The 20th Anniversary of the Keikyu Blue Sky Trains

Set 606 of the EMU 600 series, Blue Sky Train

This is a bit late to mention, but Keikyu quietly celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Blue Sky Trains last year. I’d like to share a little about them today.

What Is the Blue Sky Train?

When people think of Keikyu, the first image that comes to mind is usually its bright red trains. That’s true—though there are a few colorful exceptions. One is the Keikyu Yellow Happy Train, painted yellow and operated with a single EMU 1000 series set. Another is the Blue Sky Train, which comes in a striking blue livery and includes one set each from the EMU 600 and EMU 2100 series.

The blue paint represents both the sky above Haneda Airport and the sea along the Miura Peninsula. In that sense, the Blue Sky Train serves as a symbol of Keikyu’s airport access service and its connection to the coastal resort areas.

The photo above shows Set 606 of the EMU 600 series, one of the Blue Sky Train sets. Beginning on October 27 last year, a special anniversary sticker was added to the front. It’s surprisingly modest compared to Keikyu’s usual bold designs, don’t you think? For the record, the other Blue Sky Train—Set 2133 of the EMU 2100 series—also carried the same sticker. Modesty aside, congratulations to the Blue Sky Train on its 20th anniversary!

While I’m at it, let me share another photo taken in late autumn last year. The picture below shows a standard-color EMU 600 series train crossing the Yatsumori Overpass, which spans the JR tracks near Shinagawa Station. The yellow ginkgo trees create a beautiful natural frame, making the red train stand out vividly. It’s one of my favorite viewing spots along the Keikyu Line—such a lovely scene.

Unfortunately, this scenery won’t last much longer. A major project to rebuild the overpass is underway to relieve congestion at the nearby level crossing. Improved transportation is important, of course, but I can’t help feeling a little sad knowing that this atmospheric spot will soon disappear. I suppose you can’t please everyone.

Standard-color EMU 600 series passing over Yatsumori Overpass

Related link:

・Official information on the overpass replacement project (Japanese only)

Shinmachi Railyard in the Twilight

Set 1469 of the Keikyu 1000 series leaving Shinmachi Railyard

I recently visited Yokohama City to take care of some errands. After finishing my meeting, I stopped by Shinmachi Railyard near Kanagawa-shinmachi Station on the Keikyu Line for a stroll. Since I had spent quite a while in the downtown area, by the time I got off the train at Kanagawa-shinmachi, the sun had already set. It was around 7 p.m. The day had been very hot, but in the evening a pleasant breeze made the air feel refreshing.

As soon as I reached the railway crossing beside Shinmachi Railyard, my eyes were caught by many trains preparing for departure. They were mainly the EMU 1000 and 1500 series. These red-colored trains are, of course, beautiful in daylight, but in the evening they take on a mysterious charm. Under the yard lights and signal lamps, they gleamed brightly. I especially love the contrast between the vivid red trains and the deep-blue twilight sky. It was such a relaxing moment.

Incidentally, Shinmachi Railyard is the second largest depot on the Keikyu network. Opened in 1953, it can accommodate up to 250 train units. The EMU 600, 1000 and 1500 series are based here, along with several work trains—DeTo 11, 12, 17, and 18. The railyard also handles maintenance and inspections for 4- and 6-car formations. Another point worth mentioning is the automatic washing machine. Thanks to this facility, Keikyu trains are always kept shining clean.

Shinmachi Railyard in the twilight

The 55th Anniversary of Tora-san, Part 2

"The 55th anniversary of Tora-san" train, Keisei 3030, runs on the Keikyu line

You may remember when I introduced the 55th anniversary train of Tora-san before. It was trainset 3668 of the Keisei 3600 series displaying the commemorative plate. Today, I’d like to show you two more anniversary trains.

