Gentlemen, thank you both. Your videos are enjoyable. I never have, and probably never will travel to Japan, so these have been very educational.
Thanks Hytec, That's much appreciated. Passenger trains probably seem dull to some. Its the staggering scale of the operation that makes Japan so fascinating. This is Shinagawa Station from an adjacent hotel room. The person who posted this video wrote this description: "This video was taken from Toyoko Inn Takanawa-guchi (13th floor or so). The windows faces the busy Shinagawa Station. 5 commuter lines, operated by Keikyu and JR East, stops at Shinagawa. The Shinkansen (bullet train) Tokaido Line, operated by JR Central, also makes a stop here. A major stop along the Yamanote Loop, Shinagawa Station is considered the southern entrance into Central Tokyo. More than 900,000 rides are made through Shinagawa on a daily basis." [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U18Kh5c0XNg"]YouTube - View of Trains from Toyoko Inn in Shinagawa[/ame] Nippori Station is at the north end of Central Tokyo. Here you will find 14 tracks with JR commuter, JR long distance and Shinkansen and the Keisei Railway line to Narita Airport. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMaatLCymvY"]YouTube - Nippori 14 tracks[/ame] This second Nippori video gives a good overview of most of the tracks. Trains coming towards you are slowing down for Nippori Station. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTEDlbADIQo"]YouTube - Train 02 - Nippori,Tokyo,Japan[/ame]
Amazing railways and amazing videos! If that last one was 10 minutes unedited, I made that about 35 trains in ten minutes! The sheer number of trains is staggering, and they are much longer than anything we have on local or most intercity trains. Thanks for the pictures and videos - fascinating! :thumbs_up:
Those videos are amazing. I don't believe there was a terminal in America, at any time in the last 100 years, that had traffic density as high as you filmed at Nippori. About the one train with separate locomotives at either end, was that a long distance sleeper train, or did it have another purpose? It appeared to be the only one of that kind shown.
I must be honest I did not film these videos. I have yet to get Japan. It almost was this year, but..... we all know what's happened this year. I subscribe to numerous Japanese You Tube channels and review about 20 or so new videos that appeal to me every day or so. I only watch a tiny handful of all the videos You Tube points out. There is nothing else like these! I believe the train you saw was blue train, which is a long distance sleeper train. In the final video there is one deadheading backwards from Ueno Station. I think that might be the Hokutosei, which links Ueno and Sapporo and is electric hauled to Hokkaido, then diesel the rest of the way. These are being phased out in Japan as Shinkansen lines will be adding several extensions over the next five years and traffic has been falling for over 20 years due to competition with airlines and Shinkansens. This Wikipedia page provides dates and train names. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Train_%28Japan%29
Speaking of the Hokutosei Blue Train, it would go through the Seikan undersea tunnel, the longest undersea tunnel in the world. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rWeTCRQ_ZA"]YouTube - seikan tunnel[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhUvgTKpIBU&feature=related"]YouTube - EH500 é’函トンãƒãƒ«ç«œé£›æµ·åº•é§… 貨物列車通éŽ[/ame] Here's the Wikipedia page on the Seikan Tunnel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seikan_tunnel It is relatively underused now due to airline competition. The bulk of the Japanese populaton and major cities are from Tokyo and on south.
Blue Train with Diesel Power [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzgiqTxSxJ4&feature=PlayList&p=35E929A417127923"]YouTube - å¯å°ç‰¹æ€¥åŒ—斗星 Scene1 大岸トンãƒãƒ«é£›ã³å‡ºã— Sleeper Exp.Hokutosei[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaovyXoxR14&feature=PlayList&p=35E929A417127923"]YouTube - å¯å°ç‰¹æ€¥ãƒˆãƒ¯ã‚¤ãƒ©ã‚¤ãƒˆã‚¨ã‚¯ã‚¹ãƒ—レス Scene1 大沼を望む[/ame]
This is the final days of the last sleeper trains from Tokyo to Kyushu. The train sold out in minutes when tickets were put on sale. Also all these railfans purchased a platform ticket to get on the platform. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAgmNDXzujw&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - ニュース番組　ブルートレイン「ã¯ã‚„ã¶ã•ã€ã€Œå¯Œå£«ã€ç‰¹é›†ã€€ä¸‹ã‚Šæœ€çµ‚出発[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPR8fRp5Nc8&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - å¯å°ç‰¹æ€¥ã€Œã¯ã‚„ã¶ã•ãƒ»å¯Œå£«ã€ä¸‹ã‚Šæœ€çµ‚日（2009å¹´3月13日）　横浜駅ã«ã¦[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnL_Qj8QWKw&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - ☆最終ブルトレé™å²¡é§…発ç€ã‚·ãƒ¼ãƒ³ã€€NO,54[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sgBA9Yxifk&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - 2009å¹´3月13日　下り最終9001レ「富士・ã¯ã‚„ã¶ã•ã€å¤šæ‘©å·é€šéŽ[/ame] Have you ever seen a railfan event like the ones in these photos? The Japanese love trains the way the west loves cars. SkyscraperCity - View Single Post - Japan Mass Transit Thread
What amazing videos! That must have been quite an event! I notice that a uniformed official did his very best to stay below the battery of cameras as he almost crawled along the platform. Here in the UK, they would never have allowed railfans there in those numbers and would most likely have stood in front of the photographers in their orange hi-viz jackets.
