International Railroad Discussion > Omiya, a Sequel (Japan)

Other TO members go to Omiya for railfanning, too. Here's Railpax71's report from more than 10 years ago, and I commented on Japanese railfans' behavior then:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,3463873

On my visit recently (a tad more than a week ago), I saw 2 railfans with expensive lenses, who I suspect memorized the freight train schedules and showed up just in time. And I also saw kid railfans (elementary school age) with dads.

Here's dwatry's visit just a few months ago, as I will use that as reference for my recent visit:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,5990460

Unfortunately, I won't be able to follow up on Steinzeit's great reports - I don't have a time machine:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,5995412
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,5998616

Low number EH500's are medium value targets, because those (#1 to #9) have a black stripe below the front cab windows. I suspect the expensive lens railfans I saw were targeting them. Besides #9, #4 showed up earlier (no photo, no video)

- Dad & son railfans at Omiya.
- Low number EH500-9 pulling JR Freight #94.
- Video of 2 freights and 2 passenger trains at Omiya.

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Why was I at Omiya? I was planning a Shinkansen chase of JR Freight #2071, 2.5 hour, 95 mile chase to the snowy mountains on the ex-JNR, JR East's Joetsu Line. I wanted to visually confirm that #2071 was running by intercepting it at Omiya before hopping on a Joetsu Shinkansen train to Echigo-Yuzawa.

I'll post a separate report later. but in a nutshell, Joetsu Line is Japan's version of Donner + Tehachapi, with 2 loop sections, 6 mile long Shimizu Tunnel constructed in 1931, ~8.4 mile New Shimizu Tunnel constructed in 1967 on the second main, and lots of snow with ski resorts nearby.

In the video above, first train, EH500-14 pulling #3086 is taking Track 4 on its way to the Yamanote Freight Line and Shinjuku. Second train is the all first class (Grenn Car) Saphir Odoriko taking Track 3, already mentioned in dwatry's report. I confirmed that this is a normal deadhead move to Shinjuku, not a seasonal extra. Normally, passengers can't board this train at Omiya.

Third train is EH500-9 pulling #94, taking Track 5 (no platforms), and slowing down for a red signal. Fourth train is a 15 car E231 EMU on Track 6 headed to Atami via the Ueno-Tokyo Line, basically, Tokaido Line bound.

I verified that the JR Freight train with green gondola-ish intermodal boxes in dwatry's shot #4 is JR Freight #3064. 

Omiya is sort of a "funnel" where Tohoku (Utsunomiya) and Takasaki Lines converge going south, becoming a 6 track corridor going south toward Tokyo. Going north on the Takasaki Line, Joetsu and Shinetsu Line diverge at Takasaki, and in pre-Shinkansen days, these mountain lines to the Japan Sea side were quite the places to railfan. 6.67% grade Usui Pass was part of the Shinetsu Line.

- EH200 pulling JR Freight #2071 - chase is on.
- Snow and north portals of Shimizu Tunnels, old (left) and new, 2.5 hours later.

That's it from Omiya.

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NIce video! I can't wait to read about the chase by Shinkansen!

Congratulations on the VOTD. I was reading your post and dwatry's posts about Japan, as I'll be visiting there in the near future. I'm looking forward to seeing your photos and videos from Japan's "Tehachapi meets Donner in the snow."