Please look at the top photo. You can see a round-shaped plate on the front of trainset 3030 of the Keisei 3000 series. This train also celebrates “The 55th Anniversary of Tora-san.” The 3000 series was introduced in 2003 to replace older trains on the Keisei Line. It’s a stainless-steel commuter train, with 48 sets (326 cars) built by Nippon Sharyo and others. Because it runs through to the Hokuso Line — part of the high-speed access route to Narita International Airport — its maximum operating speed is 120 km/h.

Meanwhile, Hokuso Railway is also operating a “55th Anniversary of Tora-san” train (see the photo below). This is trainset 7502 of the EMU 7500 series. Hokuso trains directly operate onto the Keisei, Toei Asakusa, and Keikyu lines. The 7500 series, commissioned in 2006 to replace the older 7000 series, is a mainstay of the Hokuso fleet. A total of three sets (24 cars) were built by Nippon Sharyo and Tokyu Sharyo. It’s actually a sister train to the Keisei 3000 series, the main difference being the color of the side stripes.

"The 55th anniversary of Tora-san" train, Hokuso 7502, runs on the Keikyu line

Winter Scenery on the Keikyu Line

Interior of the “Wing Seat” car, EMU Keikyu 2100 series

It’s still cold in Tokyo. The daytime high is around 10 degrees Celsius, but the sunlight is gradually getting stronger. I couldn’t just stay fidgeting at home, so I went out with my family over the weekend. Our destination was the Nobi Coast on the Keikyu Kurihama Line.

Let me start with a brief review of the Keikyu network. Keikyu is one of the major private railway companies in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Its network stretches 87 kilometers across the southern part of Tokyo Metropolis and the northern part of Kanagawa Prefecture. Keikyu faces strong competition from Tokyo Monorail on the route between central Tokyo and Tokyo International Airport (Haneda). In addition, it also competes with JR East on the section between downtown Tokyo and the Yokohama–Yokosuka area. The key factors that influence passengers when choosing a route are fares, speed, and service.

We took the Keikyu Main Line from Shinagawa Terminal because it’s convenient, fast, and reasonably priced. To ensure we had comfortable cross seats, we reserved “Wing Seats” (see the top photo) in advance. The Wing Seat car was coupled within an eight-car train of the EMU 2100 series. The reservation fee was only 300 yen (about 1.94 USD). After about 70 minutes from Shinagawa, we got off at YRP Nobi Station and took a walk along the coast of the Miura Peninsula. We enjoyed the blue sky, blue ocean, green hills, and the graceful bow-shaped beach (see the photo below). They were definitely beautiful and made us feel relaxed. Spring is just around the corner.

Nobi Coast near YRP Nobi Station on the Keikyu Kurihama Line

Preserved Keikyu Train in Zushi City

DeHa 601 of the Keikyu 600 series preserved in Zushi Daiichi Sports Park

Sorry for jumping from one topic to another, but I’d like to continue my story about my recent visit to the Yokosuka Line a little more today.

After enjoying the suburban sceneries along the JR-East Yokosuka line, I headed to Zushi Daiichi Sports Park near Higashi-Zushi Station. My destination was an old train preserved in the park—DeHa 601 of the Keikyu 600 series. When you hear “the Keikyu 600 series,” you may think of the currently active train, but today’s topic is its predecessor, the original 600 series. Please take a look at the photos.

DeHa 601 was built in 1956 by Tokyu Sharyo. Its original classification was DeHa 701 of the 700 series, but it was reclassified as DeHa 601 of the 600 series in 1966. The 600 series mainly operated as Kaitoku (limited express) trains, and all the cars in this series were motorcars. They were Keikyu’s first all-steel trains equipped with a cardan-jointed drive system. The interior was also distinctive, featuring many box seats along with some long bench seats.

After 28 years of service, DeHa 601 was retired from active duty in 1984 and moved to Zushi Daiichi Sports Park. I was particularly fascinated by its front-end design. Its face resembles other classic trains of the era—the JNR 80 series, Tobu 5700 series, Entetsu 30 series, Ooigawa 21000 series, and so on. It truly embodies the style of the 1950s and 1960s.

