Dr. Yellow: The High Speed Inspector

Set T4 of the EMU JR Central 923 series, Dr. Yellow, stands at Shinagawa Station

You may think that all the train models on the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen have already been shown in this blog, but wait a moment please. There still remains an important model. What is it?

This is the first time to introduce the EMU 923 series to you. The 923 series is an electric and track inspection train belonging to JR Central and JR West. The 923 series was launched in 2000 to replace an old inspection train, the 922 series. A total of two sets, 14 units, were built by Hitachi and Nippon Sharyo. Set T-4 belongs to JR Central; meanwhile, JR West owns set T-5. The mission of the 923 series is to inspect tracks, signals, telecommunication, and electric power systems. The body is designed according to the 700 series.

One of the features of this inspection train is its high speed. The 923 series is able to be operated with a maximum speed of 270 km/hour during the inspection. The data is immediately analyzed and used for the maintenance of tracks. The function of the 923 series is similar with that of the JR East E926 series which is operated on the Tohoku Shinkansen and other Shinkansens connected therewith.

The nickname of the 923 series is "Dr. Yellow", as it has vivid yellow colored bodies. Dr. Yellow is very popular among rail-fans. JR Central does not release the timetable of Dr. Yellow, but many families with children flock to stations to see this rare train on its operation date.

Side view of set T4 of the EMU JR Central 923 series, Dr. Yellow

Official information about the EMU JR Central 923 series, Dr. Yellow (in Japanese):

http://railway.jr-central.co.jp/train/work/detail_04_01/

Class DD51: The Long-standing Diesel Locomotive

DL Class DD51 is exhibited at the Sumidagawa Station Freight Festival (October, 2016) 

The day of the Sumidagawa Station Freight Festival is drawing near again. What is the Sumidagawa Station Freight Festival? It is an annual event held at Sumidagawa Freight Station by JR Freight (JRF). JRF is one of the JR group railway companies established in 1987. Different from the other JR group companies, JRF operates their trains on a nationwide scale, using the other regional JR group companies' tracks.

Taking this opportunity, I am going to show you what it was like at the last festival held on October 30th, 2016. The main event of the festival was an exhibition of JRF's locomotive fleet. The vermilion colored diesel locomotive (DL), Class DD51, drew a crowd. The DD51 is a diesel-hydraulic locomotive launched in 1962. A total of 649 units were built between 1962 and 1978. The DD51 has a convex type body with three double-shaft bogies. Two of them on both ends of the body are motive bogies and the other one at the center of the body is a bogie without power (B+2+B in UIC notation). The DD51 has two 1,100 ps (or 1,000 ps) diesel engines.

Class DD51 is often operated as a double-heading train. For instance, a famous overnight sleeper train, Hokutosei, was a double-heading train pulled by the DD51 on the section between Hakodate and Sapporo on Hokkaido Island. Unfortunately, Hokutosei was abolished in 2015, when the Hokkaido Shinkansen was opened.

Class DD51 is the evergreen long-standing DL in Japan.

Close up of DD51 1805 (October, 2016)

Naotora: The Lady Warlord on the Tenryu-Hamanako Line

Unit TH2102 of the Diesel Rail-car TH2100 series travels on the Tenryu-Hamanako Railway

Is movie tourism or TV drama tourism popular in your country? Yes, it is in Japan. For instance, Shimonada Station on the JR Shikoku Yosan Line is famous among movie fans because Shimonada has been used as a shooting location for many movies.

Recently, a popular TV drama "Naotora, the Lady Warlord" aired on Sunday evenings. Naotora was a real person in history. She was born in 1536 as a daughter of the lord of Iinoya. Naotora inherited Iinoya Castle and lived powerfully in the civil war age. She faced many personal troubles, but eventually overcame them. Naotora also lived with love.

"Naotora, the Lady Warlord" is set in the western part of Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka Prefecture, about 270 km west of Tokyo. The nearest station from the Iinoya Castle is Kiga on the Tenryu-Hamanako Railway. This local private railway is the former Futamata Line of Japanese National Railways (JNR). It was spun off from JNR and privatized as the Tenryu-Hamanako Railway in 1986. Connecting Kakegawa and Shinjohara, the route length is 67.7 km. The track is single and non-electrified. A lovely diesel rail-car is operated every half an hour on average. After getting off at Kiga Station, I visited Ryotan-ji, which is the temple of Naotora. The Japanese garden designed by Kobori Enshu in the 17th century was very beautiful.

I enjoyed the TV drama tour and the local railway with my family on an autumn day.

Beautiful garden of Ryotan-ji Temple near Kiga Station on the Tenryu-Hamanako Railway

The Delicious Train on the Izukyu Line

Set R-3 of the EMU Izukyu 2100 series, the Kinme train, stands at Atami Station

On February 4th this year, Izukyu Railway launched a new renovated sightseeing train "the Izukyu Kinme train" on their track. What is Kinme? It is the name of a fish, caught offshore the Izu peninsula. Kinme (red bream) has a beautiful red colored body and is delicious in sashimi or even if cooked. Izukyu promotes tourism to the Izu peninsula by adopting the local specialty, Kinme, to their Kinme-colored train.

The formal name of the Izukyu Kinme train is set R-3 of the EMU 2100 series. Previously it had blue colored bodies with a gray colored stripe, which stood for the ocean and the sand beach on the coast of the Izu peninsula. As I posted before, the 2100 series is called "Resort 21", which has special facilities as a resort train. For instance, it has sloping tiers of seats to enjoy gorgeous mountain and ocean views in car number 1 and 7. Furthermore, car number 3 has a Kinme museum, where you can see the explanation and the illustration of Kinme. To our joy, an extra charge is not required to get on the Kinme train.

For your information, Izukyu is a local private railway company on the Izu Peninsula. Connecting Ito and Izukyu-Shimoda, the total operating length is 45.7 km. The entire route is an electrified single track. The electric system is 1,500 V DC overhead. The gauge size is 1,067 mm.

The Izukyu Kinme train is a delicious train on the resort peninsula.

Side view of the Kinme train

The 50th Anniversary of the Keio-Takao Line

Passing through Takao Daini Tunnel, the EMU Keio 9000 series arrives at Takao-sanguchi Station

On October 1st, Keio Electric Railway Company celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Takao Line. It was opened on October 1st in 1967 between Kitano and Takao-sanguchi. The Keio-Takao Line is a branch route of the Keio Main Line. The route length is 8.6 km. The track is double, but partly single. The gauge size is 1,372 mm. The electric system is 1,500 V DC overhead. The section between Kitano and Yamada is the revival route of the ex-Keio-Goryo Line, which was abolished in 1945 due to the chaos of WWII.

The Keio-Takao Line has two faces, one as a city line for urban commuters, and one as a local line for hikers. There are many new residential areas on the eastern section between Kitano and Takao; while there is a natural forest on the western section between Takao and Takao-sanguchi, which is the gateway station to Mt. Takao. As I posted before, Mt. Takao is a popular sightseeing spot in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Recently, not only Japanese, but also foreign hikers flock to this suburban mountain.

I like the Keio-Takao Line, specifically its western section. After leaving Takao, a west bound train enters into the darkness of the Takao Daiichi Tunnel. After passing through it, a fine view of the forest area bursts into the passengers' sight. The train then passes through another tunnel named Takao-Daini Tunnel and arrives at Takao-sanguchi Terminal. This kaleidoscopic change is my favorite.

Toward the next half century, the Keio-Takao Line is going to go on.

Leaving Takao-sanguchi Station, the EMU Keio 8000 series enters into Takao Daini Tunnel