Preserved Locomotive in Tokorozawa City

Locomotive unit B15 of the Seibu Class B11 is preserved in Tokorozawa City

You may remember when I introduced the Seibu Yamaguchi Line in 2014 and again in 2023. Today, I’d like to add a small supplement to that topic.

Let’s start with a brief review of the Seibu Yamaguchi Line. It is a rubber-tyred Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) system that runs along the border between Tokyo Metropolis and Tokorozawa City in Saitama Prefecture. The line is only 2.8 kilometers long, connecting Tamako (Lake Tama) and Seibu-Kyujo-mae (Seibu Baseball Stadium) stations. The Yamaguchi Line opened in 1985 as Japan’s fifth AGT route. The entire line is an electrified single track with one signal station for train passing. Its power supply is 750V DC, using a third rail.

Now, let’s look back on the history of the Seibu Yamaguchi Line before it became an AGT route. The original line opened in 1950 as an attraction railway called Otogi Densha (“Fairy Train”) inside an amusement park. It was later formalized as a regular railway, renamed the Yamaguchi Line, under the Railway Business Act in 1952.

At that time, the main locomotive type was the Class B11. A total of five units were built by the Seibu Tokorozawa Factory and Nakajima Electric Cars. These were accumulator (battery-powered) locomotives with a 0-4-0 wheel arrangement (Whyte notation), each equipped with two 11 kW DC motors. The batteries were manufactured by Yuasa.

Today, unit B15 of the Class B11 is preserved in front of the “Emi Terrace” shopping mall in Tokorozawa City. Emi Terrace was constructed on the site of the former Seibu Tokorozawa Factory — the very birthplace of unit B15. It’s truly a homecoming for this little locomotive, isn’t it?

Old photos of Seibu Class B11 locomotives are displayed in Emi Terrace

Plum Festival on the Keio Line

Displaying "Mogusaen Plum Festival" plate, trainset 8714 travels on the Keio line

We had a cold winter this year. As temperatures have been low, the plum trees began blooming one to three weeks later than usual. Mogusaen Garden in Hino City is no exception. Usually, the plums in this garden are in full bloom in mid-February; however, they have not fully bloomed yet this year. Instead of that, I enjoyed “Tsurushi-bina” displayed in a hermitage of the garden (see the photo below). For your information, Tsurushi-bina is a Japanese tradition where ornamental dolls are displayed on strings for Girls' Day (the Doll's Festival for girls).

To visit this plum garden, the nearest railway station is Mogusaen on the Keio line. During the plum blooming season, Keio Electric Railway operates a train with a special plate on the Keio line to promote tourism to Mogusaen. It’s trainset 8714 of the EMU 8000 series. The large plum blossom-shaped plate on the train front makes me feel　the arrival of spring. The 8000 series was commissioned in 1992 as Keio's first train to adopt the variable frequency drive (VFD) electric control system. As you know, the RPM and torque of induction motors are adjusted through frequency and voltage in the VFD system. Coupled with a regenerative braking system and vehicle weight reduction, electricity consumption of the 8000 series was reduced by 45 percent compared to the prior trains.

Finally, please check out my previous posts as well about famous plum groves/gardens in the metropolitan area such as Taura Ume-no-sato, Haruna Plum Grove and Ikegami Plum Garden, if you have time.

Tsurushi-binas are displayed in a hermitage of Mogusaen Garden

Serving a Double Purpose on the Chuo Line

EMU JR East E353 series passes through Tamagawa Bridge 

There is a proverb in Japanese that says "isseki nicho (killing two birds with one stone)". I’m not a native English speaker, so, I didn't know until recently that this proverb was originated in England. I’m going to post a topic about this proverb today… but, “serving a double purpose” is better, because I don’t want to kill birds.

Enough with the preamble. Let's head to the main topic. I recently visited Tamagawa Bridge on the JR East Chuo line for the first time in three years. What for? First, I wanted to shoot the Chuo line trains passing through the bridge. Please look at the top photo. That’s the EMU JR East E353 series, a limited express, “Azusa”. It has a special air suspension type tilting system to pass through tight curves in the mountain areas keeping at high speed. The maximum operating speed of the E353 series is 130 kilometers per hour. Cool!