Incidentally, DeHa 601 has been lovingly maintained by a local volunteer group called the DeHa 601 Preservation Society. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone involved in keeping this historic train in good condition.

Interior of DeHa601

Tama Riverside Walking: Part 11, Kawasaki

EMU Keikyu 600 series crosses Tama River

I’m going to show you the view of Tama River for the first time in a long time. I enjoyed strolling in the downstream last winter. My destination was Kawasaki City in Kanagawa Prefecture, about 20 kilometers away from the city center of Tokyo.

Let me review Kawasaki City. Kawasaki is the second most populated city in the prefecture. The current population is about 1.55 million. The city is full of variety. There are large-scaled downtown, industrial, residential and resort areas. Tama River river flows on the dividing line between Tokyo Metropolis and Kawasaki City.

After getting off the train at Keikyu-Kawasaki station, I passed through the downtown area, and headed to Tama River. As soon as I reached the embankment, a train passed the river, and approached me. That was the EMU 600 series, Keikyu’s commuter train commissioned in 1994. The 600 series partly has comfortable cross seats to provide passengers with good services. The red-colored 600 series made a beautiful contrast with the winter blue sky. After passing under the railway bridge of the Keikyu line, I walked upstream. Five minutes later, a long train passed through the other railway bridge. That was the EMU JR East E231 series. The E231 series is one of the major group trains on the JR East lines, and widely operated in the Tokyo metropolitan area. It was commissioned in 2000. It’s composed of 15 units of 20-meter-long cars. That is to say, 300-meter-long train was passing by me. It was breathtaking!

While observing trains, I enjoyed Tama riverside walking as usual.

EMU JR East E231 series crosses Tama River

Early Summer on the Keikyu Line

The EMU Keikyu 1500 series and Tokyo Bay 

It's late May already. Sunlight is strong and the maximum daytime temperature reaches 25 degrees Celsius in the metropolitan area. Air conditioners have been turned on in most of the commuter trains. I recently visited a train viewing spot, which is known to those in the know.

Please look at the top photo. You can see a red-colored train backed by blue sea. The train is the EMU Keikyu 1500 series. The blue sea is Tokyo Bay. You can also see a green-colored offshore island named Sarushima (Monkey Island). Next, please look at the photo below. That is a photo shooting in another direction. The train is the EMU Keikyu 2100 series. You can also see a residential area backed by a green hill. I would be happy if you could feel the early summer atmosphere from my photos.

This viewing spot is located in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, about 60 kilometers southwest of the city center of Tokyo. To get to this scenic spot, the nearest railway station is Horinouchi on the Keikyu line. It takes about 50 minutes from Shinagawa, a subcenter of Tokyo, by a limited express train. Then, it takes about 10 minutes from the station by walking. After passing through a quiet residential area, steep stairs appeared in front of me. The stairs led to the top of the green hill. I slightly flinched, but once I climbed up, I could feel a comfortable wind, and saw the breathtaking scenery even in an urban residential area you can find anywhere.

The EMU Keikyu 2100 series and a green hill near Horinouchi station 

Revisit to the Train Viewing Spot in Shinagawa Ward

EMU Keikyu 1000-1500 series passes by the train viewing spot, Shinagawa Shrine

I visited a nice train viewing spot on the Keikyu line for the first time in ten years. It's located in the precinct of an old shrine in Shinagawa Ward. The name is also Shinagawa Shrine.

Shinagawa Shrine was opened in 1187 by Minamoto Yoritomo who was the founder and first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate. The purpose of the shrine was to pray for maritime transportation safety. As you know, Shinagawa is located near the coast of Tokyo Bay. To get to the train viewing spot, you have to climb up a hill surrounded by trees near the main shrine. Local people call it "Shinagawa Fuji", because the profile is similar to that of Mt. Fuji.

