Vintage Illustrations of Trains from Kodomonokuni

[bill937ca]

Kodomonokuni was a Japanese kids magazine that was published between 1922 – 1944. Featuring full-page illustrations, the magazine helped elevate the genre of illustration, which was previously considered secondary to text. The magazine also helped many illustrators becomes household names and one of those was Koyata Yasui.

 

http://www.spoon-tamago.com/2016/05/29/vintage-illustrations-of-trains-by-koyata-yasui/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SpoonTamago+%28Spoon+&+Tamago%29

[cteno4]

Nice stuff! Love the feel. Hey Toni, something interesting for you to try!

 

Jeff

[Densha]

I think I have seen this art style being used by some contemporary artists on Pixiv.net before, but I just cannot seem to trace them back.

[cteno4]

yep its a classic illustration style of the time.

[kvp]

Could someone help identifying the locations and the trains on the linked images? I have some ideas but nothing 100% sure (especially about the locations). I think seeing these old trains in color is great!

[railsquid]

First picture is the Ginza line, very probably Asakusa Station.

 

Second is Akihabara, viewed from the north; the building in the rear centre is the Nikolai Cathedral.

 

The other pictures look too generic to located; the 7th one with the 4-track mainline looks like it's supposed to be west of Ochanomizu but the track layout is wrong.

[bill937ca]

Could someone help identifying the locations and the trains on the linked images? I have some ideas but nothing 100% sure (especially about the locations). I think seeing these old trains in color is great!

 

The electric loco in two of the three bottom photos is a JNR EF55, last of which were retired in 2008.

[bill937ca]

Was there a real armored train?

[railsquid]

I've never heard of one, though that doesn't necessarily mean there weren't any.

 

The EMU in the photo 2nd from bottom is a 52 kei.

[railsquid]

I've never heard of one, though that doesn't necessarily mean there weren't any.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Improvised_Armored_Train

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_94_Armoured_Train

 

Both for use in Manchuria.

[bill937ca]

The streamlined train in the second bottom photo was is probably based on the original windshield configuration of the Meitetsu 3400 "Caterpillar".

 

http://c5557.kiteki.jp/html/meitetu-mo3401.htm

 

https://www.tetsudo.com/kefu/39/

 

http://rail.hobidas.com/photo/archives/2007/03/_3400_1.html

 

After 1967 it was remodeled with a one-piece windshield.

 

Edited June 1, 2016 by bill937ca

[railsquid]

It's definitely a 52 kei, the text says "省線電車".

 

Edited June 1, 2016 by railsquid

[Kabutoni]

Great illustrations! Very in line with the minimalist style from the era, including the corrupted perspective to enhance the view from time to time. :)

 

Nice stuff! Love the feel. Hey Toni, something interesting for you to try!

 

Who says I already didn't do it? ;) Well... A bit different of course: http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/7928-tonis-illustrious-illustrations/?p=137827

Edited June 2, 2016 by Kabutoni (a.k.a. Toni Babelony)

[marknewton]

Was there a real armored train?

Yes, there was. I can try to post a couple of photos when I get home.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[Nick_Burman]

The last image looks as if it was based on the Tokaido line between Atami and Odawara, more specifically on the hill section around Manazuru.

 

Cheers NB

[200系]

Very nice illustrations, they give of an excellent perspective of the covered time period (at least in terms of the techniques used, as Tony so eloquently stated), though the Manchuria armored train does highlight just how turbulent, and in the end destructive this era was to be for Japan, and the world.

 

 

 

Could someone help identifying the locations and the trains on the linked images?

 

There have been some excellent replies already, but I hope I can at least provide some additional information on the following:

 

- The first illustration appears to represent a Tōkyō Chikatetsu/Eidan 1000形 somewhere on the Ginza line.

​ I was debating myself whether this might have been a 1200形 or even a 100形, but judging by the rivet lines and storm door window this has to be a 1000形.

The Tōkyō Chikatetsu 1000形 cars where the first subway cars ever built in Japan, they where built in two batches, the first in 1927 by Nippon Sharyō and the second in 1929 by Kisha Seizō for the standard gauge Ginza line. The last cars where retired from active service in April of 1968.

 

- The second illustration proves to be a difficult one as the station takes the main stage, but judging by the little detail the illustration provides, my guess would be for two, MoHa40形 (or 40系 after 1959) formations on the Chūō-Sōbu line, 40系 or one of the 17m classes (30系, 31系, 33系 and 50系, those classes where later re-designated into the (Ku)MoHa11形 in 1953) in use in the same time period, the Chūō line three car train is unidentifiable to me.

