Super Rail Cargo: Extra Rare Freight Train

EMU JR Freight M250 series stands at Tokyo Freight Terminal

It's very hot in Tokyo. The maximum daytime temperature is often over 35 degrees Celsius. This heat is killing me, but the hot summer is still better than the rainy season, because, I can at least go out to observe trains without an umbrella. My destination was JR Freight's Tokyo Freight Terminal, about 10 kilometers south of the city center. Although this terminal is for employees only, we can survey the inside of the railyard from an overpass road. And then, I found an extra rare train.

Please look at the top photo... JR Freight's EMU (Electric Multiple-unit), the M250 series. It's not an electric locomotive, but an EMU. The blue-colored two motorcars can accommodate containers in the center of the vehicles. In addition, many flat-shaped trailers, which are coupled behind the blue-colored motorcars, can also accommodate containers. When we see the overall train, one set is formally composed of two top motorcars, 12 trailers and two last motorcars (4M12T). In the photo below, the trainset is unfortunately taken apart.

The EMU M250 series is commissioned under the name of Super Rail Cargo. It's operated between Tokyo Freight Terminal and Ajikawaguchi station in Osaka Prefecture. Why is it an EMU? The major reason is its speed. In fact, the maximum speed of Super Rail Cargo is 130 kilometers per hour, which is 20 kilometers per hour faster than that of freight trains pulled by locomotives. Super Rail Cargo is exclusively contracted by a transportation company, Sagawa Express.

Please check out my previous post about JR Freight's another terminal in Tokyo as well.

Distant view of Tokyo Freight Terminal

Official informartion about Super Rail Cargo by JR Freight (in Japanese):

https://www.jrfreight.co.jp/service/improvement/development.html

Preserved Electric Car in Yamanashi Prefecture

Unit MoHa7 of the electric car Yamanashi Kotsu 7 series

I recently visited a hot spring in Yamanashi Prefecture. It was an ultimate relax time for me, but there was more. On the way home, I could observe a preserved electric car of the ex-Yamanashi Kotsu line.

To start, let me quickly explain the Yamanashi Kotsu line. Yamanashi Kotsu is currently a local bus and taxi company in Yamanashi Prefecture, but this company once owned a tramline named Yamanashi Kotsu line. This route was opened in 1930 as a commuting route between the city center of Kofu and its suburban residential areas. Connecting Kofu-ekimae and Kai-aoyagi, its route length was 20.8 kilometers. The gauge size was 1,067 millimeters and the electric system was 600 V DC. The Yamanashi Kotsu line was unfortunately closed in 1962 due to spreading automobiles and deterioration of the facilities.

Although most of the vehicles on the Yamanashi Kotsu line had been scrapped, one unit is still preserved in Tonegawa Park in Fujikawa Town, which is close to the abandoned track. Please look at the top photo. That's Unit MoHa 7 of the electric car 7 series. Unit MoHa 7 was built in 1948 by Kisha-seizo. It's a 13.8-meters-long car with a semi-steel body, and weighs 22,000 kilograms. It has four 37.5 kW DC motors. Finally, I would like to note as an aside that Unit MoHa 7 was being protected by three strong bouncers. They were small and quiet, but flint-eyed. Who were they? Please take a look at the picture below and identify them yourself.

Unit MoHa 7 is protected by three bouncers

Tokyu Iketama Happy Train

Iketama Happy Train travels on the Tokyu-Ikegami line

On June 23rd, Tokyu Railways launched a special poster train, named Iketama Happy Train, on their Ikegami and Tamagawa lines. I’m going to introduce you to this unique train today.

Let me quickly review the Tokyu-Ikegami and Tamagawa lines to start. They are short commuter routes in the southwestern part of Tokyo. Connecting Kamata and Gotanda, the route length of the Ikegami line is 10.9 kilometers. On the other hand, the Tamagawa line connects Kamata and Tamagawa. Its route length is 5.6 kilometers. The track is 1,067 millimeters-wide double and the electric system is 1,500 V direct current. All the trains belong to Yukigaya-otsuka Depo, and are commonly used for both the Ikegami and the Tamagawa lines.

According to Tokyu Railways, purpose of Iketama Happy Train is to make people, who look this train, happy. For that purpose, its design is colorful and polka-dotted. Pink is the symbol color of the Ikegami line; meanwhile, dark-red is that of the Tamagawa line. This design was proposed by Tokyu employees. The vehicle modified to Iketama Happy Train is Set 1522 of the EMU 1000-1500 series.  It was recently renovated from Set 1022 of the EMU 1000 series. The major difference between the original 1000 series and the renovated 1000-1500 series is its interior. The latter is calm and wood-grained, so passengers can get more relaxed with it.