After climbing up Shinagawa Fuji, I found the nostalgic scenery, which is almost the same as that of ten years ago. The number of apartments might have increased. One minute later, a red colored train, the EMU Keikyu 1000-1500 series passed by me. The 1000-1500 series is the newest model on the line. It was commissioned last month as the 22nd batch of the 1000 series trains. One set is composed of six cars including four motorcars. The train bodies are similar to the 1000-1890 series, "Le Ciel". They are stainless-steel made and the side bodies are flat and smooth. You can see a slit glass just behind the driver's door on the side body of the top car. The red-colored train stood out against the background buildings and the blue sky.

Train viewing spot of Shinagawa Shrine near Shinbanba station on the Keikyu line

Trains in Yokohama City: 2023 Update

“Yokohama DeNA Baystars” train travels on the Tokyu-Toyoko line

What are the most popular sports where you live? In Japan, baseball and football are the two most popular sports across the country. Yokohama City is no exception. A professional baseball and a professional football team are based in this large city. To promote sport and sport watching, two professional sport teams currently tie-up with railway companies.

Let's see examples. The top photo is "Yokohama DeNA Baystars" train of Yokohama Minatomirai Railway. Yokohama DeNA Baystars is a professional baseball team based in the city. This team plays games at Yokohama Stadium near Nihon-Odori station on the Minatomirai line. To promote the game watching, Yokohama Minatomirai Railway operates the special poster train from March 27th using set Y515 of the EMU Y500 series. You can see large photos of popular players belonging to Yokohama DeNA Baystars on the side bodies of this train. This poster train is directly operated onto the Tokyu-Toyoko, Tokyo Metro-Fukutoshin, Tobu-Tojo and the Seibu-Ikebukuro lines.

On the other hand, the photo below is "F. Marinos Sport Park" train on the Keikyu line. F. Marinos is a professional football team based in the city. This team recently opened rental futsal (5-man football) grounds, rental meeting rooms and a restaurant in F. Marinos Sport Park near Kurihama station on the Keikyu line. To promote this sport park, Keikyu operated the special poster train from June 5th to August 6th using set 2133 of the EMU 2100 series. F. Marinos's team colors, namely red blue and white, very much fit the train.

"F. Marinos Sport Park" train travels on the Keikyu line

Official information, the design of "Yokohama DeNA Baystars" train (in Japanese):

https://www.mm21railway.co.jp/info/news/uploads/YOKOHAMA%20DeNA%20BAYSTARS%20TRAIN%202023.pdf

Official information, "F. Marinos Sport Park" train (in Japanese):

https://www.keikyu.co.jp/company/news/2023/20230530HP_23020TE.html

Le Ciel: The 2022 Blue Ribbon Winner

EMU Keikyu 1000-1890 series, "Le Ciel", passes through Byobugaura station

It's a bit old news, but on May 26th, 2022, Japan Railfan Club announced that the EMU Keikyu 1000-1890 series, nickname "Le Ciel", was elected as the Blue Ribbon Prize. What's the Blue Ribbon Prize? It's an annual award presented by Japan Railfan Club since 1958, awarded to the best train that debuted in the previous year. Actually, almost all awarded trains to date are representative carriages in each railway company. Because of the COVID-19 calamity, there were fewer new models, which debuted in 2021, than usual, but I applaud Keikyu Corporation that won the tough election.

Le Ciel is a multi-purpose train. It's used not only for commuters but also for holiday makers. For that purpose, Le Ciel has multi-purpose seats, which the conductor can change from long seats to cross seats using a remote control system. The cross seat mode is applied when it's operated as a reserved seat train or a chartered train. One of my surprises is that Le Ciel is equipped with toilets. Keikyu has only short routes, so the company has been hesitating to equip toilets on their trains for many years. Of course, it will cost a lot for wastewater treatment from now, but the company made the great decision to invest for trains with toilets. Well done!

Incidentally, the nickname, "Le Ciel", was sought from the general public. I don't know why French, but I also like it. I'm very much fond of "the blue sky" on the Keikyu lines.

