What's at Aizu-Wakamatsu?

0925 Eastern US time

That's not a nice picture, it's going to be a bit hard to find what this train is.

That's not a nice picture, it's going to be a bit hard to find what this train is.

Actually that's a fascinating picture. I have no clue what that is, nor have I ever seen anything matching it at the station before, and yet there it is parked on track 2.

I spent nearly a month watching the station and this is a new mystery. Almost like the Kiha 59 beat that appeared once per day for 2 days never to be seen again.

That's not a nice picture, it's going to be a bit hard to find what this train is.

Yeah, I tried tweaking it on my computer, but there's not much there to work with.

Darth Vader in red?  No, its Joyful Train "Utage" (宴), a converted 485 series set used for chartered group excursions.  It is based at Oyama rolling stock shed in Tochigi Prefecture.

http://www.jreast.co.jp/train/joyful/utage.html

I recognized the train set, but there was a disconnect on seeing it on track two at Aiza. Sorry Scott, I forgot to actually answer your question about the train. I was more hyped up at seeing it there.

No, that's fine--I'm just glad to know what it is. I never would have guessed that it was a 485.

So, what are these "joyful trains" anyway?

As you can tell, it's pouring there right now. Looks like it's getting a good bath. Joyful trains are used for excursions, special runs, sorta like a rental charter. It can also be sued to describe a special promotional livery such as Kyoto's subway which as 12 cars painted in green and pink for tourist promoting the sakura matsuri they hold each year.

Oh, OK--I figured it was some sort of special arrangement, but wasn't sure. Thanks....

This picture just came up recently on the Flickr EMU group:

One of our members in the JRM ran one not too long ago on the layout. I think it was Dmitry (roomd)

Rain's stopped pretty much, and here's a better look at the train.

After looking around the web, I was able to find the route/purpose of this train.  Apparently it's a charter for a group out of Kitakata, bound for a overnight stay in the Kozu area (or thereabouts) of Kanagawa Prefecture (near Odawara).  The reason we've seen it so much at Aizu-Wakamatsu, is the aforementioned track two serves as a storage track between workings.

site where I found the info on routing (it's the first entry):

http://www39.atwiki.jp/aizu-wakamatsu/pages/22.html

Yeah I watched him leave a little after 9am JST. I had hoped to get a different angle then I realized I couldn't move the webcam. For some reason I keep thinking I can move the thing.

snow snow and snow

And two Series 719. Beautifull image... there is so much snow. I love It.

And two Series 719. Beautifull image... there is so much snow. I love It.

Yes, Japan (and especially the mountain zones and the Japan sea side) is being hit by a winter storm front.  When I got home yesterday evening, my apartment was a frosty 3 degrees centigrade.

Im  a few thousand km away in the UK and much the same here but out trains dont run in the cold!!

Im  a few thousand km away in the UK and much the same here but out trains dont run in the cold!!

Yes, I reckon they would rather be like me in this weather- under a roof parked in front of a heater, not prancing in the snow

Been doing screen captures all day. Aizu webcam is always up (on my PC or Linux machine) now only if there were an app for that.

Hey, show me your shots of when the steamer was there on the 19th!...

Here's my shot of it ;)

Grrr... I knew the steamer would come in while I was shoveling show.

Snow's coming down pretty good. the tracks are covered, as are the platforms, though trains are coming in and out, as are pax.

Yes i have just had a look, the electric units dont seem to be fitted with any snow ploughs of any kind,