Is there any food in particular you crave for once in a while? Yes, I sometimes crave for sushi, and go to a reasonable restaurant. Next question. Do you have any train you crave for riding once in a while as a rail-fan? Yes, I sometimes crave for riding the EMU 700 series on the Jomo line.
Let me review the Jomo line and the EMU 700 series. Jomo Electric Railway is a local company in Gumma Prefecture about 110 kilometers north of Tokyo. This company owns the Jomo line, which connects Chuo-Maebashi and Nishi-Kiryu (25 kilometers). Its track is single and electrified with a 1,500V DC. The EMU Jomo 700 series, which is the former Keio 3000 series, is the flagship train on the line. After retirement from the Inokashira line, 16 cars were transferred to the Jomo line in 1998. They have different colors on the front, namely jewel pink, golden orange, phoenix red, fjord-green, sunlight yellow, pastel blue, mint green (top photo) and royal blue (the photo below).
When I was a child, I often used these trains on the Inokashira line. They were brand spanking new, and shining brilliantly. Even now, I can meet with it at Keio Rail Land (Keio's railway museum) in Tokyo; however, the exhibited car there has not kept its original style. It's a modified car. In contrast, the 700 series on the Jomo line has kept its original style.
The Jomo 700 series (ex-Keio 3000 series) is my "soul train".