Interior of the EMU Keikyu 1000-1890 series (the long seat mode) with a toilet

Official information about the 2022 Blue Ribbon Prize by Japan Railfan Club:

http://www.jrc.gr.jp/e/award/bl/bl2022

Official information about "Le Ciel" by Keikyu Corporation (in Japanese):

https://www.keikyu.co.jp/company/news/2022/20220526HP_22034TE.html

Official information about the Keikyu trains by Keikyu Corporation (in Japanese):

https://www.keikyu.co.jp/ride/train/

Electric Car Preserved by a Model Railway Manufacturer

DeHa268 of the ex-Keikyu 230 series is preserved in front of KATO's main office

There're many preserved rail cars in Japan, but most of them are steam locomotives (SLs). It's probably because regular trains pulled by SLs had already been abolished in this country. SLs must be nostalgic for people. In contrast, preserved commuter trains are quite rare. There're not many commuter trains even in railway museums. Following the old Keikyu commuter train exhibited in Keikyu Museum, I'm going to show you the other precious preserved ex-Keikyu electric car today.

DeHa268 of the DeHa230 series is a 16-meter long electric car. It was a lightweight and high-speed commuter train built by Kisha Seizo in 1936. The original name of DeHa268 was De83 of the Keihin Electric Railway De83 series. Its curved face with three large front windows was state of the art design at that time. The electric control system was rheostatic, and the nose-suspension drive system was used. After operating for 41 years, DeHa268 was retired from the track in 1977.

The present owner of DeHa268 is a model railway manufacturer, Sekisui Kinzoku Company, also known as KATO. You may have KATO's model train sets. I have some of those. KATO took over DeHa268, and has been exhibiting it in front of their main office since September, 1977. Anyone can observe DeHa268 for free. When I recently visited there, local kindergarteners accompanied by nursery teachers were passing by and observing DeHa268. It must be an exciting promenade for children. For your information, KATO's headquarter is located near Minami-Nagasaki station on the Seibu-Ikebukuro line. Thank you, KATO.

Side view of DeHa268

Official website, Hobby Center KATO Tokyo (in Japanese):

https://www.hobbycenterkato.com/tokyo

Preserved Electric Car in Keikyu Museum

Electric car DeHa236 of the DeHa230 series is exhibited in Keikyu Museum

It's mid-summer in Tokyo. The maximum daytime temperature is often over 35 degrees Celsius. I would like to evacuate from the urban "heat island", but not so easy, as I have a lot of things to do in Tokyo. What else can I do? One of the solutions is visiting railway museums in the metropolitan area making use of small pockets of time, as they're indoor and fully air-conditioned. I recently visited one such spot... Keikyu Museum operated by Keikyu Electric Railway.

The most precious exhibit was an old electric car, DeHa236 of the DeHa230 series. It was built by Kawasaki Sharyo Company in 1929. It's a 16-meter long electric car with four 93.3 kW DC motors. The electric control system was rheostatic, and the nose-suspension drive system was used. After operating for 49 years, it was retired from the track in 1978.

I had just noticed out of curiosity that the position of the pantograph on the roof was off to the center compared to recent trains, so, I asked a museum staff member to show me the roof of DeHa236. She then kindly showed me one upstairs. It was the main lobby of the Keikyu Electric Railway's main office. Thanks to the staff member, I could observe the roof of DeHa236, and found that there was nothing on the roof except the pantograph! There weren't ventilators on the roof. That's why the pantograph wasn't needed to put to the front edge of the roof. The answer was simple.

The roof of DeHa236 is very simple

EMU 1500 Series for the 1500th Post

1725F of the EMU Keikyu 1500 series travels on the Kurihama line (March, 2014)

Thank you for visiting Tokyo Railway Labyrinth. This is the 1,500th post in my blog. I hope rail-fans all over the world continue to enjoy my blog. In commemoration of the 1,500th post, I'm going to show you a train with the number 1500 in the name.

