2025 Hydrangea Season on the Keio-Inokashira Line

Hydrangea flowers and the EMU Keio 1000 series near Hamadayama station

On June 10th, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced that this year’s rainy season had begun in the metropolitan area. As I post every year, we experience hot and humid days from early June to mid-July. At times like that, the only thing that lifts my gloomy feelings before midsummer is viewing hydrangeas, which bloom in this season. This year, I visited two beautiful spots along the Keio-Inokashira line.

First, I got off the train at Hamadayama Station. Full-bloom hydrangeas could be seen here and there along the railway tracks near the station. I also saw many photo enthusiasts taking pictures of the flowers and trains. We gave each other space and took our shots. Please look at the top photo. In addition to the classic purple flowers, the pink ones are so vivid, aren’t they? The passing train is Set 1771 of the EMU Keio 1000 series, which displays a special hydrangea plate on the front. It’s truly picturesque.

After enjoying the scenery around Hamadayama Station, I stopped by Meidaimae Station to photograph the hydrangeas in full bloom on the trackside embankments. Please look at the photo below. Since 1991, Keio has been planting hydrangeas on railway embankments to prevent slope failure and protect the environment. This is one of my favorite spots, which I also visited in 2012 and 2015. My recent visit was the first in ten years, and I was glad to find that the embankments are still beautifully maintained.

Hydrangea flowers and the EMU Keio 1000 series near Meidaimae Station

News from Indonesia: Revival of "JALITA"

8618F of the ex-Tokyu 8500 series EMU, "JALITA" in Indonesia

(Photo: Faris Fadhli)

This is a continuation of my post on June 3rd. My thanks once again go to Faris Fadhli, who kindly sent me the recent photo.

On April 22nd, a ceremony was held in Jakarta to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Indonesia’s electric railways. Many special trains, such as the old electric locomotive “Bonbon,” were operated in the Jakarta area. Along with Bonbon, “JALITA” also stood out that day.

So, what is JALITA? It’s a special commuter trainset named by Indonesia’s Minister of Transport in 2009 to mark the establishment of the new commuter railway company in the Jakarta metropolitan area. It had a unique tri-toned front design (red, black, and silver; see the top photo). There are differing opinions on the origin of the name JALITA. One explanation is that it stands for “Jalur Lingkar Jakarta” in Indonesian, which means “Jakarta Loop Line.” Another is that it stands for “Jalan Jalan Lintas Jakarta” in Indonesian, which means “strolling on the Jakarta line.” According to a Japanese railfan blogger living in Jakarta, “Pakuan Kyuko (Pakuan Express),” the latter explanation is correct.

Incidentally, the original JALITA was Trainset 8613 of the ex-Tokyu 8500 series EMU (hereafter 8613F). 8613F was transferred from Japan to Indonesia as a second-hand train in 2009 and was repainted in 2013. It has already been retired from service in Indonesia, but this time the last surviving set of the ex-Tokyu 8500 series, namely Trainset 8618 (hereafter 8618F), was repainted in JALITA colors. You can also see what 8618F looked like 16 years ago in the photo below.

JALITA… welcome back.

8618F arriving at Jakarta Kota Station (February 21, 2009)

Disney Resort Line: 2025 Update

Side view of the Duffy and Friends Colorful Happiness Liner, Set 104 of Type-C

I visited the Disney Resort Line for the first time in a year and a half. What’s new with this monorail in the kingdom of dreams and magic?

Let’s start with a quick look at the Disney Resort Line. It is a straddle-beam monorail that opened in 2001. The route is a single-track loop connecting Disney’s amusement facilities, official hotels, and JR East’s Maihama Station. The line is electrified at 1,500V DC. There are four stations along its 5.0-kilometer length, and 6-car trains run counterclockwise throughout the day.

Now, let’s get down to the main topic. Which would you prefer—the good news first or the sad news?

The good news is the launch of the “Duffy and Friends Colorful Happiness Liner.” This year marks the 20th anniversary of Duffy and Friends at Tokyo Disney Resort. To commemorate the milestone, a specially decorated train called the Duffy and Friends Colorful Happiness Liner debuted on April 8th, using Set 101 of the EMU 100 series (Type-C). The characters of Duffy and Friends are featured on the train’s sides.

