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3 Oct 2023 07:43:11 UTC
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Project-10-Nikko
Nikko is a resort town two hours north of Tokyo. It is a popular tourist destination. Nikko is served by two railways, the Tobu Railway and JR East's Nikko Line. The reason I came here was because several times during the week, Tobu Railway runs a steam engine-hauled train down the branch from Shimo-Imaichi to Tobu-Nikko, heads back, and then runs to Kinugawaonsen. Said service is called SL (Steam Locomotive) Taiju, translating to "Great Tree". I met some other friendly railfans, one a conductor for JR East who told me about the steam engine, and some others who spoke decent English and showed up after the first one left, here. I admit it was kind of fun telling them what a heritage unit was, how we wave at every train in America, and how Amtrak works. Unfortunately, though, I was informed that the express train it was supposed to wait on got delayed 20 minutes because it struck a person. My best guess is that this was a suicide as I never found any information on it online, even after translating my search to Japanese. It is entirely possible I could be incorrect about this or the translation I was given from the conductor was inaccurate, so take this with a grain of salt. All I know about is that the steam engine was supposed to run to Tobu-Nikko and didn't that day. Initially, this was just reported to be a delay, but then some other tori-tetsu (railfans) that had pulled up for it all left, and later I was informed by two others that it was cancelled. From what I heard it did run to Kinugawaonsen as normal, but I had to be back in Tokyo before sunset and couldn't go there to catch it. I did enjoy Nikko, though, as it is a beautiful area and the people there were very friendly, and will make it a point to try again. Whether this was deliberate or not, my deepest condolences go to the family of the victim as well as the best wishes for the crew of the train.
Train 1: Tobu 300 Series "Revaty" passes by me. This train snuck up on me and I didn't have time to fully set up my tripod, (0:15).
Train 2: Tobu 40000 Series heads out of Nikko, (0:30).
Train 3: JR Nikko Line leaves Nikko Station, (0:59).
Train 4: 40000 Series heads towards Tobu-Nikko Station, (1:15).
Train 5: Tobu 100X Series, "Spacia X," departs Nikko Station, (1:49).
Train 6: 40000 Series heads towards Nikko, (2:55).
Train 7: JR East's E131 Series arrives in Nikko, (3:25).
Train 8: 40000 Series meets the other 40000 Series and they pass each other as JR's Nikko Line arrives at the station, (3:38).
Train 9: JR's Nikko Line train departs, (4:49).
Train 10: Tobu's 300 Series departs Nikko, (5:10).
Train 11: 40000 Series leaves Nikko, (6:11).
Train 12: Another 40000 Series approaches Nikko. The Toyota Camry you can see in the foreground was some other railfans who had pulled up for the steam engine and were leaving right after it was announced to have been cancelled. One of them did yell something at me (likely informing me that it had been cancelled, but I don't speak Japanese) before they left, (7:18).
Train 13: 40000 Series leaving Nikko, also gives me a some horn! At the very end of this clip, you can hear one of the other two railfans that had come tell me that the train was cancelled, (8:25).
Train 14: JR East's Nikko Line train arrives to get ready to take me back to Utsunomiya, (8:48).
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Created
4 months ago
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video/quicktime
English
Project-6-Enoshima
Hooray! I can finally use my tripod!
The Enoshima Electric Railway, often shortened to the Enoden, is a short railway that connects Fujisawa, Enoshima, and Kamakura in Japan. Opening in 1902, the line has served the town for over a century and still remains a popular icon of the area to this day. The railways is also famous for several reasons. Despite being just over six miles long, the scenery along the ride is definitely one of Japan's most diverse for a railway this short. Starting in Fujisawa, it runs through your typical Japanese suburbs, but after Enoshima Station, the line goes in the middle of the street for a quarter of a mile, squeezes through some narrow alleyways, then runs along the sea! After that, it passes through two tunnels and green hills before arriving at Kamakura Station. The trains run every fifteen minutes, so the wait between catches is not very long. Due to its aforementioned short length, catching the same train several times within the span of few hours is more than possible, which makes some great opportunities to get multiple shots of them.
Train 1: Setting up at the crossing just east of Enoshima Station, we catch our first train led by Enoden 2000 Series Number 2003. This crossing features the train doing a tight S curve over a four way intersection as well as the spot the train begins street running. Instead of gates, the train indicators are done with LED lights strung up around the entire street running section. Such a crossing would probably be ridden with tons of collisions and accidents in America. More about this crossing: the trains have to blow their horns here! Despite all this, the main reason I chose to set up at this crossing was because...well, if you know, you know, (0:15).
Train 2: Another 2000 Series Number 2051 heads back across the crossing and slows down to get by a Mini Cooper, briefly entrapping it as it passes, (0:41).
Train 3: 2000 Series 2002 leads over the S curve, now shot from the other side of the street, (1:38).
Train 4: Enoden 20 Series 61 leads its train over the S curve, (2:06).
Train 5: Another 20 Series, 22, leading the railway's only 10 Series, identifiable by its unique blue livery, cross the curve. I set up here to try and recreate...you know what...without getting in the road itself. Unfortunately, right as the train came it started raining, and drops got on the lens, (2:47).
Train 6: 500 Series 551 leads onto the S curve and blows its horn, (3:10).
Train 7: Moving onto the street running segment, 1000 Series 1101 in the "Baby Star" ad wrap heads down the road. The 1000 Series and its variant the 1200 Series are the trains to catch right now, as they were built in the 1970s and 1980s. Due to their age, retirement has been hinted for them, (3:40).
Train 8: Another 1000 Series, 1051, heads down the street, (4:32).
Train 9: 1200 Series 1201 enters the street running section from the other side, (5:20).
Train 10: After having a delicious lunch at a taco restaurant that may or may not have something to do with the crossing, I went down one of the narrow streets to catch the 20 Series 22 heading back the other way, (5:25).
Train 11: 500 Series 551 heads toward the seaside section, (6:17).
Train 12: The ad-wrapped 1101 leaves the seaside and heads inward, (6:55).
Train 13: Setting up at the most famous spot on the Enoden Line, Kamakurakoko-Mae Station, we see several people duck in front of my camera, then 1051 leads across the crossing right as a girl stands in front of my camera and blocks my shot. Yup... This crossing is extremely popular for its appearance in the manga/anime Slam Dunk (never watched it) and there were about 20 people here all waiting for the train so they could get this exact angle. Closing the shot is some very wise words of advice from myself, (7:24).
Train 14: 1200 Series 1201 heads the other way from the other side of the crossing, (8:26).
Train 15: 500 Series 502 departs Shichirigahama Station and blows its horn, (8:52).
Train 16: 10 Series arrives at Shichirigahama Station to pick me up for my return to Tokyo, (9:19).
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Created
4 months ago
Content Type
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video/quicktime
English