I still enjoy walking along Tama River and its tributaries. After visiting Asakawa in Hachioji City, I went downstream another day. It was a warm and clear day. My destination was Noborito in Kawasaki City. As soon as I reached the embankment, what jumped into my eyes there was a double-double track railway bridge on the Odakyu line.
A white-colored train with a blue-colored stripe was soon approaching the bridge. That was the EMU 8000 series, the oldest train in operation on the Odakyu line. It's also known as the last of the steel body commuter trains on the line. The 8000 series was commissioned in 1982 to reinforce the transportation capacity. A total of 160 units were built, and 120 units are still operated on the line. What I saw was a 10-car train travelling on the westbound express track on the downstream side of the bridge. Its white-colored bodies were fresh and shining under the early summer sunlight.
After passing under the railway bridge, I continued walking upstream. Five minutes later, a blue-colored train passed through the eastbound express track. That was the EMU 60000 series, "Romancecar MSE". It was a 6-car train, being operated as a limited express "Fuji-san (Mt. Fuji)". The left-hand side had a streamlined front; meanwhile, the right-hand side had a flat front with a gangway. The blue-colored metallic bodies looked really stylish.
In the end, I couldn't help observing trains, even if I was enjoying riverside walking. That's a rail-fan's instinct, isn't it?
