International Railroad Discussion > A 1971 visit to Matsudo, Japan, for the Shin-Keisei

Matsudo is a city, currently with a population of about half a million, just inside Chiba Prefecture, and located on JNR / JR's Joban Line running north east from Ueno, an easy commute from central Tokyo, and hence a destination on one of my first full days in Tokyo when I was still feeling my way around the city's rail transport lines.  Matsudo was one terminus of the Shin-Keisei, at that time a wholly owned subsidiary of the Keisei Electric Railway Co Ltd, abbreviated KDK;  just this year  the Shin-Keisei [ 4/25 ] has been fully merged into the parent railway.

The Shin-Keisei has had an interesting history:
   -  It was originally 1067 mm ga, and was built as a single track line to serve housing developments, accounting for its somewhat meandering route
   -  In 1953 it was converted to the KDK's 1372 mm ga,, and reached JNR Matsudo in 1955
   -  When the KDK changed its entire system to 1435 mm [ in preparation for the new through running onto the Tokyo Metropolitan ( Toei )  Asakusa Line * ], the Shin-Keisei followed

At the time of my visit the line was using hand-me-down rolling stock from the KDK, a process made easier by both the gauge conversion and the changeover of KDK stock to meet the Metro standards.  This has given my some difficulty in fully identifying what I saw / photographed, and was the reason this post has been so long in gestation;  the slides were copied months ago, but I have not found any internet sources for this information, and have had to rely on my visit-era printed sources.  I imagine there are internet sources, but with my limited written Japanese language skills I haven't found them.  I was much better informed at the time on KDK-proper materiel.  So, on to the photos:

1)  Motor 125 at one end of a five car rake.  I believe the 100 class are thorough postwar rebuilds of the 1926 originals, with completely new bodies;  the trucks though are the giveaway.
2)  Motor 609, one of the 600-610 group built in 1948, some of which were still on the KDK proper at that time
3)  Motor 109 and consist

To be continued....

SZ

*Edited to change from TRTA Chiyoda line, which is the JNR side at Matsudo, and which was in my brain when I typed....
 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/14/25 15:43 by Steinzeit2.

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4)   Motor 222, one of the KDK 220-222 subclass, and recently transferred over;  built in 1932 and modernized in 1948, I think
5)   2017, trailer or control trailer more likely;  the KDK had others with lower 2xxx numbers
6)   104, another 100, will trail the above units

More....

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7-8)  I think these two M-Tc pairs of 1500's date from 1941, but were built for express [ = two door a side, coach seating ] duties and subsequently rebuilt.

More....

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9 - 10 )   252-552 and sisters:  This may have been a more recent 210 class rebuild wit newer larger ventilators and different doors.

There's more to come from Matsudo, this time on the JNR side, but I'll put that in my next post.

Best regards, SZ

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Very nice report!

My experience with the Shin-Keisei Line is very minimal, maybe seeing a post-hand-me-down era Class 8000 near Keisei Tsudanuma while riding the Keisei Mainline between Narita Airport and Aoto. In my younger days, I opted to save money by not riding the Skyliners, but the slower limited express trains and look out the window a lot.

I found a few B&W shots of Shin-Keisei on the Internet in this era, but the color shots you posted here are unique. Haven't found anything similar. I especially enjoy the double-ended cars, shots #1, #3, and #6. This is the Shin-Keisei I never knew. Thanks for posting.