Adelaide Showgrounds Station

This weekend I went to the Adelaide Showgrounds, so for the first time it gave me the opportunity to travel by train to the permanent Adelaide Showgrounds Station, part of the Adelaide Metro train network.

Above is the train I arrived at Adelaide Showgrounds Station Platform 1. The train is 4005, an electric train bound for Seaford Station in the Adelaide southern suburbs. The Tonsley line (a branch line off the Seaford line) also services this platform.

You can click on any of these images to view them in a much larger resolution.

The Adelaide Showgrounds Station is completely under cover, which is great news on this day since it was raining heavily with thunderstorms too!

Before this station was opened in 2013, every year for the Adelaide Show only (in September) a temporary station platform was built/torn down to allow people to get to/from the show - this is a big improvement on the previous arrangement, which was only available at the Adelaide Show time. Now it can be used for any event staged at the Adelaide Showgrounds throughout the year (and there are many).

Below is the view from Platform 2, which is the Adelaide Station bound platform for Seaford and Tonsley line trains:

This is the view from Platform 2 towards Adelaide Station.  Up the stairs is the crossover  bridge to platform 1 and the exit ramp towards Anzac Highway in the distance. Beyond Anzac Highway bridge was the original Keswick Station that was demolished and this station built in it's place.

On Platform 3 is the Belair railway line to/from Adelaide. As the Belair line is one line only, there are no separate up/down tracks - trains to/from Adelaide depart from the same platform. This is the view towards Adelaide Station from the platform:

Next photo is the view from Platform 3 towards Belair. You can see another railway line to the right of the Belair line - this is the standard gauge line to Melbourne, used by freight trains and also the Overland train (Great Southern Rail), which departs from the nearby Adelaide Parklands Station (on the other side of Anzac Highway - behind where the photo is taken from):

I covered the Overland service in much more detail in my blog entry in April 2014 when I travelled on it , if interested.

Here is the Belair line train, a 3000 series Diesel train arriving from Adelaide Station into Platform 3, with two carriages for this service:

Closer look at the 3000 series carriages while stationary at Adelaide Showgrounds Station:

The Belair line is run by Diesel trains only. The overhead electric wires over the Belair line from Adelaide Railway Station only last until the line separates from the Seaford line a little further south allow options for electric trains to use the section also when needed. Not sure if Electric trains use the extra line often or not though.

View on Platform 3 as the Belair line train leaves, headed for Belair Station.

Another 4000 series Electric train arrives into Platform 1 at Adelaide Showgrounds Station. This view is from Platform 2, looking towards Adelaide Station direction:

The 4000 series electric train consists are generally 3 carriages, but 6 is also possible:

Close up view of 4005 stationary at platform 1:

4005 departing the station towards Seaford:

My final movement is the electric train (4007) I was waiting to catch back to Adelaide Station on Adelaide Showgrounds Station Platform 2, a Seaford line service:

Adelaide Showgrounds Station is certainly a nice station, modern, well laid out and very useful when going to/from the Adelaide Showgrounds!

South Australia - Trains, Trams & Lost Lines Book Released!

I am pleased to announce that I have completed my first Train related Photobook entitled:

South Australia: Trains, Trams & Lost Lines

This book showcases some of my photographs of the best of South Australian Trains, Trams & Lost Lines from 2009 to 2014.

Update: 28/5/15: I have removed the book from sale via PrestoPhoto - I will advise an alternative location once I have decided on a new way to distribute it..

My book was available for purchase and delivery worldwide from PrestoPhoto in a multitude of physical book sizes, paper quality and binding options to suit most budgets, starting from USD$24.49!

This book will not be sold in stores at this time.

Trip to Mito, Ibaraki, Japan

Holding my Japan Rail Pass with unlimited travel on JR trains, I decided to go on the railway path less travelled back in January and headed north from Tokyo to the city of Mito, deep in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.

I caught the Fresh Hitachi Express electric train from Tokyo to get to Mito:

The trip itself was uneventful, with very little interesting scenery along the way to photograph unfortunately!

When I arrived at Mito Station, I then took some pitcures around the platform and the train too. Here is the Mito station sign, with the Iwaki bound local line ready on the other side of the platform:

Close up of the display on the outside of the Fresh Hitachi train:

View down the platform of the Fresh Hitachi train:

Fresh Hitachi train departing for places further north towards it's terminus.