Incidentally, please also check out my previous posts introducing the other poster trains on the Ikegami and Tamagawa lines… namely the green-colored train and the two-toned revival-colored train.

Tokyu Yukigaya-otsuka Depo

Official information about Iketama Happy Train by Tokyu Railways (in Japanese):

https://www.tokyu.co.jp/image/information/pdf/20240610-iketama-d.pdf

The Yukarigaoka Line: Update

EMU Yamaman 1000 series travels on the Yukarigaoka line

As I recently posted, I took the Yamaman-Yukarigaoka line for the first time in eleven years. What has changed and what has remained the same on this small AGT (Automated Guideway Transit) line?

The trains haven't changed. The EMU 1000 series is still operated on the line as a sole model. These lovely trains were built by Nippon Sharyo in 1982. The 1000 series is comfortable to ride except in summer. What does that mean? What I’m saying is air conditioners are not equipped on the trains. That must be tough for passengers in this season, but instead, each passenger gets a wet towel and a paper fan for free on the train. What's more, I got a bottle of water and salt tablets as well from the promotion. The salt tablets, which were offered by a snack maker, Kabaya, had a sweet-sour taste… definitely my favorite! Such a wonderful service.

One more news on the Yukarigaoka line is how to ride the trains for passengers with commuter passes. The existing commuter pass is no longer necessary. You need only your face. The railway company, Yamaman, started a facial recognition boarding system on June 15th this year. I couldn’t try this boarding system, as I’m not a frequent passenger of the Yukarigaoka line, but the facial recognition system seems to be very convenient. Incidentally, a single ticket has also been changed from a magnetic ticket to the QR code ticket.

The Yamaman-Yukarigaoka line… the trains are little worn-out, but the services to passengers are really on the leading-edge.

Two automatic ticket gates on the right are the facial recognition boarding system

Officilal information about the facial recognition and the QR code boarding system by Yamaman (in Japanese):

https://town.yukarigaoka.jp/yukariline_post/yukariline_post-11685/

Senzoku Pond: An Urban Oasis on the Ikegami Line

Set 1523 of the EMU Tokyu 1000-1500 series arrives at Senzokuike station 

The Japan Meteorological Agency made an announcement that this year's rainy season ended on July 18th in the Tokyo metropolitan area, which is one day earlier than usual. It’s the beginning of midsummer in Tokyo.

I visited an urban oasis in Tokyo. That's Senzoku Pond in Ota Ward, about 10 kilometers southwest of the city center. This pond was originally a spring. If we look back at the history, it was developed as a precinct of Senzoku-hachiman Shrine in 860. The spring was then changed to a pond for irrigation. Currently, Senzoku Pond is designated as a Scenic Beauty by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. When I visited there, it was very hot around the pond, but the wind across the pond was very comfortable. Midsummer was right there.

To get to this urban oasis, the nearest railway station is Senzokuike on the Tokyu-Ikegami line. The Ikegami line is a short commuter route connecting Kamata and Gotanda. Its route length is 10.9 kilometers. Taking this opportunity, I'm going to show you one of the trains being operated on the Ikegami line... namely the EMU 1000-1500 series. This model originally debuted in the early 1990s on the Tokyu-Toyoko line. After operating for about 20 years, 30 units were moved to the Tamagawa and Ikegami lines after modification, under the new name of 1000-1500 series. Its coloring is basically the same as that of the 7000 series. Two single-armed pantographs equipped on the roof of car number 2 are a good accent.

Senzoku Pond in front of Senzokuike station on the Tokyu-Ikegami line

The 50th Anniversary of Keisei Skyliner

Set AE3 of the EMU Keisei AE series passes through Shin-Mikawashima station

On December 30th, 2023, Keisei Electric Railway celebrated the 50th anniversary of their Skyliner operation. In commemoration, Keisei is displaying memorial stickers on the train set AE3 of the EMU AE series.

