Sagami Railway (Sotetsu) will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Sotetsu Line in 2026. As you know, Sotetsu is one of the major private railway companies in the Tokyo metropolitan area (see my blog from March 20, 2025). To commemorate this milestone, the company launched several special events in September. One highlight was the introduction of the “Sotetsu Line History Train,” using Set 9703 of the EMU 9000 series. Set 9703 is decorated with stickers featuring historical rolling stock from Sotetsu’s past. For example, steam locomotive Unit 3, which debuted in 1926, and the EMU 13000 series, which will enter service next year, are both depicted on a commemorative sticker mounted on the front of the train (see the photos). The excitement for the 100th anniversary is really building, isn’t it? If you have time, please check the URL at the bottom of this post to see the design of the Sotetsu Line History Train. Congratulations to the Sotetsu Line on its 100th anniversary!
This is off-topic, but please look at the top photo again. It was taken at Izumi-chuo Station, my regular photo spot on the Sotetsu Line. The weather was clear and the lighting was from the front, so photographing should have been a piece of cake. But I pressed the shutter too early, and the electrification poles got in the way. I was careless at that moment. In Japan, there is a saying: “Even monkeys fall from trees.” In English, you would say, “Even Homer sometimes nods.” I was the monkey that time (I’m certainly not a great person like Homer).
