I recently visited Todoroki on the Tokyu-Oimachi line due to a private family issue. After finishing our meeting, we walked on a road beside the railway track, and headed to Todoroki station. On the way, we came across TOQ i for the first time in one year and a half by chance.
Let me review TOQi to start. It's an inspection train of Tokyu Railways. Its formal name is the EMU 7500 series. TOQi can inspect all Tokyu lines except the Setagaya line. The targets of the inspection are overhead wires, signal safety facilities, train radio systems and railway tracks. TOQi is composed of 3 cars. The first and the last cars, namely DeYa 7500 and DeYa 7550, are motorcars. They were commissioned in 2012 to replace the old inspection train, EMU 7200 series. On the other hand, the intermediate car, namely SaYa 7590, is a trailer without motors. It was commissioned in 1998 as one of the EMU 7200 series. These cars were all built by Tokyu Sharyo.
Tokyu doesn't release timetables of the work train, so whether I can come across TOQi or not depends on my luck. I don’t know why TOQi was operated on the Oimachi line on that day. According to several rail-fans, it was not an inspection but a test run. Either way, as soon as TOQi came into sight, I took out my camera, and clicked the shutter intently. I could shoot TOQi, specifically the blue-colored DeYa 7500 side, from a public road beside the track in good condition. I barely made it!
Long time no see TOQi! I'm relieved you look fine.
TOQi (DeYa 7550 and the others) travels on the Tokyu-Oimachi line