Japanese Vacation No.9 (week 2)

[westfalen]

I've been here a week already.

I did the short branch to Miyazaki Airport this morning before going to Shibushi at the end of the Nichinan Line, I think that gives me all Japan's airport branches. Note the 'Round the Kyushu' stickers covering the 787's old names.

[westfalen]

The KFC at Miyazaki station is getting into the Christmas spirit.

[westfalen]

When I arrived at Shibushi I was wondering what to do for lunch when I noticed the driver put his bag in the station and head across the street to a shopping centre, so I followed him and took his lead in getting lunch from the local supermarket, chicken wings and potato cakes and a carton of milk for Y365.

No problem finding a seat on the 1344 from Shibushi to Aburatsu, definitely not JR's most heavily patronised train. (However, see next post)

[CaptOblivious]

All the KFC's around Kyoto have the Colonel dressed up as Santa Clause like that. It's incredibly creepy.

[westfalen]

At Nango the quiet kiha 40 was invaded by a school excursion group who started practising their English on me, they had only mastered 'Hello', "Nice to see you', and 'How are you?' but I got asked about twenty times. I was hoping they wouldn't be changing to the connecting train at Aburatsu but not only did they come with me, the other half of their school got on at the next stop, fortunately they all got off after three of four more stops.

The train only went as far as Minami Miyazaki and instead of getting another train I walked the rest of the way into town and filmed some trains crossing the long bridge (19 deck girder spans) across the river on the way.

Off to Hakata tomorrow.

[bikkuri bahn]

Nice pictures of the Ooyodagawa Bridge there.  Especially of that 713 unit.  This was also a favorite spot for photographers when steam was still running.

Ltd. Express Kirishima, properly in the hands of a 485 series:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/uFP-_W4oP1c" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/uFP-_W4oP1c</a>

[bikkuri bahn]

All the KFC's around Kyoto have the Colonel dressed up as Santa Clause like that.

KFC wanted to increase their sales, so they orchestrated sometime in the 1980's a "tradition" of eating fried chicken on Christmas (a novelty "holiday" in Japan if ever there was one, and now Halloween has seen its popularity rise)- now you see the colonel dressed up as Santa to help hock his fryers. Oh well, as long as Japan doesn't adopt the manufactured and sickening American "tradition" of "black Friday"- a term which didn't exist AFAIK when I was growing up in Los Angeles in the Eighties and early Nineties.

[bikkuri bahn]

Off to Hakata tomorrow.

Fortuitous.  Looks like it will rain in southern Kyushu tomorrow.  Hakata is supposed to be cloudy.

[westfalen]

Nice pictures of the Ooyodagawa Bridge there.  Especially of that 713 unit.  This was also a favorite spot for photographers when steam was still running.

The pictures came out better than I expected as it was getting rather dark. They are stills taken by my Sony HDR-CX550 while recording video (as are all the 800x450 ones). When I get home I'll put up some video as time permits.

[scott]

It's incredibly creepy.

My thoughts exactly. Plus I think he's turning Japanese.

More really interesting pictures here, Westfalen--thanks for posting. I think the school-bus-railcar would have pushed me over my crowd limit, but it's still fun to see.

[The_Ghan]

Yowara station looks cute ... easy to model too - just kit-bash a British rural station.

What's the bridge in the last three photos?  Very seductive.  When photographing the trains though, I wouldn't centre them in the image.  A little trick I learned was to leave more "track" or space in front of the train and less behind.  Mentally, we automatically presume the direction of travel is towards the free "track".  When they're centred in the image it looks like they've stopped on the bridge.

But, as usual West, photos are up to your usual standard.  Interesting how they've covered the "Relax Tsubame" logos.  You can still see the relief through the new stickers.  THAT would be interesting to see modelled .... 

Cheers West, great job.

The_Ghan

[westfalen]

Yowara station looks cute ... easy to model too - just kit-bash a British rural station.

What's the bridge in the last three photos?  Very seductive.  When photographing the trains though, I wouldn't centre them in the image.  A little trick I learned was to leave more "track" or space in front of the train and less behind.  Mentally, we automatically presume the direction of travel is towards the free "track".  When they're centred in the image it looks like they've stopped on the bridge.

But, as usual West, photos are up to your usual standard.  Interesting how they've covered the "Relax Tsubame" logos.  You can still see the relief through the new stickers.  THAT would be interesting to see modelled .... 

Cheers West, great job.

The_Ghan

The station caught my eye because it was above track level.

The bridge is across the Ooyoda River about 1km south of Miyazaki station.

[westfalen]

An easy day today travelling from Miyazaki to Hakata. Started the day at one of my usual spots, the Train Dor bakery.