The EMU Keikyu 1500 series is a direct current commuter train being operated on the Keikyu lines. It's the oldest active model of the Keikyu trains. 166 cars in total were built by Tokyu Sharyo and Kawasaki Heavy Industries from 1985 to 1993. Regarding the technical specifications, there were three variations when they were built... 1) steel bodies with a field chopper electric control system, 2) aluminum-alloy bodies with a field chopper electric control system and 3) aluminum-alloy bodies with a VVVF (variable-frequency drive) electric control system. Currently, 146 cars of these are still operated on the lines. The field chopper electric control system has been changed to the VVVF (variable-frequency drive) system for most cars.

The 1500 series is mainly operated on the local lines. I sometimes use it on the Daishi line to visit Kawasaki Daishi, a large Buddhist temple located near Kawasaki-Daishi station. This old temple was opened in 1182 by Hirama Kanenori. We can see devout Buddhists, local people and tourists there. Kuzumochi, a cake made of arrowroot starch sold in front of the temple's gate, is definitely my favorite.

I hope the 1500 series will be operated as long as possible for my visit to Kawasaki Daishi.

Main gate of Kawasaki Daishi temple on the Keikyu-Daishi line

EMU Keisei 3050 Series: Update

EMU Keisei 3050 series, "Airport Express", travels on the Keikyu line

Because of the COVID-19 calamity, airline companies are facing financial difficulties in Japan. Accordingly, railway companies, which have airport access routes, are also in a tough situation. Keisei Electric Railway is no exception. 44% of the airport access "Skyliner" trains were temporarily suspended until the end of October this year due to decreasing passengers.

Although Keisei was in the worst condition, the company continues to improve the quality of transportation. For example, in October, 2019, a brand new train named the EMU 3100 series was commissioned. It was the first time for the introduction of a new model on the Keisei line in 9 years. The 3100 series is operated as an "Access Express" train between the New Tokyo International Airport (Narita) and the Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) via the Hokuso, Toei-Asakusa and the Keikyu lines. The 3100 series has futuristic stainless-steel bodies with orange-colored stripes.

Following the debut of the 3100 series, the existing Access Express train namely the EMU Keisei 3050 series was also renewed a bit. Its body stripe color was changed from blue to orange (see the photos). It's just a minor change, but important for passengers to distinguish the Access Express train from the other trains to prevent getting on the wrong trains. For your information, the 3050 series was commissioned in 2010 for airport-to-airport transportation. It has the same technical specifications as the EMU Keisei 3000 series commuter train. Different from Keisei Skyliner and JR East Narita Express, the Access Express train requires no extra charge.

EMU Keisei 3050 series stands at Keisei-Hikifune station

Official route map, Keisei Access Express:

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

Official information about the Keisei trains (in Japanese):

https://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/accessj/sharyou.php

Official website, Keisei Electric Railway:

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

An Old Sluice on the Keikyu Line

Set 1508 of the EMU Keikyu 1500 series travels on the Daishi line 

It's late-October already. Time really flies. The maximum daytime temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius... very pleasant season. I went for a walk along to the Keikyu line with the warm autumn sun on my back.

I found an old water gate named Kawasaki-kakoh Sluice located at the Tama River. It was built by the ex-Home Ministry in 1928 based on the canal and harbor project plan drawn up at that time. This gargantuan development project was unfortunately stopped due to WWII, but the sluice was preserved. It's valued architecture, and designated as National Registered Cultural Properties in 1998. We can see eye-catching stone carvings of local fruits such as pears, grapes and peaches on the top. The design of the sluice shows a lot of playfulness and humor.

To get to Kawasaki-kakoh Sluice, the nearest station is Minatocho on the Keikyu-Daishi line. The Daishi line is a short branch line. Connecting Keikyu-Kawasaki and Kojima-shinden stations, the route length is only 4.5 kilometers. The main fleet on the line is a 4-car train, the EMU 1500 series. 166 cars in total were built by Tokyu Sharyo and Kawasaki Heavy Industries from 1985 to 1993. The specifications of the early 5 sets (20 cars) are rather old, as they have steel bodies and DC motors with a field chopper control system. They are the oldest active group of the Keikyu trains, and mainly operated on the Daishi line.