The sad news is the retirement of the EMU 10 series (Type-X). Type-X was the very first model on the Disney Resort Line, introduced in 2001. Nineteen years later, a new model, the Type-C, debuted in 2020 and gradually replaced Type-X. The final surviving Type-X train, Set 4, was retired in September last year, much to the regret of rail fans. Thank you and farewell to the beloved Type-X trains.

The Duffy and Friends Colorful Happiness Liner arriving at Tokyo Disneyland

Official website of the Disney Resort line:

https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/tdr/resortline.html

Mini Locomotive on Kyushu Island

JR Freight’s diesel locomotive Unit 51 of the Class DB500 (DB500-51)

Sorry for jumping from one topic to another, but today I’d like to share a follow-up about my recent visit to Miyazaki Prefecture.

I took JR Kyushu’s limited express train Hyuga from Miyazaki Airport Station and headed north. My destination was Nobeoka City in the northern part of Miyazaki Prefecture. When I got off the train at Nobeoka Station, I spotted an unfamiliar locomotive in the station yard. What was that? The answer turned out to be JR Freight’s diesel locomotive, Class DB500. JR Freight (JRF) is one of the JR Group railway companies. Unlike the others, JRF operates its freight trains nationwide using tracks owned by the other JR companies.

The Class DB500 was introduced in 2016 as a switcher for freight stations. As I mentioned in a previous post, JRF launched a hybrid switcher, Class HD300, in 2011. It’s a quiet and eco-friendly locomotive, but too large for small freight stations. To solve this, JRF developed the compact Class DB500. It’s only 7.65 meters long and weighs 26,900 kilograms. A total of four units were built by Hokuriku Heavy Industries, two of which are assigned to freight stations on Kyushu Island. In terms of technical specifications, the Class DB500 is classified as a diesel-hydraulic locomotive with an axle arrangement of A-A (JNR notation). Unit 51 (see photos) is equipped with a Volvo diesel engine and can haul up to 500,000 kilograms of container wagons within freight yards.

The Class DB500… a mini locomotive, but quite a hard worker, isn’t it?

Diesel locomotive DB500-51 with container cars at Nobeoka Freight Station 

News from Indonesia: The 100th Anniversary of "Bonbon"

Electric locomotive Unit 3201 “Bonbon” of Class ESS 3200 in Indonesia

(Photo: Faris Fadhli)

I’m temporarily shelving the topic of Japanese trains to share some pictures from Indonesia today. I recently received news from an Indonesian railfan. Indonesia has just celebrated the 100th anniversary of its electric railways. My thanks go to Faris Fadhli, who kindly sent me the recent photo.

To start, let me quickly review the history of Indonesian railways. The country’s first railway opened in 1867 under a Dutch railway company. Fifty-eight years later, in 1925, the first electric railway was completed in Jakarta. This year marks its 100th anniversary. I was stationed in Jakarta from 2007 to 2011 as an exploration geologist for a petroleum and natural gas company. Back then, nothing made me happier than enjoying the railways with local railfans on weekends.

Now to the main topic. On April 22, a centennial celebration was held in Jakarta, and many special trains were operated. Among the historical rolling stock was electric locomotive (EL) Unit 3201 of Class ESS 3200 (see the top photo). The ESS 3200 is a '(1B)(B1)' type EL (UIC notation) for 1,500 V DC tracks. Locally, it is nicknamed “Bonbon.” A total of six units were built by Werkspoor from 1925 to 1927, but only Unit 3201 has been preserved.

I still remember coming across Unit 3201 in April 2009 (see the photo below). It was shortly after the reopening of Tanjung Priok Station. I was fascinated by this elegant EL. With its white-colored body, it matched beautifully with the gleaming white platform. Congratulations to Indonesian electric railways—and to Bonbon—on their 100th birthday!

Unit 3201 on display on Track 6 at Tanjung Priok Station, Indonesia (April 18, 2009)