Ex-Conrail Dash 8s: spartan and ’safety’ cab/wide nose versions!
FOR SOME REASON I’d never noticed the spaced out ‘CONRAIL QUALITY’ lettering on the front of the old ‘Big Blue’s’ fleet of Dash 8s. This is a former Conrail C40-8W machine, now owned by CSX Transportation, No. CSXT 7307 leading C40-8 CSXT 7500, SD50 CSXT 8642, SD40-2 BUGX 7523 & SD40M-2 BUGX 3577 and their long manifest freight out of Boyle Yard, Birmingham, Alabama on May 12th, 2006.
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More multiple units of JR West - including a classic!
MAYBE ONE OF the most recognisable of Japanese multiple units types, by virtue of its distinctive cab design, JR West/West Japan Railways 183 Series four-car No. 183-206, 183-806, 182-702 & 183-2701 is one of a family of EMUs still in use all over Japan. The set is forming empty stock for the ‘Monju’ (文殊) limited express from Osaka to Fukuchiyama, photographed at Higashi-Yodogawa, Osaka-fu, on July 29th, 2009.
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We think of Japan of being multiple unit mad, but there are still locos around.
JAPAN FREIGHT RAILWAY Co. (JRF) DD51 B-2-B diesel-hydraulic No. 1184 pulls away from Tsuchizaki, Akita Prefecture, with an Akita-ko docks-Tsuchizaki yard transfer freight of containers on July 23rd, 2009. These awesome machines can still be found all over Japan.
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Two views from the Osaka area in late July.
JR FREIGHT(JRF) EF66-0 Bo-Bo-Bo 1,500V dc electric locomotive No. 35 shows off its shapely lines as it hums over the level crossing at Higashi-Yodogawa station (one stop north of Shin-Osaka), Osaka Prefecture, with an eastbound container service on July 28th, 2009. In the background, on the left, can be seen a sign for one of Japan’s ubiquitous Pachinko parlours - a national obsession!
JR貨物 EF66-0 Bo-Bo-Bo 直流1500V 電気機関車 35 @ 東淀川駅、大阪府、日本、2009年7月28日。
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More colourful multiple units and locos from Japan.
POSSIBLY THE CUTEST livery for a train of all time, a JR East/East Japan Railway 485 series EMU (with driving trailers Nos. 481-1015 & 481-1016) wears a colourful red/black scheme for Ban-Etsu Line operations decorated with little cows. The dual-voltage (1,500V dc/20kV ac) unit is pictured about to depart from Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, with an ‘Aizu Liner’ rapid service to Aizuwakamatsu on July 24th, 2009.
JR東日本 485系 特急あいづ @ 郡山駅、福島県、日本、2009年7月24日。
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