Let me review the history of Keisei Skyliner. It's an airport access train, operated between the city center of Tokyo and Narita Airport. As you know, Narita is the second international airport in the metropolitan area. The first generation Skyliner was commissioned in 1978, when Narita Airport was opened. That was the EMU (old) AE series with gorgeous reclining cross seats. At the beginning, one set was composed of 6 cars, but, changed to 8 cars later. The two-toned cream and maroon-colored bodies were vivid for passengers. The second generation Skyliner, named the EMU AE 100 series, debuted in 1990 replacing the deteriorating (old) AE series. I liked the retractable lights on the front of the AE100 series. It was cool and inspiring. The AE 100 series was retired in 2016 while it was missed by rail-fans. The third generation Skyliner, namely the EMU (new) AE series, was commissioned in 2010. This model is currently operated as a sole model of Skyliner. I'm fond of this train's sharp streamlined body like a crow. It was designed by a famous fashion designer, Yamamoto Kansai. The maximum operating speed of the (new) AE series is 160 kilometers per hour, which is the fastest in Japan except the Shinkansen trains.

Congratulations on the 50th anniversary of Keisei Skyliner!

The first generation Skyliner (left) and the third generation Skyliner (right)

Official website, Keisei Electric Railway:

https://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/index.php

Lavender Field on the Yukarigaoka Line

EMU Yamaman 1000 series travels on the Yukarigaoka line

Here we are still in the middle of the gloomy rainy season in Tokyo. We have been having hot and humid days. I'm thinking of refraining from strolling in this season, but once the sun's rays peep through the clouds, I can't help going out.

My destination this time was Sakura Lavender Land in Chiba Prefecture, about 40 kilometers east of Tokyo. It's a vast lavender field, where the purple color spreads over. Lavender has long green stalks topped with a bunch of small purple flowers. They are extremely fragrant, and help me to be relaxed. To my joy, admission to Sakura Lavender Land is free... thank you.

To get to this purple world, the nearest railway station is Joshidai (Women's University) on the Yukarigaoka line. This route is a rubber-tyred automated guideway transit system operated by a real estate company, Yamaman. It looks like an attraction in an amusement park, but it's an authentic railway under the Railway Business ACT. The route is composed of the main and the annular sections. The starting station is Yukarigaoka, which is a transfer station to the Keisei line. All the trains leave Yukarigaoka station, run counterclockwise on the annular section, and come back to Yukarigaoka terminal. The total line length is only 4.1 kilometers. The track is single and the electric system is 750 V DC. 3-car trains, named the EMU 1000 series, are operated every 20 minutes on average.

I enjoyed both the beautiful field and the lovely train.

Sakura Lavender Land near Joshidai station on the Yukarigaoka line

Preserved Streetcar in Yokohama City, Part 6

Unit 1156 of the electric car 1150 series is preserved in Kuraki Park

Do you remember when I introduced you to five preserved streetcars of the ex-Yokohama City Tram several years ago. They were the electric cars 500, 1100, 1300, 1500 and 1600 series preserved in the Yokohama Tram Museum. Today, I'm going to show you one more, named the 1150 series, preserved in a public park.

To start, let me quickly review the Yokohama City Tram. Yokohama is located about 20 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, and is the second largest city in Japan. This mega-city once had an extensive tram network operated by the Transportation Bureau of Yokohama City. The track was 1,372 millimeter-size gauge. Its electric system was 600 V DC. The city tram was a very useful transportation means for local people, but, was unfortunately abolished in 1972 due to heavy traffic congestion. Most of the streetcars were then scrapped; however, several units are still preserved in a museum and public parks.

Let's get down to the main topic. Unit 1156 of the electric car 1150 series is a 12-meter-long streetcar preserved in Kuraki Park, Yokohama City. It was built by Utsunomiya-sharyo (present SUBARU) in 1952. The 1150 series looks like the 1500 series, which I introduced several years ago, but its technical specifications are different. To be honest, the performance of the newer 1150 series was lower than that of the older 1500 series. Why? Because, the older 1500 series was a high cost. Cost reduction was necessary when the newer 1150 series was designed. That was inevitable.

Side view of Unit 1156

Geothermal Area on the Hanawa Line

DMU JR East KiHa 110 series leaves Kazunohanawa station on the Hanawa line

We are currently in the middle of our rainy season in Tokyo. The period of June to mid-July is the rainy season, called "tsuyu". It's a gloomy period for Tokyoites before midsummer. I left Tokyo for a while, and visited the northern part of Japan, where tsuyu is not clear.

