International Railroad Discussion > New Japanese cruise train

I'm sure this image (from Railway Gazette International online) shows the FRONT of a new luxury cruise train about to launch in Japan, with a big-window "observation" area, a "platform" with railing, and the operator's cab above. Quite a vantage point for riders. You wouldn't need to shoot your video out the back and play it in reverse to get that cab-ride feeling.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/17 16:05 by mile250.

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Not a good place to be in a grade crossing accident (if there are any in Japan). From what I have read, space is sold out a year in advance.

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> Not a good place to be in a grade crossing
> accident (if there are any in Japan). From what I
> have read, space is sold out a year in advance.

Yes, there are grade crossing accidents in Japan.

This train is JR West's Twilight Express Mizukaze, the third "Cruise Train" to go in service, scheduled for a middle of June revenue service this year. JR Kyushu's Seven Stars has been in service for almost 4 years, and the second one, JR East's Train Suite Shikishima just started service this month.

For Train Suite Shikishima, the demand was so high that there was a lottery to choose who gets to purchase the tickets (or not), so it's not a simple matter of seats being sold out a year in advance. No "yield pricing", unless you are buying tickets in the grey/black market, which does exist in Japan, but there should have been none available for sale that way.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/17 08:33 by cchan006.

Ahh, "the wind in your hair and the bugs in your teeth."

It is probably a double ended train set and the lights seem to be red to indicate rear end service. No matter what, I have never seen such a beautiful open platform!

It's like an open ended version of the Hiawatha.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

alamedafrank Wrote:
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> It is probably a double ended train set and the
> lights seem to be red to indicate rear end
> service. No matter what, I have never seen such a
> beautiful open platform!


There is an open platform on both ends and the train is reversible.

At the top of the car in the picture is the engineer's window and cab.

Does the Engineer lay on his stomach to run the train?

Jim
Hatboro, PA

Chooch Wrote:
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> Does the Engineer lay on his stomach to run the
> train?
>
> Jim
> Hatboro, PA

Here's a link to the official English web page of the Twilight Express Mizukaze:

http://twilightexpress-mizukaze.jp/en/cars/index.html

Look for a drawing of the observation car, and click the "See Car Diagram" button for the answer. If you can't find the drawing, click on "The Train" link first. (The passenger walkway is located to the right of the engineer's cab which would be offset to his left - Japanese engineers sit on the left side of the train in the direction of travel.)