Hankyu 6300s Downgraded and Some Cars Scrapped

[bill937ca]

After 30 years of Kyoto line Special Express service the Hankyu 6300s have been transferred to the four km. single track Arashiyama Line and the redundant cars scrapped.  The Arashiyama line uses four car trains where as in Kyoto line service the 6300s ran as 8 car trains.

6300s in Kyoto Tokkyu service:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/rOeOKThc2j8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/rOeOKThc2j8</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/tPP6QfU8OlY" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/tPP6QfU8OlY</a>

6300s on the Arashiyama Line:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/QWZKF6_xK8k" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/QWZKF6_xK8k</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/n0wtU-zJdvI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/n0wtU-zJdvI</a>

This Japanese language blog has photos of the redundant mid-train 6300s being scrapped:

http://tetudo-omomuki.blog.hobidas.com/archives/article/86462.html

http://tetudo-omomuki.blog.hobidas.com/archives/article/86461.html

http://tetudo-omomuki.blog.hobidas.com/archives/article/86460.html

[David]

So now my incomplete Kato set is prototypical!

[Shashinka]

What was the significance to the 6300's as opposed to the rest of the rolling stock used?

[bill937ca]

They are two door cars with forward facing seats, which probably rules them out for anything other than express service.  The 6300s were winners of the 19th Blue-Ribbon award in 1976 so they were considered a very good car for their time.

There's an interior photo of a 6300 on this blog:

http://tekitousyagen.blog85.fc2.com/blog-entry-282.html

[Shashinka]

Shame, I didnt get to see any last month.

[bikkuri bahn]

The 6300's were renewed for the Arashiyama Line shuttle with an interior reconfiguration of 2 + 1 seating as well as longitudinal seating near the doors.  This video has interior views towards the end at about 1:12:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/m2yCCjOhDXg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/m2yCCjOhDXg</a>

I was not particularly happy to see this units arrive on this line, as I quite liked the venerable 2300 series units that worked this line previously, with their JFK-era build dates.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wyse1jG_o5g" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Wyse1jG_o5g</a>

*addt'l note: in the second video you can see that the Arashiyama Line was once double track.