My destination was a geothermal area, named Goshogake, in Akita Prefecture, Tohoku District. Visitors can enjoy a beautiful mountain view, relaxing hot springs and delicious local foods. One more pleasure in Goshogake is visiting geothermal seepages. Look at the photo below. It's a mud bubble in a mud pot. The bubble repeatedly expands and pops due to the coming up of volcanic gas, and constantly changing its shape. I tried to shoot the mud bubble with a high-speed shutter, 1/8,000 second. Surprisingly, the sun, sky, a forest and myself are imaged on the surface of the tiny mud bubble. That looks like a little universe.

To visit this geothermal area, the nearest station is Kazunohanawa on the JR East Hanawa line. It's a typical local route crossing the mountainous backbone of Tohoku District. A lovely DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit), KiHa 110 series, is the sole model on the line. It's usually operated as a two-car train. The KiHa 110 series is the JR East's standard DMU, which has a 20-meter-long body. It looks similar with the KiHa 100 series, but its body length is 3.5 meters longer than that of the KiHa 100 series.

I enjoyed both the geothermal area and the local railway.

A mud bubble in the Goshogake geothermal area

The 1st Anniversary of the Sotetsu-Shinyokohama Line

"The 1st anniversary train", set 20106 of the EMU Sotetsu 20000 series

Following the 1st anniversary of the Tokyu-Shinyokohama line, I'm going to show you a topic of the 1st anniversary of "another Shinyokohama line" today.

Let me quickly review the Shinyokohama lines. On the 18th of March, 2023, two new railway lines were inaugurated in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. One is the Shinyokohama line of Tokyu Railways. The other one is the Shinyokohama line of Sagami Railway (hereafter Sotetsu). These two lines are connected at Shinyokohama station. A direct operation of the Tokyu and Sotetsu trains through Shinyokohama station was also started. What are the advantages of the opening of these lines for Sotetsu passengers? Firstly, they got a second access route to Tokyo by the Sotetsu-Tokyu direct operation trains. Secondly, transfer to the JR Central-Tokaido Shinkansen at Shinyokohama station became much easier.

In commemoration of the 1st anniversary, Sotetsu operated the anniversary trains from March 18th to May 6th. They are set 20106 of the EMU 20000 series and set 21107 of the EMU 21000 series. We could see the celebratory stickers on the front of these anniversary trains. Sotetsu's mascot character, "Sonyan", and Tokyu's mascot character, "Norurun", are seen on the stickers. Those two sets of the trains look similar, but the number of the vehicles per 1 set is different. Set 20106 is a 10-car train. On the other hand, set 21107 is an 8-car train. That's important information for trainspotters, isn't it?

Congratulations on the 1st anniversary of the Sotetsu-Shinyokohama line!

”The 1st anniversary train”, set 21107 of the EMU Sotetsu 21000 series

Official information about the 1st anniversary of Sotetsu and Tokyu Shinyokohama lines (in Japanese):

https://cdn.sotetsu.co.jp/media/2024/pressrelease/pdf/r24-26-ss5.pdf

Steam Locomotive Preserved by Shochu Brewery

Unit 48647 of the Class 8620 is preseved in Takachiho Town

(Photo: Nicolai Okkels)

I've received interesting pictures from a Danish rail-fan. He traveled Shikoku and Kyushu islands of Japan, and shot a preserved steam locomotive. My thanks go to Nicolai Okkels, who kindly sent me these photographs.

Unit 48647 of the Class 8620 is a precious steam locomotive (hereafter SL) preserved in Takachiho Town of Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu Island. Unit 48647 is preserved on the railway bridge. Why is it there? Because, this bridge is a part of an uncompleted railway line, which was canceled before completion. On the other hand, there is another way to use this uncompleted railway line. That's a shochu (a kind of Japanese liquors) storage using a tunnel. In short, this uncompleted line is used as both the preservation spot of the SL and the storage of shochu bottles by Shochu Brewery. Takachiho is thought to be a founding place of Japan, as there are many mythologies, so, many tourists visit there. This SL is a good landmark for tourists to visit the brewery.

For your information, the Class 8620 is a 2-6-0 (Whyte notation) type SL that has a tender attached. It was developed by the Ministry of Railways in the early 1910's for express trains on the semi-trunk lines. Unit 48647 was built in 1921, and retired from the track in 1973. One of the epoch-making events for this SL was pulling the Emperor's train in 1969. The Japanese flag on the front of this SL is a memorial of its glorious history.

Side view of Unit 48647 (Photo: Nicolai Okkels)