The Japanese are very sentimental and Japanese railfans are a revenue source for their railways. Railways hold commemorative runs to retire old equipment, special events for anniversaries, open houses at depots and repair shops (generally free and so popular that a lottery is often necessary) and as the railways always have department stores you also find train shows in railway department stores during holiday times. Many streetcar lines have depot open houses on Father's Day. Kintetsu railway transfer table during an open house event. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va1_ALPYwGw&feature=related"]YouTube - トラãƒãƒ¼ã‚µã®å®Ÿæ¼”（近鉄）[/ame] JR depot at Oimachi [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8hTD72Za9c&feature=fvsr"]YouTube - ＪＲæ±æ—¥æœ¬æ±äº¬ç·åˆè»Šä¸¡ã‚»ãƒ³ã‚¿ãƒ¼ Tôkyô JR trains depot at Oimachi[/ame] Trains will often have a head mark to commemorate some special event like the Seibu Lions baseball team appearing in the Japan Series was marked with a head mark on Seibu Railway trains, to honor a local festival, to mark the retirement of a type of equipment or some similar event. For the railfan, this is some worthy of a photo! http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Head_Mark_of_Kashima_Railway.jpg Here's a Hanky Railway train with a head mark on the front door. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SSsCg2B0Lg&feature=PlayList&p=4B17244FA5588AB1"]YouTube - 阪急電鉄9300ç³» 9301F 天神ç¥HM å三ã«ã¦ 20090720[/ame] Putting a head mark on a Hanshin Railway train. My guess is that the head mark is for Hanshin Tigers baseball service. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QUzvOTUxoA&feature=PlayList&p=11E46671FCA882CD"]YouTube - ã€é˜ªç¥žé›»é‰„】2000ç³»2207F%臨時特急梅田行ï¼ã‚»ãƒ³ãƒãƒ„看æ¿ï¼ 甲å園（080330）[/ame] This is JAM weekend in Japan. Japan Association of Modelrailroaders is holding its show at Tokyo Big Site, which is a huge convention center. Welcome to the website. - [JAM] 日本鉄é“模型ã®ä¼š
If only all railways were so accommodating, and have an appreciative audience. Although Slovenia Railways are also very accessible, I really enjoyed a private visit to Ljubljana Central Workshops.
I will admit to doing that. I've collected most of the trains I rode while in Japan so why not go after something I enjoy from the movies? If you son gets stationed in Japan and you want to see trains, you better hope he doesn't get stationed on Kadena AFB. Okinawa is railroading Death Valley.
This is one of my favorite trains the E655 the Imperial train. In the last video notice all the rail fans taking photos. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPInl1r5PoI&feature=related"]YouTube - Ｅ６５５系ãªã”㿠「ï¼ï¼¨ã¨é‹è»¢å®¤ä¹—務員ã®ã“ã©ã‚‚ã¸ã®ã‚µãƒ¼ãƒ“ス付ã€[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO7fvbd_-XQ&feature=related"]YouTube - E655系「和（ãªã”ã¿ï¼‰ã€ã€€æ—¥å…‰ç·šå…¥ç·šï¼ˆãƒŸãƒ¥ãƒ¼ã‚¸ãƒƒã‚¯ãƒ›ãƒ¼ãƒ³ä»˜ã）[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgGgxl51_aI&feature=related"]YouTube - E655系試é‹è»¢ã€€æˆ‘å«å発車[/ame]
I hope that, too. While my son isn't big on trains, he does show a passing interest in mine and he watched the posted videos with me. I imagine he'd go with me or at least show me places where the trains are. Also, I've never been much for electric railroading in the past, but the videos have given me a new perspective on them. Fascinating stuff!
More wall to wall railfans. Meitetsu has been running 'Thank You Panorama Car' excursions about once a month for since last fall. When it came time for the final trip last Sunday 3,000 people applied for 230 seats. Final runs are typically covered by the press in Japan. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3_p5aUziPY"]YouTube - å鉄パノラマカーラストラン知立駅通éŽ[/ame] The operator is in the little cab up over the passengers. That way the front car has reserved seats and little more yen for the railway. These trains are known for their distinctive musical horns. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnRkKwyahiQ&feature=related"]YouTube - å鉄パノラマカーラストラン本宿駅発車[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R4mN7lZnEQ&feature=PlayList&p=7EC79D745CC3AF7A"]YouTube - å鉄パノラマカー（７ï¼ï¼ï¼ç³»ï¼‰æœ€çµ‚å–¶æ¥é‹è»¢ 本宿[/ame] Lots of fans along the way. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49Mna8ijFBw&feature=PlayList&p=7EC79D745CC3AF7A"]YouTube - ã‚ã‚ŠãŒã¨ã†å鉄パノラマカー　2009å¹´8月8æ—¥ 知立駅ã«ã¦[/ame]
This video will give a good idea of how restricted the forward vision of a Japanese train operator is on many of the lines. This is the Seibu Inkebukuro line heading into Seibu Inkebukuro Station. Inkebukuro is one the major Tokyo railway hubs. JR, Tobu and Seibu all have separate stations. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-cG_ZiIKvs&feature=PlayList&p=0C2F25DAEFF6B4BC"]YouTube - Seibu西æ¦101ç³»å‰é¢å±•æœ›ã€€å—é•·å´Žï½žæ± è¢‹ã€€å¼•é€€å±æƒ§[/ame]
For the steam fans. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfP0JKQmRaQ"]YouTube - 秩父鉄é“　C58363パレオEXP[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaZjuqmieo4&feature=related"]YouTube - 大井å·é‰„é“～新緑ã¨èŒ¶ã®é¦™ã‚Šã™ã‚‹å·æ ¹è·¯ï½žå‰ç·¨[/ame]
