I recently visited Gotanda on the Tokyu Ikegami Line for a private matter. When I finished my meeting, it was already around 7 p.m., and the sun had completely set. Where should I go next?
Alright then—it’s time for yamitetsu! Do you remember the word yamitetsu? It refers to a railfan who loves photographing trains in the dark. The word is a blend of yami (“darkness”) and tetsu (“iron”). In Japanese, we call a railway tetsudō, which literally means “iron road.” I’m still a beginner yamitetsu myself, but I love it.
So I made a detour to Yukigaya Railyard on the Ikegami Line, located near Yukigaya-Ōtsuka Station. When I arrived at the southern end of the yard, I found Set 1507 of the 1000 (1000-1500) series EMU resting beside the vehicle inspection building (see the top photo). The train was gleaming brightly under the yard lights and signal lamps. The inspection building was empty, but the lights were still on as if it were alive. Beautiful.
In contrast, the northern part of the yard was quiet. A total of six train sets—1000 (1000-1500) series and 7000 series—were resting there (see the photo below). I was impressed to see the trains lined up alternately: 1000, 7000, 1000, 7000... It was as if the two series were good friends. Am I the only one who gets excited about things like this?
I fully enjoyed yamitetsu at Yukigaya Railyard. If I had to say what was missing that evening, it would be the Iketama Happy Train. That special wrapped train still seemed to be running on the line somewhere. Maybe I’ll see it next time.
