International Railroad Discussion > Japan 2002 Part 2 - Ochanomizu

Continuation of report on October 2002 Japan trip.  Many railfans visiting Tokyo head to Ochanomizu station for a classic "Over-Under" photo.  The "Over" are JR trains on the Chuo and Sobu lines running parallel to the Kanda River.  The "Under" are trains on the Tokyo Metro Maranouchi Line that "pop out" of their underground alignment just under the JR station, and immediately cross the Kanda River on a bridge.  Given the frequencies on the various lines, it's pretty easy to get an "over-under" photo with trains on two lines.  BTW the name Ochanomizu literally means "teawater", referring, I believe, to a legend about using the river water for tea. 

1)  Subway train emerging from tunnel and onto bridge over Kanda River.  JR Chuo line train above departing Ochanomizu station.
2)  Different angle on similar scene.
3)  JR Sobu line train crossing Kanda River and entering Ochanomizu Station.
 

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4)  Sobu line train entering Ochanomizu station.  Note position-light signal that looks like PRR/N&W position-light signals.  On JR, I believe these are repeater signals used at stations.
5) Chou line train eastbound at Ochanomizu.
6) Two Chuo line trains passing at Tokyo station.
 

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If you type Ochanomizu Station into Google Maps, a similar over-&-under shot comes up.

My son lives in Niigata. Whenever I visit, I fly into Narita, take the Skyliner to their Ueno station, and spend the night in a hotel there. The next day I'm sort of recovered from jet lag, and spend the morning exploring something new in Tokyo. Then I set off on a three-train trip to his home in Tsunan. Once I walked to Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens. On my return, I cut down to the river and walked along it before turning north. Of course, I found this exact spot and lingered as long as I could. Thank you for refreshing my fond memories.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/20 08:53 by symph1.

dwatry Wrote:
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> 4)  Sobu line train entering Ochanomizu
> station.  Note position-light signal that looks
> like PRR/N&W position-light signals.  On JR, I
> believe these are repeater signals used at
> stations.
> 5) Chou line train eastbound at Ochanomizu.
> 6) Two Chuo line trains passing at Tokyo station.

The Sobu Line train is a Class 209 set. The last set ran in April of 2019, and the 209s have been replaced with similar-looking Class E231s.

The eastbound in shot #5 is a Special Rapid ("中央特快"), a limited stop service all the way to Tachikawa, which differentiates it from shot #6, which are regular Rapids (the front display boards are blank and not lit), which make limited stops to Mitaka.

You captured more nostalgia, as Class 201s on the Chuo Line have been gone since 2010. Hiroshi-san documented the last set running 2 months before it was retired:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,2248846

Here's a video I took from the JR Ochanomizu station platform in 2017, while on my way to ride the Shinkansen. From that angle, "over-under" means blocked shot, as that happens twice at the beginning of the video. The train sets guilty of blocking are Class E233s, which replaced the 201s.

Again, thanks for the great report and the nostalgia.

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