After enjoying the train shooting, I concentrated on another hobby… fossil collection. As I posted before, it’s my lifelong hobby. I have been visiting fossil localities in the metropolitan area since I was a boy. The riverbed near Tamagawa Bridge is one of my favorite localities. We can observe the fossiliferous beds of the Renkoji Formation, young shallow marine sediments, deposited about 1.3 million years ago. Please look at the photo below… my prey on that day, “Akanishi (Rapana venosa)”. The spikes on the conch are cool!

I served a double purpose on the Chuo line.

Fossil "Akanishi (Rapana venosa)" is found near Tamagawa Bridge

Official information about the EMU E353 series by JR East:

https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/traininformation/azusa_kaiji/index.html

Official information about the EMU E353 series by J-TREC (in Japanese):

https://www.j-trec.co.jp/company/070/04/jtr04_100-105.pdf

Classic Diesel Railcar on the Ryugasaki Line

Unit KiHa 532 of the Diesel railcar Kantetsu KiHa 532 series

I thought that I had already described all of the trains in the metropolitan area in this blog, but there are still some left. The description of trains in this area is endless. Today, I am going to show you one of such rolling stock, diesel railcar 532 series on the Ryugasaki line in Ryugasaki City.

To start, let me quickly review Ryugasaki City and the Ryugasaki line. Ryugasaki City in Ibaraki Prefecture is located some 50 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, and has been developed as a commuter city since the 1970's. The Ryugasaki line of Kanto Railway Company (Kantetsu) is a 4.5-kilometer-long route connecting Sanuki and Ryugasaki stations in Ryugasaki City. The track is un-electrified and single. Diesel railcars are operated every half an hour.

Now, let's head to the main topic. I found a classic vehicle on the line. It's unit KiHa 532 of the diesel railcar Kantetsu KiHa 532 series (see the top photo). This model was commissioned for the Ryugasaki line in 1981. The body was newly manufactured by Niigara Tekko, but the apparatuses were reused of the ex-JNR’s KiHa 20 series. Only one unit is operated on the line. To my delight, Kantetsu discloses the timetable of the KiHa 532 series on their website. It’s often operated on Saturday, and useful for train-spotters like me to avoid bearing a grudge, “I went to the Ryugasaki line, but the KiHa 532 was NOT operated today.” I could fully enjoy this train including nostalgic interior (see the photo below).

Interior of the KiHa 532 series

Offcial information about the rollingstock of Kanto Railway (in Japanese):

https://www.kantetsu.co.jp/train/traincar

Keisei Skyliner AE Series: Over 50 Million Passengers

EMU Keisei AE series, Skyliner, displays a gold-colored commemoration sticker

It’s a little bit old news, but the passengers of the 3rd generation Keisei Skyliner exceeded 50 million on June 9th last year. I'm going to bring up this topic today. 

Let's take a quick look at Skyliner to start. It’s an airport access train between the city center of Tokyo and New Tokyo International (Narita) Airport. The current Skyliner, namely the EMU AE series, was commissioned in 2010 to replace the old model, the AE100 series. The AE series is an EMU for 1,435-millimeter-gauge and 1,500 V DC track. A total of 8 trainsets, 64 cars, were built by Nippon Sharyo and Tokyu Sharyo. One trainset is composed of 6 motorcars and 2 trailers (6M2T). The electric control system is an IGBT-VVVF (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor - variable frequency drive) inverter with 175kW induction motors. The AE series is able to travel with a 160 kilometers per hour maximum speed, which is the fastest in Japan except the Shinkansen vehicles.

The AE series reached 20 million passengers in September, 2016. It then achieved 25 million passengers in November, 2017 and 45 million passengers in October, 2023. The period between the 45 millionth and the 50 millionth passengers (June, 2024) was only 8 months. Keisei Electric Railway held a commemoration ceremony at Narita Airport Terminal 1 station. The 50 millionth passenger was a Japanese mother with her two little daughters. Currently, one trainset of the AE series, namely trainset AE2, has a gold-colored commemoration sticker on the front of the train. Congratulations on the 50 million passengers!

