January–December 2015 · $20.00 / ERA Tour of Traction in Japan headlights 2015 Headlights January–December 2015 Volume 72, Number 1–12 The Magazine of Electric Railways TRACTION IN Published since 1939 by the ERA R JAPAN Electric Railroaders’ Assoc., Inc. (Front and back covers) Welcome to Japan, a railfan’s paradise! Not much gets P.O. Box 3323 On the island of Shikoku, Grand Central Station into print in English regularly on the traction scene in the northern city of New York, NY 10163-3323 in Japan. This special issue of Headlights provides a Matsuyama, a streetcar on loop line 2 waits patiently modern day pictorial survey of the surviving streetcar Staff for the passage of an inter- systems of Japan as seen by ERA members during a Editor and Designer urban on the Takayama comprehensive tour in May 2014. It is an essay of the Sandy Campbell Line at Otemachi Crossing. places visited and the systems seen and ridden. Associate Editor Both operations are part John Pappas of the same company, 6 Tokyo Photographers Iyotetsu, which undoubt - 16 Other Electric Traction Around Tokyo John Pappas, Ron Yee, edly makes the coordina- Michael Glikin, tion at two level crossings 23 Enoshima Asahi Shimbun, Wikipedia much smoother than it 26 Mount Fuji and the Hakone Tozan Railway Printer would be otherwise. 32 Toyama Innovative Technologies in Print may 16, 2014 36 Fukui and Takaoka 41 Japanese Alps: Tateyama Tunnel Trolleybuses Membership (Right) Passengers on Headlights is sent free to all JR West’s Osaka Loop Line 42 Okayama ERA members. Join today stare at their electronics, 46 Hiroshima to get your copy of the next much as they do else- 52 Nagasaki issue at erausa.org/join where in the world. 56 Kumamoto may 19, 2014 Back Issues 58 Kagoshima Digital copies of Headlights 60 Matsuyama can be ordered at erausa.org/ 65 Kochi headlights/orderform 72 Kyoto 79 Osaka Contact Us 82 Wakayama Electric Railway To contact the ERA, visit erausa.org/contact 84 Hakodate Copyright © 2016 ERA 87 Sapporo All Rights Reserved 91 Japan Streetcar Systems Published February 2016 2 headlights | january–december 2015 headlights | january–december 2015 3 4 headlights | january–december 2015 headlights 2015 TRACTION IN JAPAN Text and Japan… Land of the Rising Sun. The Old Dragon. The Mysterious East. A place full of photography by surprises, incongruity and inscrutability. Also super high-speed trains, electric railways John Pappas and interurbans. And streetcars. Additional photos Despite the major move in the 1960s and 70s to rid its cities of streetcars, (readers are by Ron Yee referred to “Sayonara Streetcar” by Ralph Forty, Interurbans Special 70, published in 1978) where noted 20 Japanese systems still continue to operate and give every appearance of planning This is the view you’ll for at least a medium term future. In May 2014, the ERA organized a tour of 18 of those see when you exit just systems, along with cultural sites, commuter rail rides and long distance train travel about any streetcar with the aim of introducing this country of great contrasts to our members. Some 43 of any age in Japan. The Japanese traction of them came along. industry uses a “pay- This issue is not a railfan’s guide to Japanese traction. Such a work would be highly leave” system of fare collection like the one desirable, but will have to wait for an individual who has the time to do the enormous at left. The universal research required just to get each system’s roster correctly stated. Also “traction” should bright orange fare refer to the myriad of Japanese interurbans, light railways and subways, as well as machines seen here streetcars. As is true with Switzerland, the lines often blur between the three modes. collect coins and bills, make change, issue A word about the table and technical details at the end of the article. They were tickets and validate primarily gleaned from “Japanese Streetcars, An Active Roster,” a highly illustrated book smart cards. They also assure a queue published by the Japanese Tourist Bureau, but all in Japanese. Items such as number of people waiting to of cars and route mileage were checked against current figures as they were available pay and get off. on various websites. Otherwise, the figures reflect the 1999 conditions at the time the book was published. Low-floor cars have since been added to most of the systems, so the car totals have undoubtedly changed, although retirement of older equipment probably brings the figures close to what is shown. Consider the table a useful chart for comparison purposes. headlights | january–december 2015 5 Traction in Japan Tokyo Tokyo ranks 19th on the list of the world’s largest cities, but number one in terms of urban area