wedding! Best wishes for a happy marriage.

To get to this garden full of happiness, the nearest railway station is Ritsurin-koen on the Kotohira line. This local line is operated by Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railway (hereafter Kotoden). My vehicle was a direct current EMU, named 1080 series. This retro train was transferred from the Keikyu line around the year 1990. The former name was the EMU Keikyu 1000 series. As you know, Keikyu is one of the major private railway companies in Tokyo. Both Keikyu and Kotoden have standard gauge (1,435 millimeter-wide) tracks with a 1,500 V direct current electric system; therefore, it was easy to transfer the Keikyu trains to the Kotoden-Kotohira line. 20 cars in total of the Kotoden 1080 series (ex-Keikyu 1000 series) are currently operated on the Kotoden-Kotohira line.

I enjoyed both the historic garden and the train on Shikoku Island. This is why I love railway travel. To be continued...

The southern garden of Ritsurin Park in Takamatsu City, Shikoku Island

Official information, the EMU Kotoden 1080 series (in Japanese):

https://www.kotoden.co.jp/publichtm/kotoden/gallery/date/date.html#A3

Marine Liner: Inter-Island Train to Shikoku Island

Inter-island train, "Marine Liner", stands at Okayama station

Shikoku is the fourth largest island of Japan. It's located about 800 kilometers west of Tokyo, and has a population of 3.63 million. I sometimes visited there on business or just for sightseeing, but always went by air to save time. So this time, I visited there by train for a change.

Firstly, I took Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen from Tokyo terminal. After arriving at Okayama station, I transferred to a JR conventional line, named the Seto Ohashi line. My vehicle was a rapid service train, "Marine Liner", bound for Takamatsu. Marine Liner is an inter-island train between Honshu (the main island of Japan) and Shikoku Island. It's jointly operated by JR Shikoku and JR West. My train was composed of two sets of direct current EMUs. They were the JR Shikoku 5000 series and the JR West 223 series. The 5000 series had a double-decker Green Car (the first class-car). I used the Green Car this time, since the view from the upper floor is excellent. The Green Car ticket was standard ticket plus 1,000 yen (7.2 USD) including my seat selection fee.

As its name suggests, "Marine Liner" crossed the Seto Inland Sea, and headed to Takamatsu, a major city on Shikoku Island. En route, the train passed over 13.1 kilometers long "Seto Ohashi", which consists of 10 separate bridges. I could enjoy looking at blue sea and green islands from my train window. Marine Liner... there must be something to excite the emotions of railway travelers like me.

To be continued...

Seto Inland Sea is seen through a train window on the Seto Ohashi line

Official information, "Marine Liner" by JR Shikoku (in Japanese):

https://www.jr-shikoku.co.jp/01_trainbus/syaryou/marine.shtm

Official information, "Marine Liner" by JR West (in Japanese):

https://www.jr-odekake.net/train/marineliner/

Side View of the Ooedo Line Trains

EMU Toei 12-600 series (the 4th batch) arrives at Tochomae station

Subway trains are annoying for rail photo lovers like me. One of the problems is its dark environment on the railway track. If possible, we wish to shoot subway trains on the surface tracks during the daytime; however, such "subway" tracks are limited in Tokyo. The next hurdle is the design and structure of the station. We wish to shoot the whole train including the bogies. A separate platform is an idealized condition, because we can shoot the whole train from the opposite platform; however, we still have obstacles, which are pillars between our position and the subway train. The third problem is platform doors to prevent passengers from falling off the platform edge at stations. They're essential for the safety of passengers, but, hamper the train photographs.

The Ooedo line is the most difficult subway line in Tokyo for train photography. Specifically, we seldom see the side view of trains. Is there anything that can be done about it? After observing all stations on the Ooedo lines, I found that Tochomae is the best station for photography. Example is better than precept. Please look at the top photo. You can see the side view of the Ooedo line trains at this station. It's not perfect, but I was able to know what the side view of the EMU 12-600 series is like. It had a simple silver-colored body with wine-red-colored accents on the door pockets.

I don't have to think about the side view of the Ooedo line trains anymore. I felt relieved.

EMU Toei 12-000 series arrives at Tochomae station

Autumn Sceneries in Akabane

EMU JR East E5 series and a torii (gate of shrine) near Akabane station 

It's December already. Time really flies. Before introducing the topics of the yearend, I'm going to keep on the subject of this autumn a bit more.

