International Railroad Discussion > A bare table train with an alone JP-8 tanker

I heard an announcement letting us know a train was approaching the station.
Thought it was a regular oil can train. But it was NOT.  
It was a bare table train with an alone JP-8 Tanker.

NOTE: "JP-8" is used to haul Jet fuel for the US NAVY operation out from the Yokota Airbase.

Hiroshi

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And EOT markers.

Hiroshi

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Hiroshi Wrote:
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> NOTE: "JP-8" is used to haul Jet fuel for the US
> NAVY operation out from the Yokota Airbase.
>
> Hiroshi

Nice catch!

The branch line into Yokota Air Force Base is not electrified, so the last leg requires a diesel locomotive to haul it into the base. The branch line diverges off of Seibu Railway's Haijima Line, but there is a direct crossover between that and JR Hachiko Line before the Haijima Station.

Possible routing is from Negishi to Hachioji by an electric locomotive, which you caught, then a diesel locomotive hauls the JP-8 from Hachioji to Haijima via the Hachiko Line. I say "possible" because I haven't chased it yet, but this IS the routing based on the JR Freight Timetable, since there are multiple "oil trains" that terminate at Hachioji, so they should have a yard and switching infrastructure to handle this train.

It looks like a major hassle to route the JP-8 via Tachikawa, since several crossovers need to be used from JR Nanbu to Ome Line, then more crossover hassles from JR Ome Line to Seibu Haijima Line at Haijima.
 

And there's nothing special about JP-8 jet fuel. It's just standard Jet A-1 kerosene with and anti-icing inhibitor added. JP-8 replaced JP-4 about 20 years ago.
 

PHall Wrote:
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> And there's nothing special about JP-8 jet fuel.
> It's just standard Jet A-1 kerosene with and
> anti-icing inhibitor added. JP-8 replaced JP-4
> about 20 years ago.

Thanks for that factoid.

However, Japanese railfans consider this movement a "rare catch" even if by American foamer standards, once or twice a week is not really rare. In context, they are used to having "chase-able" targets everyday, if not several times a day, and that's just within the Tokyo Metro area.