International Railroad Discussion > Japan Trip Part 3 - Okayama and vicinity

After leaving Hakone and the Tokyo area, we went to stay on a small island in the Seto Inland Sea, near Okayama.   The island is Naoshima, and is known for its various art installations, which was appealing to many in my family.  I spent one day checking out the art and renting bikes to ride around the island, and then decided to take the ferry back to the mainland on the next day to check out the railroads around Okayama.  Okayama also has a tram system, and I posted some photos of their trams back in December.

1)   For me the most interesting trains in the Okayama area were the Class 115 EMUs, which serve many of the local services on multiple lines out of Okayama.  These were built between 1963 and 1983, and JR-West operates them in 2 and 3-car sets.   Here's a class 115 on a Rapid service leaning into the curve at Seto. 
2)  3-car Class 115 set crossing the Asahi River at Nishigawara.  Needed a wire filter for this shot.
3)   Class 115 set heading to Okayama at Higashi-Okayama.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/25 20:22 by dwatry.

---

---

---

4)  The rail station for Naoshima Island is Uno Port, and the trains to Okayama from there are either the Class 115s, or these newer Class 227s. 
5)  Class 227 at Chayamachi, which is a junction with the line from Uno and the mainline to the island of Shikoku.
6)  JRF Class EF210 on a southbound intermodal at Nishigawara.  This is on the Sanyo Line, which is the southern continuation of the Tokaido Line.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/25 22:37 by dwatry.

---

---

---

7)  Side view of an EF210 southbound at Nishigawara, showing the B-B-B truck arrangement.
8)  Another southbound EF210 at Seto.
9)  This northbound EF210 at Seto snuck up on me so I wasn't quite in the best spot for a photo but snapped it anyway.
 

---

---

---

10)  Another southbound EF210 at Higashi-Okayama.
11)  Class 115s communing at Higashi-Okayama as the sun sets.  That color really glows!
12)  Here I'm on a Class 115 heading to Okayama from Higashi-Okayama, and we meet a Class 115 set coming the other way.  You can see the preceding train on our track off in the distance.   Love the "railfan seats" on most Japanese EMUs!
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/25 20:14 by dwatry.

---

---

---

13)  Here's the ferry between Naoshima Island and Uno.  Generally runs about every 90 minutes during most of the day, and it's about a 20-minute ride.
14)  Interior of the ferry.
15)  And for those of you who missed the post back in December, here's the big surprise on the Okayama tram system - the party tram for kids, styled to look like a British Rail Deltic or something! 
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/25 20:24 by dwatry.

---

---

---

16)  Tram on Route 1 at terminal by main JR station.

 

---

Excellent coverage, really enjoyed it.

The class 115 EMUs remind me of the Illinois Terminal passenger trains of my youth in Illinois.  I rode them from Peoria to St. Louis.  

Thanks for documenting the Class 115s in action! Definite future nostalgia here.

The "southbounds" are travelling in westbound direction, or "outbound" (Kudari, or 下り). Outbound is generally a direction away from Tokyo. This is the terminology used in both freight and passenger timetables.

If you haven't noticed, early EF210s (low number) have the traditional pantograph while the newer ones have the "single arm" pantograph, and you nabbed both types in your railfanning.

Very enjoyable series!

Larry