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Bad news for railfans- JR Hokkaido


bikkuri bahn

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bikkuri bahn

Starting in May, limited express trains running in Hokkaido with front passageways allowing passengers the view ahead will have this space off-limits to the public.  Units affected are all kiha 281/283, kiha 261, and some 789 series units used on Super Hakucho services.  JR Hokkaido decided on this move over safety considerations in the wake of the grade crossing accident this January near Fukagawa between a Super Kamui ltd. express (789 series) and a dump truck.  Local railfans expressed disappointment upon hearing this news.  Interestingly, JR Kyushu also operates two types which have a similar front end arrangement, but has no intention of following JR Hokkaido's lead.

 

article (Japanese):

http://mainichi.jp/hokkaido/seikei/news/20100416ddr041020003000c.html

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Well, dang. I mean, the odds are I'll never get there, but it would have been fun.

 

Those backwards end-car-view videos make me seasick.  :-P

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bikkuri bahn

 

Well, dang. I mean, the odds are I'll never get there, but it would have been fun.

 

Those backwards end-car-view videos make me seasick.  :-P

 

Yes, if I shift my gaze away, it seems objects are slipping away from me- weird brain optical effect.

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Doesn't bother me in the least. AS a former railroad employee, I always was quite baffled by the "cab ride view" on J-trains to begin with as a safety issue.

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bikkuri bahn

I admit I never took advantage of this opportunity, despite living in Hokkaido.  One reason is I hardly ever use the limited expresses.  Another is I actually like to sit in my seat and enjoy the view while enjoying a cup of coffee as a regular passenger, rather than railfan jockeying for a place in the front.  But I may try it sometime this month for "I did it" reasons, maybe on an early departure from Sapporo in the hope that other foamers won't be doing the same thing (fat chance, perhaps...)

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Another is I actually like to sit in my seat and enjoy the view while enjoying a cup of coffee as a regular passenger, rather than railfan jockeying for a place in the front.

 

Heresy!  :grin

 

But yeah, exactly. (Tea for me, though, if you don't mind.)

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That's a shame, you could get a good 'driver's eye' view going through the Seikan Tunnel from the window in the front door of a 789.

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When I was there, I had the whole front view by myself for hours if I wanted to, I don't think there were much interest in looking from there or the fact that not many people except railroad fans know about it.

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That's a shame, you could get a good 'driver's eye' view going through the Seikan Tunnel from the window in the front door of a 789.

 

I do have a bit of in-tunnel video and also upon exiting the tunnel recorded in near-HD on a disk somewhere... I can upload it if anyone wants to view...

 

When I was there, I had the whole front view by myself for hours if I wanted to, I don't think there were much interest in looking from there or the fact that not many people except railroad fans know about it.

When I rode in Jan this year there definitely was little interest from the locals. I had the front to myself.

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I do have a bit of in-tunnel video and also upon exiting the tunnel recorded in near-HD on a disk somewhere... I can upload it if anyone wants to view...

 

That would be really cool to see.

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Martijn Meerts

In The Netherlands jumpers aren't entirely uncommon, which is one of the reasons they don't really want anyone having a clear view out the front window.

 

There are also a LOT of grade crossings, and again, accidents aren't entirely uncommon.

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In The Netherlands jumpers aren't entirely uncommon, which is one of the reasons they don't really want anyone having a clear view out the front window.

What about Japan's outrageous statistics on suicide rates? http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/24/japan.mentalhealth Guess why the Chuo-line is coloured red? Not because it runs through the centre and has to stand out from the Marunouchi on the map... At least, that's what I've heard from some Japanese people I know...

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Shame... They did this in the Netherlands a few decades ago as well. http://www.nicospilt.com/Dieseltreinstellen5.htm Now it has returned in the ICE3 and it is worthwhile the extra effort of getting a ticket/seat upfront.

 

We got the front seats on the ICE-T to Munich.  I love it, my friend got motion sickness on the other hand...

During my travels in 2008 I got a front seat on an ICE3 several times including from Nuremberg to Munich, coming into the dead end station at Munich I noticed the driver talking on his mobile phone and driving with one hand, being caught doing that in Brisbane would get you an express trip to the unemployment line. Then on my way from Stuttgart to Frankfurt Airport there was the driver who blanked out the screen behind him during station stops so he could have a smoke without being seen.

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I think our train has a faulty screen because it is keep on going blank and unblank.  BTW, JR Sonic885 have the blank screen function too, if I remember correctly.

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Shame... They did this in the Netherlands a few decades ago as well. http://www.nicospilt.com/Dieseltreinstellen5.htm Now it has returned in the ICE3 and it is worthwhile the extra effort of getting a ticket/seat upfront.

 

We got the front seats on the ICE-T to Munich.  I love it, my friend got motion sickness on the other hand...

During my travels in 2008 I got a front seat on an ICE3 several times including from Nuremberg to Munich, coming into the dead end station at Munich I noticed the driver talking on his mobile phone and driving with one hand, being caught doing that in Brisbane would get you an express trip to the unemployment line. Then on my way from Stuttgart to Frankfurt Airport there was the driver who blanked out the screen behind him during station stops so he could have a smoke without being seen.

 

Here, the FRA banned cellphones from even being in the cab. The union (BLE) fought that a bit and finally the official rule became that cellphones could be in the cab, but must be powered off.

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I think our train has a faulty screen because it is keep on going blank and unblank.  BTW, JR Sonic885 have the blank screen function too, if I remember correctly.

 

Is this just a curtain or shade over the window, or is it some special process within the glass?

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