I enjoyed the old sluice and the oldest train on the Keikyu-Daishi line.

Kawasaki-kakoh Sluice

Official information about the Keikyu trains (in Japanese):

https://www.keikyu.co.jp/ride/train/

Unique Vending Machine on the Keikyu Line

A unique soft drink vending machine, Keikyu Yokohama station

As I posted before, Japan is a country of vending machines. There are over five million vending machines in this country. You can find a number of different machines everywhere. They sell railway tickets, soft drinks, snacks, noodles, rice, stamps, newspapers, magazines, batteries, and even paper fortunes in shrines.

I recently found a unique vending machine on the platform of Yokohama station on the Keikyu main line. It looks just like a soft drink vending machine, but its design is quite unique. It was based on a front face of a Keikyu train. Which train is the model of this machine? The answer is the EMU Type 1800. The Type 1800 belongs to the EMU 1000 series. The technical specifications of the Type 1800 are the same as the other 1000 series trains, but its outer design is slightly different from the other 1000 series. Please look at the photos. You can see a gangway on the middle of the front face of the Type 1800.

The Type 1800 was launched in 2016 as Keikyu's first stainless-steel train. Only three sets of 4-car trains were built by J-TREC Yokohama factory. Because of its gangway position, the Type 1800 can be coupled with each other to make an 8-car train. This coupled train is suitable for direct operation onto the Toei-Asakusa subway line, as passengers can easily evacuate from the train through these gangways in case of emergency in the subway tunnels.

Lastly, the photo of the real Type 1800 is shown below.

Type 1800 of the EMU Keikyu 1000 series travels on the Daishi line

The Ocean View Plum Grove on the Keikyu Line

EMU Keikyu 600 series travels on the Keikyu main line

After my visit to a plum grove in the neighborhood, it made me want to go to the other plum grove. In this season, there are many fully blooming plum groves in the Tokyo metropolitan area, so, I couldn't make up my mind which one to choose for visiting next. Eventually, my family chose Taura Ume-no-sato (Taura Plum Village) as our next destination.Taura Plum Village is located about 50 km southwest of Tokyo. From mid-February to mid-March, over 2,000 plum trees in total are fully blooming. Visitors can enjoy the advent of spring in their own way. I enjoyed the fully blooming plum trees backed by the blue sky and the blue ocean. It was very beautiful.

To get to Taura Plum Village, we took the Keikyu main line from Shinagawa terminal in Tokyo and got off at Anjinzuka station. On the way back to the station, I enjoyed taking photographs over a short period of time along the railway track between Anjinzuka and Keikyu-Taura stations. I could shoot a Keikyu train coming out of the number 14 tunnel. My target was the EMU 600 series. The 600 series is a Keikyu commuter train launched in 1994. It has comfortable cross seats in the cabin to provide passengers with good services. 14 sets, 88 cars in total, were built by Tokyu Sharyo and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The 600 series is directly operated onto the Toei-Asakusa, Keisei, Hokuso and other lines.

I enjoyed an early spring mood on the Keikyu line.

Taura Ume-no-sato (Taura Plum Village)

Hanepyon Poster Train on the Keikyu Line

Set 2133 of the EMU Keikyu 2100 series, Hanepyon Poster Train

Speaking of Keikyu, people can imagine red colored trains. It's correct, but there are exceptions. For instance, Keikyu operates a yellow colored train, namely Keikyu Yellow Happy Train using one set of the EMU 1000 series. Another example is blue colored trains named Keikyu Blue Sky Trains using the EMU 600 and 2100 series, one set of each. Needless to say, the purpose of these trains is to promote tourism to the sightseeing spots on the Keikyu line.