population (37 million). It has the expected attendant crowds and high rise development, but somehow the Japanese seem to do it in a less hectic, less ugly fashion. There is also observ- able care and thinking in urban design and that includes balancing road space with railway and other rail transit expansion. Two views of the Tokyo At right, the exterior of urban scene. At top is the beautifully maintained the famous Ginza at 19th Century architecture night. While still Tokyo’s of the main Tokyo railway version of Times Square, station. Incidently, this is newspaper articles speak NOT the biggest station of newer places that now in Tokyo. That distinction form the center of their belongs to Shinjuku, older teen and young located on the west adult night life. side near the center of government and several At left is a view from the corporate headquarters. Yurikomome Waterfront Line station showing a traffic flyunder as one of the methods to shoehorn more vehicle movement into heavily confined spaces. The fact that it was a holiday is probably the reason the streets are relatively empty. 6 headlights | january–december 2015 headlights | january–december 2015 7 Traction in Japan Tokyo once had a major line remains… the 7.6-mile terminal at Minowabashi. tram system, but it became Arakawa Line. Most of the One way running time is a victim of increasing route is on double-track 53 minutes. The line is an automobile traffic and private right-of-way, odd 4ʹ 6ʺ (1372 mm) gauge, the expanding subway including “back alley” as which is found on a couple network. Since 1965 one seen here near the outer of other systems in Japan. 8 headlights | january–december 2015 (Top) A little over ¼ mile (Bottom) There is a of route is in mixed traffic, surprising bountiful hence its official designa- supply of written English tion under Japanese everywhere in Japan regulations as a streetcar to help guide your way, line. This is the view of although you won’t find southbound 7031 passing many of the locals who under the Keihin Tohoku speak it. This sign provides line at Oji. The 7000s are an informative, geographi- the mainstay of the line cally correct overview of and were built in 1954 and the Arakawa line and its remodeled to one-man many connections with configuration in 1978. stations and intersecting lines labeled in English (Middle) An interior view below the Japanese of 7019 shows a layout characters. that is mostly standard across the Japanese trac- tion industry. Bench seats are the norm. The device by the motorman’s cab is a covered over fare machine, as illustrated on page 4. Smart cards are available on the vast majority of streetcar systems, but appear to have only moderate penetration with the riding public. headlights | january–december 2015 9 Traction in Japan 10 headlights | january–december 2015 Newer cars can also be found, although unlike many other streetcar systems, the Arakawa Line has no articulateds. As a result, service is very frequent, from five to seven minutes throughout the day. The 10 8800 series cars are the newest on the line, built in 2009 by Alna. Two PCCs made it to Japan, both went to Tokyo. One is preserved here on a plinth at the carhouse adjacent to the Arakawashakomae station. The car has been restored and features displays in the interior. There is no mistaking those three foot pedals, the classic “Johnson Bar” or the row of toggle style gang switches. headlights | january–december 2015 11 Traction in Japan The value of operating heri- The 8500s (top right) are Tokyo also has the Tokyo using articulated It is not affiliated with the tage cars has not been lost another primary class that Setagaya Line (bottom cars. It shares its 4ʹ 6ʺ Tokyu Car Corporation on the Japanese streetcar fills out the majority of the right), which is classified as gauge with the Arakawa which built the Buffalo, industry. Unfortunately, car requirements on the streetcar, but more prop- Line, but the two lines are New York LRVs, the there is not much of a line. They date from 1990. erly functions as light rail miles apart. A total of 10 Cleveland heavy rail supply remaining. Car 9002 Both sides of the Arakawa (all private right-of-way, cars are available for use, cars and the bodies for (above) is reminiscent of Line along its last mile high platform loading). built by Tokyu Car in 1999. the Boeing SLRVs. That New Orleans’ efforts to or so feature a bountiful This is a former branch The present owner, Tokyu company is now owned hide the air conditioning planting of roses, which line of the Tokyu Railway Corporation operates by JR East. condenser and other were in full bloom during empire and operates a railways, department roof-mounted equipment our visit.