Welcome to Japan, Capt Oblivious

[gmat]

A skosh jumping the gun, but hope that you have a nice flight here. MacDonalds has the Short Pla Rail campaign here. Noticed it on TV last night.
Last night from about 2:30 or so, for about half an hour, NHK channel 1 had the SL video as a filler. This is when the programming has downtime for maintenance, usually from the last program until about 4 in the morning. I think that it's the same as what you can buy at the gift shop DVD section at NHK Studios in Shibuya.
Can I send some books?

Best wishes,
Grant

[bikkuri bahn]

Yes, welcome to Japan- "Endless (railway) discovery".  Hope you have a nice time at Yamato Saidaiji Station!

[CaptOblivious]

Thanks, y'all! Grant, we saw the same ad last night...Cady was ecstatic. I'll PM you our address tomorrow (have to pull out the name card again).

So, what are the best places to railfan in Kyoto? (When it's not raining, anyway?)

[Shashinka]

I know a nice little spot between the steam hall and Kyoto station that has some sweet spots where you literally can just reach out and hug the trains as they pass. Lots of 485 action too. It's called, Omiyadori. And when it does rain there is a roadway overpass you can stand under and still shoot trains.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=202781341179780321774.00049f276985a960befb4&msa=0&ll=34.986902,135.755782&spn=0.032382,0.066047

[gmat]

Capt Oblivious,
If you're at home, and haven't done so already, NHK Channel 1 has a children's show about animals called Darwin, every Sun. at 7:30 PM after the bilingual news. Worth watching with your kid.

[keitaro]

speaking of kids show i remember this http://www.jagainukun.net/

absoloute classic lol

first time i saw it i was drunk with a few mates in a hotel and couldn't stop laughing

[gmat]

21:30, Capt. Oblivious, turn on Fuji TV. My wife came in to say that there is a short piece on tetsudofans.

[gmat]

21:59. The program is still on. Now there is a trivia challenge between three Mania Gundam fans and a Keikyu supervisor on the Keikyu line.
The latest question is the driver has a pedal on the floor. Does it control the horn or high beam lights. The supervisor said that the pedal is hidden to fans so it would be difficult to answer. They got it.
The fans get reply questions. One is the fans alter photos to make 'usoden' (liartrains) The supervisor has to spot the change. It's a slight addition to the white striping. The supervisor failed.
Both missed the next question but the fans got the next one.
The supervisor, "Mr. Keikyu" got his last question.
Lots of drama, don't know how much of it is scripted.

Commercial Break.....

The fans got it.

Chagrined face on Mr. Keikyu.

[gmat]

Dr. Yellow's running on Tues and Wed. of next week.

[CaptOblivious]

Dr. Yellow's running on Tues and Wed. of next week.

Cady's favorite train :D Do you know the times it would be at Kyoto Station? I don't know if we can make it, as Kyoto Station is on the opposite end of town from us :(

[gmat]

Next week has become tomorrow. The third date must be a fallback date as the two time I've waited, nothing showed.

http://speedbird.mediacat-blog.jp/c2345.html

Here is a copy of the arrival times;
http://speedbird.mediacat-blog.jp/e37387.html

Best wishes,
Grant

[CaptOblivious]

Next week has become tomorrow. The third date must be a fallback date as the two time I've waited, nothing showed.

http://speedbird.mediacat-blog.jp/c2345.html

Here is a copy of the arrival times;
http://speedbird.mediacat-blog.jp/e37387.html

Best wishes,
Grant

Cool! Don't know if I will be able to make it, but will give it a try...

[bikkuri bahn]

Can't vouch for ease of photography, but certainly a good place to watch trains in Kyoto, is on the opposite end of Kyoto Station to Shashinka's locations- it's in Honmachi:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=kyoto&hl=en&ll=34.984893,135.770926&spn=0.003362,0.006845&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=52.68309,78.837891&vpsrc=6&hnear=Kyoto,+Kyoto+Prefecture,+Japan&t=m&z=18

The overpass nearest to Kyoto station overlooks the 1067mm lines as well the Tokaido Shinkansen, but has high wire fencing.  The two pedestrian overpasses further up (close to Otani High School, whose school grounds are located adjacent to the tracks), seem to have lower fencing w/less obstructed views, but the shinkansen is in tunnel here. See streetview if you want to check for worthiness before schlepping.