The ride to Oita on the 787 was smoother than the trip from Kagoshima, maybe better track but the offcuts of the 'around the Kyushu' stickers covering the rust spots on the roof of the one that arrived from Kagoshima this morning suggests that some of them might be overdue for a trip through the workshops.

The old maglev test track up the coast from Miyazaki is getting a new use with about half the length being used to mount solar panels.

A passing shot of a JRF DE10, some interesting platform details and some creative translation on a notice in the 787's restroom.

[westfalen]

I changed to an 883 'Sonic' at Oita and got to Hakata earller than originally planned.

Tokyu Hands Christmas window display included a gauge 1, live steam Great Norther S2 class 4-8-4 with a Y900,000 price tag, but I passed on that and just picked up some 0.35mm steel wire for my Tomytec guided bus. They had nothing else I could see in the way of trains but there is a model train shop upstairs with a reasonable range including some second hand stuff, (a branch of Poppendetta? there were some Poppendetta signs in the store).

Tokyu Hands had some iPhone cases but I had to blank out part of them in case there are children viewing.

The escalators at the station had a steam loco theme.

Up at 0530 in the morning to try and beat No.1151 freight to Omuta.

[Bernard]

How would you compare the ride and comfort of the "Sonic" to the 787? (two of my favorite trains)

[scott]

I changed to an 883 'Sonic'

Looks pretty comfortable, and quite a bit brighter.

Tokyu Hands had some iPhone cases but I had to blank out part of them in case there are children viewing.

But why? Those are such charming sentiments to have on one's phone...

[Nick_Burman]

I changed to an 883 'Sonic' at Oita and got to Hakata earller than originally planned.

Tokyu Hands Christmas window display included a gauge 1, live steam Great Norther S2 class 4-8-4 with a Y900,000 price tag, but I passed on that and just picked up some 0.35mm steel wire for my Tomytec guided bus. They had nothing else I could see in the way of trains but there is a model train shop upstairs with a reasonable range including some second hand stuff, (a branch of Poppendetta? there were some Poppendetta signs in the store).

Tokyu Hands had some iPhone cases but I had to blank out part of them in case there are children viewing.

The escalators at the station had a steam loco theme.

Up at 0530 in the morning to try and beat No.1151 freight to Omuta.

Alas, no more Usa Sangu trains at Usa...

Cheers NB

[The_Ghan]

Wow, the sonic interior looks great.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[westfalen]

How would you compare the ride and comfort of the "Sonic" to the 787? (two of my favorite trains)

The Sonic seemed to ride smoother and the decor wasn't as gloomy as the 787.

My dislike about both of them, compared to older trains like the 485, is the small windows that don't give you as good a view, especially out of the opposite side to where you're sitting, and you have to recline your seat all the way back to see properly out of your own window. Another gripe is the airline style luggage overhead compartments, I could put my suitcase in the real railway luggage rack in a 485.

[westfalen]

I was before dawn this morning to get the 0624 Nishitetsu train to Omuta, it was a bit cool that time of the morning so luckily the train was only mildly air-conditioned.

I beat 1151 freight to Omuta with the loading for the Mitsui Miike Railway figuring that the latter's operations would revolve around JR's pick up and delivery of the day's wagons. I headed for the interchange sidings north of Nishitetsu's Shin Sakaemachi station and found nothing there, 1151 passed through on time and headed into the yard at Omuta. After about half an hour a Mitsui Miike steeple cab arrived with a string of container wagons, dropped them in the interchange sidings and headed light back to the chemical plant. I was interested to find out how the actual interchange was made as the connecting track between JR and the Mitsui Miike is not wired (different voltages obviously) but I wanted to see the battery powered loco shunting the plant sidings so I followed the track in the direction the loco went.

[westfalen]

Anyone got a London bus they don't know what to do with now they are modelling Japan?

One of the level crossings had manually controlled gates.

When I arrived at the chemical plant yard the large steeple cab and the small one with the battery car were parked at the yard office, the battery loco had the pantograph up which must be how they charge the batteries. While I was photographing around the yard the large loco took off light engine back to the JR and came back with the inbound wagons. I wonder why they don't just make one trip instead of having two light engine movements.

[bikkuri bahn]

My dislike about both of them, compared to older trains like the 485, is the small windows that don't give you as good a view, especially out of the opposite side to where you're sitting, and you have to recline your seat all the way back to see properly out of your own window. Another gripe is the airline style luggage overhead compartments, I could put my suitcase in the real railway luggage rack in a 485.

Agree.  Nothing like a good old solid 485.  In general, I find JR Kyushu designs to be overstyled or derivative (especially egregious are the tourist trains)- they could ease back a notch or two on the styling, and get a nice balance between form and function.  And lose the gratuitous English labels.

[westfalen]

When the large loco arrived back with the inbound wagons they shunted them into separate tracks ready to be taken into the plant.

