Saturday 8 August 2015

Special Operation of the Classic Train

EMU Entetsu 30 series (MoHa25-KuHa85) arrives at Enshu-byoin-mae Station

It is midsummer in Japan. According to the weather report, the daytime maximum temperature reaches 35 degrees Celsius in many places every day. People take summer vacations and go somewhere cool, but rail fans have many things to do except going to cool highland resorts.

In this season, many railway companies hold special events in order to increase passengers. Their main potential customers are rail fans and children with their families. Enshu Railway (Entetsu) is no exception. They operate a special classic train on the weekends during the summer vacation season. Entetsu is a local private railway company based in Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka Prefecture, some 260 km west of Tokyo. Hamamatsu is the largest urban area in Shizuoka Prefecture known as an industrial city, home to Yamaha and Suzuki's headquarters.

The special classic train is a 2-car train (MoHa25-KuHa85) of the EMU 30 series built in 1978. Its two large frontal windows show a typical design of the 1960s to 1970s era. The red-colored body with a white stripe is my favorite, as it is similar to Keikyu trains in Tokyo. More importantly, the running sound of the old nose suspension driving system is very nostalgic. It was worth coming all the way to Hamamatsu City by Tokaido Shinkansen train.

For your information, Entetsu has a 17.8 km electrified single track between Shin-Hamamatsu and Nishikashima stations. The gauge size is 1,067 mm and the electric system is 750 V DC overhead.
 
EMU Entetsu 30 series (MoHa25-KuHa85) leaves Enshu-byoin-mae Station
 
Official information about the Entetsu trains (in Japanese):