Last month, I visited Akabane in the northern part of Tokyo Metropolis, as something came up. After finishing my meeting, I enjoyed walking around JR East Akabane station. It was a clear autumn day, and a perfect season for strolling. I stopped by a shrine standing on a hill near the station. I was going to make do with non-trainspotting, but...

There was a "torii" (gate of a shrine) on the upward slope to the "honden" (main building). After walking through the gate, I took a glance backward, and found that the Shinkansen track could be contained properly within the torii. This view is picturesque, isn't it? I took my camera out... and waiting for the Shinkansen train bound for Tokyo terminal. Three minutes later, a super-express train, EMU JR East E5 series, "Hayabusa (falcon)", approached and "entered" the torii. It's now or never... shooting. Thank goodness! Please look at the top photo. I was in high spirits, and fully enjoyed this fortuitous trainspotting.

After leaving the shrine, I headed to a local Buddhist temple named Josho-ji, where visitors could see beautiful autumn leaves in the peaceful atmosphere. Leaves were turning red, yellow and brown. Representative red leaves were from maple trees. Some trees remained green. They were also beautiful. Whether it's trainspotting or non-trainspotting, I fully enjoyed the great weekend again.

Autumn leaves in Josho-ji temple

The 150th Anniversary of Japanese Railways: Part 3

Set 15 of the EMU JR East E235 series, "the black Yamanote line" train

We celebrated the 150th anniversary of Japanese railways on October 14th. Following the historical station and steam locomotive, I'm going to show you a special-colored train celebrating the 150th anniversary.

On October 1st, JR East launched a special train on the Yamanote line. The standard trains on the line have silver-colored bodies with light green-colored faces and doors. On the other hand, this special train has jet black bodies. It's named "the black Yamanote line" by JR East. Set 15 of the EMU E235 series is commissioned as "the black Yamanote line". Why is it black? Because it was taken from the color of Japan's first steam locomotive, unit 1 of the Class 150.

I've seen the green and brown-colored special trains on the Yamanote line so far, but never seen the black-colored one. It's very unique. I thought that Japanese passengers might hate the black-colored trains, because black is associated with funerals; however, "the black Yamanote line" is unexpectedly popular among passengers. Many rail-fans currently flock to the stations on the Yamanote line to take photos of this special train. I was being stereotypical. Do you have any black-colored passenger trains in your country?

For your information, the Yamanote line is known as Japan's busiest railway. It's looped through several sub-center areas of Tokyo. The route length is 34 kilometers. The track is double. Each train runs in the same direction throughout the day; clockwise or counterclockwise. The EMU E235 series is the sole model on the line.

Side view of the "black Yamanote line" train

Official information about "the black Yamanote line" train (in Japanese):

https://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2022/20220930_ho01.pdf

Class E10: Japan's Largest Steam Locomotive

Steam locomotive unit 2 of the Class E10 (E10 2) is exhibited in Ome Railway Park

I visited Ome Railway Park after a long interval. What most left an impression was the Class E10 steam locomotive (hereafter SL).

The Class E10 was Japan's largest SL for narrow gauge tracks. It's a 2-10-4 (Whyte notation) type tank locomotive developed by the ex-Japanese National Railways in 1947. It's 14.45 meters long and weighs 102,100 kilograms. The diameter of the driving wheels is 1.25 meters. A total of five units were built by Kisha Seizo Company. Their primary mission was to climb up Itaya Pass on the Ou main line in the Tohoku District. For that purpose, the Class E10 has 10 driving wheels. Four of them don't have flanges to improve in curving performance.

Although the Class E10 was a powerful SL, its lifetime was very short. The track over Itaya Pass was electrified in 1949. The Class E10 lost its place, and was transferred to the Hisatsu line on Kyushu Island. It seemed to have a permanent home there, but life was not so easy. The Class E10 was soon replaced by the younger high-spec SL, namely the Class D51. The Class E10 was the star-crossed SL.

The large boiler and a line of five driving wheels were very impressive. I saw the Class E10 climb up a steep track right in front of me, but it was a daydream. The Class E10 was retired from the track in 1962. Only one unit, named E10 2, is currently preserved in Ome Railway Park.

A line of five driving wheels, unit 2 of the Class E10 (E10 2) steam locomotive

Official website, Ome Railway Park: https://www.ejrcf.or.jp/ome/english/index.html