While on the subject of separation I noticed the two types of containers always had empty wagons between them, could they contain chemical that need to be kept separate for safety reasons? It seems a waste of resources to handle empty wagons both ways otherwise.

After they finished shunting the train the crew quickly moved to the battery loco and took the wagons with the green/silver containers into the plant one at a time. Either one wagon was all the loco could handle or perhaps there was a track inside the plant that only held one wagon. After they took the three wagons into the plant the crew left the loco and went into the yard office, probably to have lunch, so I headed for Omuta station. Along the way I spotted some abandonded bridges on the Mitsui Miike's old track through town.

[westfalen]

1152 freight left Omuta on the dot at 1208 and I got lunch at a Family Mart and caught the next Nishitetsu limited express back towards Hakata.

[westfalen]

I detoured up the branch to Amagi the rode the Amagi Railway to Kiyama and back to Ogori to rejoin the Nishitetsu.

[westfalen]

Amagi Railway at Amagi.

[westfalen]

When I got back to the Nishitetsu I caught the next inbound train to Futsukaichi to do the Dazaifu branch.

[Nick_Burman]

I wonder why they don't just make one trip instead of having two light engine movements.

What??? And deny the boys their sinecure???


Cheers NB

[westfalen]

Dazaifu branch.

[westfalen]

For a bit of Japanese culture I had a look around the Tenman Gu shrine at Dazaifu.

Tomorrow I'll be doing a big figure 8 to Kokura and back via some JR cross country lines I haven't been on yet and the Chikuho Dentetsu that I did last year after dark and thought I should do it justice and ride it again in daylight.

[The_Ghan]

Epic post West,

Looks like you're having a great time and covering quite a few miles that day. I didn't get your big deal about the mildly air conditioned car until I saw the photo.  Your description about the freight handling was great.  I bet those guys have a lot of fun shunting cars around one at a time all day.

I noticed on one of those platforms that it was technically impossible to stand behind the yellow line.  That would really give me a Mr Bean moment.  Nice. 

Finally, which finger has that girl at the temple raised?  Who is she raising it to, and why?

Cheers

The_Ghan

[stevenh]

...Finally, which finger has that girl at the temple raised?  Who is she raising it to, and why?...

Hah, it nearly does look like the bird... but it's not... it's her index finger, but that's not how they beckon people? So I'm also curious!

[westfalen]

Looks like you're having a great time and covering quite a few miles that day.

I'm getting too old for this, I'll be glad to get back to work so I can have a break.

I did a big figure '8' to Kokura and back today via the Kagoshima Main Line, Chikuho Main Line, Chikuho Dentetsu, KagoshimaMain  Line, Hitahikosan Line, Gotoji Line and the Sasaguri Line. It was still light when I got back to Hakata so I decided to do the Kashii Line to Umi and the end of the Nishitetsu Kaizuka line to Shinguu. We did the Kaizuka line from Wajiro to Kaizuka on the 2006 Trainaway Tours trip when we did the Kashii Line to Saitozaki, if we had known most of the rest of the line would close in 2007 we would have gone the other way too, there are times when you could kick yourself.

The trams and bus were next to Chikuzen Yamae station the first stop on the Chikuho Main Line after leaving Haruda.

I would have loved to travel some of these 'main lines' around northern Kyushu in their heyday, you can tell by the old infrastructure at stations that it was a busier network than it is today.

[westfalen]

My new prize for the most uncomforable seats on JR goes to the 817. While I'm sure one of JR Kyushu's top train designers spent a lot of time and got paid a lot of money to come up with them they feel like sitting on two pieces of plywood.

It was easy to find the Chikuho Dentetsu's station in Nagata this time after looking for it at night last year.

[westfalen]

The Gotoji Line runs through the middle of a quarry, which might account for the dirty (by JR standards) window.

[westfalen]

When I got to Umi it was getting late but still light enough to get some pics and videos of the kiha 47's coming and going.

Back at Hakata I had to have another look at Tokyu Hand's Christmas display. I wouldn't mind that live steam D51.

I also paid a return visit to the hobby shop upstairs at the station as they had a second hand Kato 700 series add on set which one of the club members back home was after. I picked up a second hand Micro Ace A-5945 Motor Rail set (that's the QR term, I don't know what JR called them) and some Hogarakadou Containers to add some colour to my container trains.

[bikkuri bahn]

My new prize for the most uncomforable seats on JR goes to the 817.

They look like furniture that would come out of a bachelor pad circa 1985.  Once again, overdesign. I bet these seats will be replaced in the next renewal.  The 813 series seating look much more comfortable, with proper "velour" upholstery, like most train seating in Japan.

[scott]

Yeah, those seats *look* like sheets of plywood. Nice big windows, though.

Lots of good pictures again--I'm enjoying this thread.