From September 14 to November 28 last year, Keikyu operated a poster train named Hanepyon Train using an existing blue colored train. It means that one set of Keikyu Blue Sky Trains was modified to Hanepyon Train in the above period. What's Hanepyon? It's the official character of Ota Ward in Tokyo Metropolis. Keikyu line penetrates Ota Ward from north to south. The purpose of Hanepyon Train was to promote tourism to Ota Ward. The most famous spot in Ota Ward is Tokyo International Airport (Haneda). Haneda is not only the transportation hub but also the sightseeing spot with a large shopping mall. Ota Ward is enthusiastic about attracting customers to the airport area.

The vehicle for Hanepyon Train was an 8-car train, set 2133 of the EMU 2100 series. One of the features of this train is its comfortable cross seats with 2+2 configuration. We could see many Hanepyon characters on the train body. It definitely contributed to promote tourism to Ota Ward. Thank you Hanepyon Train.

Set 2133 of the EMU Keikyu 2100 series, Keikyu Blue Sky Train (right)

The Keikyu 600: Improvement of Passenger Services

Set 603 of the EMU Keikyu 600 series travels on the Hokuso line (February, 2018)

There are many railway companies in the Tokyo metropolitan area. These companies are in competition to attract passengers. It might be hard to imagine for foreigners, but I expect you understand that the railway network in this area is quite dense, so, it allows passengers to choose the best line to get to their destination.

Keikyu is one of the major companies in the Tokyo metropolitan area. They have an 87 kilometers line network in the southern part of the region. This company faces fierce competition from Tokyo Monorail Company on the route between downtown Tokyo and Tokyo International (Haneda) Airport. Furthermore, Keikyu is also exposed to competition with JR East on the section between downtown Tokyo and Yokohama station. The important factors are fares, speed and passenger services.

In 1994, Keikyu launched a new train, the EMU 600 series, to improve their passenger services. The 600 series is a commuter train, but it has comfortable cross seats in the cabin to provide passengers with good services. 14 sets (88 cars) were built by Tokyu Sharyo and Kawasaki Heavy Industries from 1994 to 1996. The body is aluminum alloy and painted with red and cream colors. With regard to the technical specifications, the 600 series has a GTO-VVVF inverter (variable frequency drive) electric control system with 120 or 180 kW induction motors. The 600 series is directly operated onto the Toei-Asakusa, Keisei, Hokuso and other lines.

The EMU 600 series opened a new era on the Keikyu line.

Set 654 of the EMU Keikyu 600 series leaves Shinagawa station (July, 2014)

Official information about Keikyu trains (in Japanese): https://www.keikyu.co.jp/ride/train/

The Oldest Model on the Chiba Newtown Railway

EMU Chiba Newtown Railway 9100 series arrives at Keikyu-Kamata station 

Chiba Newtown Railway is a small railway company in Chiba Prefecture. The company owns a double-track between Komuro and Imba-Nihon-Idai stations (12.5 kilometers) in the Chiba Newtown area. The gauge size is 1,435 millimeters and the electric system is 1,500 V overhead. This railway was originally constructed and owned by the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (later named Urban Renaissance Agency), but transferred to Chiba Newtown Railway (a Keisei Group company) in 2004.

This company currently owns three kinds of train models, namely the EMU 9100 series, the 9200 series and the 9800 series. The 9100 series is the oldest of these three models. It was launched in 1994 to reinforce transportation capacity on the line. Three sets (24 cars) were built by Nippon Sharyo. They are directly operated onto the Keisei, Toei-Asakusa, Keikyu and other lines.

The 9100 series has the same driving devices with the Keisei 3700 series and the Hokuso 7300 series, although they have totally different body designs. A GTO-VVVF inverter electric control system with 130kW induction motors is equipped. The nickname of the 9100 series is C-Flyer. "C" stands for Chiba Newtown, while "Flyer" means rapid vehicle like the wind.

Incidentally, the 9100 series once had quite unique passenger services. Public telephones were equipped in the train. Passengers could easily contact their families and asked to come and pick them up by cars at stations. It was quite convenient, but the public telephones were removed in 1997 as mobile phones have become so popular.

EMU Chiba Newtown Railway 9100 series arrives at Higashi-Matsudo station