 

- The third illustration is another one that's somewhat difficult to identify given the similar circumstances, though my best guess would be one of the early production cars of the MoHa30形 (after 1959, known as 30系), though the details are too vague for me to provide an accurate identification.

 

- the fourth illustration I can't identify. It doesn't look like any of the JGR EMU classes I'm familiar with, nor does it confirm to the JGR EMU color scheme, so I guess it's a private railway EMU, possibly one of the 15m classes? someone better versed on this subject then me might be able to provide a better answer.

 

- the fifth illustration is the aforementioned Manchuria armored train (full disclosure, I wasn't aware of this train until railsquid identified it)

 

- The sixth one is the mentioned EF55形, alongside two unidentified 'getaden' EMU, possibly a MoHa42形/42系.

Three EF55形 locomotives where built in 1936 by Hitachi, Nippon Sharyō and Kawasaki Sharyō, they had a fully welded carbody with a streamlined cab on one end.

The last of the three units, EF55 1 was retired in 1964 and was stored at the Chūō Tetsudo Gakuen (central railway school) in Kokubunji (near Tōkyō), and was used in this capacity until 1978 when she was registered as a local railway monument and restoration began. She was restored to operational status in 1986 at the Ōmiya workshops, and was used for special trains until January 2009. In 2015 she was transferred to the Ōmiya Railway museum.

 

- The seventh one is the aforementioned 52系/MoHa52形 (before 1959 they where classified as the MoHa52 class), to be specific it's the four cars of the first production batch. The first formation of MoHa52形 cars was built by Kawasaki Sharyō in late march of 1936, for use in the Keihanshin area, and was the first attempt to design a streamlined EMU for the government railways. The MoHa52形 combined some of the available technology of their predecessor, the MoHa42形 (after 1959 known as the 42系) with a new streamlined, steel welded, body design. The first production batch consisted of only one, four car, formation. The second production batch, consisting of two, four car formations, was delivered in March of 1937. It contained significant changes in comparison to the first production batch; wider passenger windows (12 larger windows, vs 18 smaller windows (per side) on the 1st batch cars, the spacing between the windows was increased as well), the removal of the ventilation louvers on the side of the roof, the headlight was changed from a separate fitting into a streamlined fairing, a full with cab in place of the original half cab of the first production cars and last but not least the color scheme was changed from the standard 'Government railways' brown to a two tone creme/brown color scheme.

It's all those chances which make it easy, for me, to identify the 52系 in the illustration as the only formation of the first production batch.

 

In the end though, even though the streamlined shape was very popular with the traveling public, the low top speed (95km/h) and a few operational constrains (no possibility for staff to access a second formation in case of combined running among others) ended up restricting their usefulness, while producing no real advantage. As a result the government railways decided to revert to the semi-streamlined end design introduced by the 1936 production batch of the MoHa40形 (after 1959 known as the 40系). Two, four car formations where delivered as part of the 3rd production batch in October of 1937.

In the end five 52系 formations where built, three of which contained streamlined (Ku)MoHa52形 end cars (52001/52002, 52003/52004 and 52005 and 52006). The cars that survived the war (2 cars where lost*) eventually transferred to the Iida line between 1957 and 1959, and where retired in 1978.

 

- The eighth and final illustration contains another EF55形 (obviously), and judging by the drivers cab, double steam domes and low tender one of the ubiquitous 9600形 steam locomotives, at least that would be my best guess.

 

 

Anyway, that's it for my (late) contribution to this thread.

Edited June 4, 2016 by 200系

[cteno4]

Stunning 200, stunning! Thanks!

 

Jeff

[Socimi]

 

- the fourth illustration I can't identify. It doesn't look like any of the JGR EMU classes I'm familiar with, nor does it confirm to the JGR EMU color scheme, so I guess it's a private railway EMU, possibly one of the 15m classes? someone better versed on this subject then me might be able to provide a better answer.

 

 

It's possibly is a "100 series" (or a derivative) 1500v DC, standard gauge EMU manufactured in 1931 by Nippon Sharyo for the Kumgasang Electric Railway in Japanese-occupied Korea.

 

Unit 102 is preserved in the Pyongyang Railway Museum.

 

http://www.2427junction.com/70z-00318.jpg

 

More images here:

 

http://www.2427junction.com/dprkreportcs.html

(scroll down to the middle of the page)

 

And More info here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumgangsan_Electric_Railway