Just wondering--it looks like the trains on some of these lines have a loading gauge that's barely wider than the track gauge. Are they small cars on standard-gauge tracks, or are they just really tiny?

Also--is your JR pass good on any of these private lines?

[westfalen]

Yeah, those seats *look* like sheets of plywood. Nice big windows, though.

Lots of good pictures again--I'm enjoying this thread.

Just wondering--it looks like the trains on some of these lines have a loading gauge that's barely wider than the track gauge. Are they small cars on standard-gauge tracks, or are they just really tiny?

Also--is your JR pass good on any of these private lines?

The Chikuho Dentetsu is trams running on standard gauge making them look narrow.

The Jr pass is valid only on JR so you have to pay on private lines which usually isn't much because they are normally short. The Chikuho Dentetsu from Nogata to Kirosaki for example cost 420 Yen.

[scott]

OK--thanks!

[westfalen]

Did a big loop to the west and south of Hakata today.

I started out on a JR Kyushu 303 that ran through from the subway to Nishi Karatsu. I saw JR posters in the train advertising travel to Miyazaki via Shinkansen and bus from Kagoshima, to get passengers off those rough riding 787's perhaps? The Toyoko Inn here has a better breakfast selection which is a good thing because there is nothing to be had to eat within walking distance of Karatsu station at 9am on a Saturday morning.

I did a return trip to Imari giving me my first ever ride in a kiha 125 'Yellow One Man Diesel Car'. I noted some 125's running with kiha 47's including one sandwiched between two 47's forming a three car set.

[westfalen]

On the way back I had planned to get off at the junction, Yamamoto, but on the way out I saw there was nothing much nearby except a 7-11 so I went all the way back to Karatsu to avoid a 1hr 7min stop over at Yamamoto which must have been one of those places all countries have that existed for no reason other than it was a place the railway decided to put a junction station. In an odd piece of timetabling for Japan the train to Saga leaves Yamamoto a minute before the one from Imari arrives, in Australia you would have a 50/50 chance the other train would be a couple of minutes late and you would make the connection or a train crew would hold back a minute to let it happen but because it is Japan the Saga train as expected pulled out just as the Imari train approached the platform.

In Karatsu I went for a walk through one of those covered shopping arcades with many closed shops, a lot of them had what looked like real estate agents signs on them. Some may have been closed because it was Saturday but the whole place had an air of decay about it, the few open shops, as someone mentioned, looked like they were only there waiting until their owners retired or passed away.

[westfalen]

Even the ice cream parlor at Karatsu was closed down.

It was an uneventful trip on a pair of kiha 47's to Saga where I had lunch and took a standing room in the aisles only White Sonic as Kamome #25 to Ishaya to ride to the end of the Shimabara Railway. when I got to Ishaya I just caught a shot of two of the JNR coloured railcars I had seen on an excursion at Mojiko last year departing in the direction of Sasebo.

[westfalen]

Shimabara Railway.

[westfalen]

When I saw the sign on the way to the ferry terminal at Shimabara Gaiko the thought occurred to me, is there a place in Japan named Gillard?

I took the ferry across to Kumamoto from where I got an 800 series shinkansen back to Hakata. I remembered the seats in the 800 series from my last ride on one in 2006, I think they were designed by the guy who got a good deal on plywood for the 817 seats and just added a little extra padding seeing it was a Shinkansen.

[westfalen]

Last for today, a digital photo frame for railfans at Tokyu Hands. While browsing there on the way to the hotel tonight I picked up some Wakayama Electric Railway station master cat souveniers for my sister-in-law who is one (a station master that is, not a cat), I plan on going there later in the trip but when I saw them I thought I'll get them just in case.

In the morning on my move to Hiroshima I am planning to take an all stations Kodama and spend and hour or so at a Kodama only station enroute to get some video of Shinkansen speeding past.

[bikkuri bahn]

Interesting photo frame there, it's intended for smart phones like iphone or android, and it's an Oigawa Rlwy. officially licensed product.

*it's fortunate you chose tomorrow to leave- the Sanyo Shinkansen had a signal foul-up today, causing a 3 hour delay.

[KenS]

I like the "Ocean Liner".  I'm sure it's a variation of the use of "liner" for commuter expresses, but it sure rings wrong to western ears that expect an ocean liner to be a floating hotel (or these days a floating restort complex).

[westfalen]

I like the "Ocean Liner".  I'm sure it's a variation of the use of "liner" for commuter expresses, but it sure rings wrong to western ears that expect an ocean liner to be a floating hotel (or these days a floating restort complex).

Or the first time visitor who gets an airport 'limousine' into town and finds himself on a bus.

[quinntopia]

Really enjoyable photos and stories Westfalen!  Those photos of the two 787's at the top at the station is amazing!  Also digging the steeple cab photos...not something I think about with Japan, but has a very romantic feel to see these old things still running there on small industrial jobs!