Side body of the "50 million passengers" commemorative Skyliner

Official information about Keisei Skyliner:

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

Official information about the 50 million passengers of the EMU Keisei AE series (in Japanese):

https://www.keisei.co.jp/cms/files/keisei/MASTER/0110/JhGckcB5.pdf

The 55th Anniversary of Tora-san

"The 55th anniversary of Tora-san" train arrives at Shibamata station

“Otoko wa Tsurai yo (It’s Tough Being a Man)” is a beloved Japanese film series released from 1969 to 1995, starring Kiyoshi Atsumi. The main character, Tora-san, played by Atsumi, is a kind-hearted vagabond who is always unlucky in love. He works as a street vendor, traveling from place to place, where he meets beautiful “madonnas” and causes innocent ruckuses.

Tora-san is an unlikely hero — lazy, poorly educated, yet deeply human. Despite his flaws, he is loved by local people for his warmth and sincerity. His family home was in Shibamata, located along the Keisei Kanamachi Line. In front of Shibamata Station, you can find a bronze statue of Tora-san (see the photo below).

Last year, Shibamata celebrated the 55th anniversary of Tora-san. To commemorate the occasion, Keisei Electric Railway has been operating a special anniversary train until March 23, 2025. On the front of the train, you can see a commemorative plate marking “The 55th Anniversary of Tora-san.” This plate also celebrates “The 115th Anniversary of Keisei Electric Railway.” The four-car train, set 3668 of the EMU 3600 series, slowly passes through Tora-san’s hometown (see the top photo).

Incidentally, the Keisei 3600 series EMU is a standard commuter train first introduced in 1982. A total of nine sets (54 cars) were built by Tokyu Sharyo and Nippon Sharyo. Today, only two sets (10 cars) remain in service. The trains were originally equipped with a field chopper control system, but set 3668 was later converted to a GTO-VVVF (Gate Turn-Off Thyristor Variable Frequency Drive) system in 1999. It’s quite a rare train to see nowadays.

Bronze statue of Tora-san in front of Shibamata station

Official information by Keisei (in Japanese):

https://www.keisei.co.jp/cms/files/keisei/MASTER/0110/Pwy4ScrH.pdf

Aerial Tramway for Pilgrims

Tairyuji Ropeway in Tokushima Prefecture, Shikoku Island

Shikoku is the fourth largest island of Japan. It's located about 800 kilometers west of Tokyo. The Shikoku Pilgrimage is a unique experience visiting 88 Buddhist temples on this island. The temples are located throughout the island, and walking the entire route from one temple to the next adds up to a journey of more than 1,400 kilometers. You may anticipate it will be challenging, but please don’t worry. You are allowed to use public transportations, if you want.

Tairyuji in Tokushima Prefecture is a good example. This temple is located near the steep mountain summit, 618 meters above sea level. To visit this mountain temple, Tairyuji Ropeway is convenient. The route was opened in 1992 by Shikoku Cable Company. It's a four-cables cross type aerial tramway. Connecting Washinosato and Sancho stations, its route length is 2,775 meters. The height difference between the two stations is 422 meters. Its maximum inclination is 30 degrees. Swiss made gondolas are operated every 20 minutes. It takes about 10 minutes to go one way. Each gondola can accommodate up to 101 passengers.

There are 2 struts on the route. The height of the first strut is 42 meters, which is the tallest in the world. I observed this giant structure on the way to the temple. I could also see the mountain summit was lightly dusted with snow that morning due to the cold weather. Incidentally, I was not a pilgrim, just a tourist. I’m wimp, so, I don’t want to join the 1,400-kilometer-long pilgrimage.

The first strut of Tairyuji Ropeway

Official website, Tairyuji Ropeway (in Japanese):

http://www.shikoku-cable.co.jp/tairyuji/index.html

Encounter with the Rare Train: EMU E257-5000 Series

Set OM-93 of the EMU JR East E257-5000 series, non-gangway side

I'm going to post a topic for old-school trainspotters today. The E257-5000 series is JR East’s vehicle for extra train services. It is mainly operated on weekends and holiday seasons. This model was originally commissioned as the EMU E257-0 series, and operated as limited express trains, Azusa and Kaiji, on the Chuo main line.

After operating for nearly 20 years, 3 trainsets, 27 cars, were modified to the E257-5000 series in 2021 by JR East Nagano Factory. They are trainsets OM-91, OM-92 and OM-93. One set is composed of 5 motorcars and 4 trailers (5M4T). What are the differences between the older E257-0 and the newer E257-5000 series? They are basically the same, but the body color was changed. The newer E257-5000 series has fresh green-colored stripes. And there’s one more thing, the E257-5000 series has baggage spaces. 

I could come across set OM-93 at Tokyo station last August. It was being operated as the extra train, “Atami Fireworks Festival”. As the name suggests, this train would carry tourists, who would see the fireworks, to Atami City on the Tokaido main line. I was very happy to observe the “two different faces” of this train. The southern face had no gangway (see the top photo). On the other hand, the northern face had a gangway (see the photo below). Finding such subtle differences is the greatest pleasure for trainspotters like me. Please check out my previous posts as well about the EMU E257-2000 and E257-5500 series, if you have time.

Set OM-93 of the EMU JR East E257-5000 series, gangway side

Winter Scenery on the Keikyu Line

Interior of "Wing Seat" car, EMU Keikyu 2100 series

It's still cold in Tokyo. The maximum daytime temperature is around 10 degrees Celsius, but the sunlight is getting stronger. I can't keep fidgeting at home, so, went out with my family on the weekend. Our destination was Nobi Coast on the Keikyu-Kurihama line.

Let me review the Keikyu lines to start. Keikyu is one of the major private railway companies in the metropolitan area. It has an 87 kilometers line network in the southern part of Tokyo Metropolis and the northern part of Kanagawa Prefecture. Keikyu faces fierce competition from Tokyo Monorail Company on the route between downtown Tokyo and Tokyo International Airport (Haneda). In addition, the company is also exposed to competition with JR East on the section between downtown Tokyo and the Yokohama-Yokosuka area. The important factors for selecting routes by passengers are fares, speed and services.

We took the Keikyu main line from Shinagawa terminal, because it’s convenient, fast and reasonable. To secure comfortable cross-seats, we booked “Wing Seats (see the top photo)” in advance. The Wing Seat car was being coupled within an 8-car train of the EMU 2100 series. The fee for a seat reservation was only 300 yen (1.94 USD). We got off at YRP Nobi station after 70 minutes travel from Shinagawa, and walked along the coast of Miura Peninsula. We enjoyed looking the blue sky, blue ocean, green hills and the bow-shaped sand beach (see the photo below). They were diffidently beautiful and relaxed us. Spring is around the corner.

Nobi Coast near YRP Nobi station on the Keikyu-Kurihama line

Final Chapter of Shin-Keisei Electric Railway

Set N818 of the EMU Shinkeisei N800 series, "My Memories Train"

You may remember when I introduced you to the news, in which Keisei Electric Railway Company will absorb Shin-Keisei Electric Railway Company in April, 2025. How is the merger project going? Just like last November, I recently visited the Shin-Keisei line, and again saw it with my own eyes.

I found that Shin-Keisei was operating a special poster train named “My Memories Train” using set N818 of the EMU N800 series. We can see a special sticker, which shows Shin-Keisei’s 78 years of history, on the front (see the top photo). There are large stickers, which show Shin-Keisei’s famous trains, namely the EMU 220, 8900 and 80000 series, on the side bodies (see the photo below). In addition, passengers can enjoy special posters, which explain the history of Shin-Keisei, inside the train. According to the company, the purpose of My Memories Train is to look back Shin-Keisei’s 78 years of history with passengers. The final chapter of Shin-Keisei Electric Railway is surely and steadily going on, before the merger in the Keisei group.

Incidentally, the EMU N800 series is one of the main fleets on the Shin-Keisei line. It was commissioned in 2005 to replace the old models, the 800 and 8000 series. A total of 5 sets, 30 units, were built by Nippon Sharyo. The N800 series is a sister train of the Keisei 3000 series. The train bodies and the technical specifications of the N800 series are the same as those of the 3000 series.

Side body of My Memories Train