Inside Mito Station building, looking towards the exit/entrance gates:

View of the platforms at Mito Station:

Entrance to Mito Station:

Immediately Outside the station is this amazing clock tower, which does this cool display every 15 minutes:

View to the Mito Station building:

On the other side of the Mito Station Concourse, the entrance is a bit more grand:

A reasonable walk from the station is a nice lake and fountain, and next to it, an old Japanese Steam Locomotive on display in the open - so I went to take a look:

I saw one similar to this type in the SC Maglev and Railway Museum in Nagoya...Some explanatory signs in Japanese which are not much help to me!

You can climb the stairs into the cab of the loco:

Here is the view of Mito from close to the Steam Locomotive:

After this I wandered back to Mito Station to grab some Natto (famous food speciality in Mito) for my wife and family, and then caught the return Fresh Hitachi train trip back to Tokyo.

Was an interesting day trip, and the Japan Rail pass enabled me to see a part of Japan I would not have otherwise visited!

Nagoya SC Maglev and Railway Park

Back in January I was in Tokyo visiting family, and took a trip on the Shinkansen and Aonami line to visit the JR Nagoya SC Maglev and Railway Park.

This year my wife and I took advantage of the Japan Rail Pass which allows foreigners to travel on any JR line (except Nozomi Shinkansen) for a fixed number of days for one off charge. By using point to point trips you get maximum value from this pass - I will add more blog entries of other Journeys I took during January - I did a lot of train travel in Japan!

We travelled on the Hikari Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagoya Station:

Here is our train arriving:

Views of Mt Fuji as we headed down to Nagoya:

 Arrival at the Shinkansen platform at Nagoya Station:

I ran down to the front to get a picture of the train before it departed onwards to Osaka.

Next we transferred to the Aonami Line which takes us to the SCMaglev and Railway Park:

The Aonami Line train arrives:

This is not a long line, but it goes to a relatively quiet Industrial seaside area of Nagoya, which is where the Railway Park is located:

The Entrance to the SC Maglev and Railway Park:

Once you pay to get in, you are confronted initially with the fastest test train Loco's in Japan, a Steam Engine Test Loco, the 300X Test Shinkansen and of course the latest Linear Maglev Test train:

From any angle, the Maglev test train MLX01-1 is a stunning train, built to test the concept of using Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) to run a train successfully over 581km/h:

The Linear Maglev train is sleek and amazing to see in person:

Reminds me of a passenger airliner rather than a train:

Some more details about the MLX01-1 Test train:

The train name MLX01-1 on the side:

The noe design makes quite a statement - they have had to put a sign there to tell people not to sit on it!

The C62 Steam train is also interesting, setting the record for the fastest Steam Loco in Japan at 129km/h:

All three test trains, viewed from the platform level above:

Another look at the Maglev test train:

Once you pass through the initial test train area, you move into the main museum hall, containing many different Japanese trains, covering Shinkansen series trains, Diesel, Electric and Steam locomotives:

Amazingly this 20 year old Shinkansen train is now officially retired...in Australia it would be only 1/3 through it's service life!! In Adelaide the H-series Trams were run from 1929 until 2005!

There is some fantastic information on the design and construction of the Shinkansen, in English and Japanese. The Japanese are justifiably very proud of this train series design. I wish we had Shinkansen trains running in Australia - imagine how much faster travelling Sydney to Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth could be!

Shinkansen trains use standard gauge tracks, while all other trains in Japan use Narrow gauge:

Pantograph design and the Dr. Yellow test Shinkansen train in the background, used for testing the Shinkansen track:

Older Diesel and Electric trains are also on display here:

Shinano and Inaji trains:

Japan has so many different trains, and retire them after 20 years use, so they still look like new in many cases:

This train is a test track train for checking minimum clearance needed for trains to safely operate through newly constructed tunnels and track sections:

They also have a fully functional Shinkansen simulator that you can drive - you have to book quickly as daily slot tickets sell VERY quickly.

Inside the Shinkansen simulator:

Steam Loco's are also on display here:

Japan still runs some Steam train services during the year in holiday periods - I want to try one of these soon!

Very old electric car, still in good condition:

Steam Loco C57139 up close:

Some more older trains on display, here a former Tokyo commuter train:

9825M looks brand new inside and out - beautifully restored:

Views across the main display floor area, showing some of the variety of retired Shinkansen on display here, from old (right) to newest (left):

Old Japan Railways liveried Shinano train - I have seen some of these in service in more local areas in Japan until recently:

Closer look at the Shinkansen's:

For a brief period the Shinkansen used to have a Dining Car on it (these days they have a food service to each seat). I would have loved to try this when it was in use:

Shinkansen Dining car external view:

Spectacular views of the trains in the main display hall from the second floor viewing area:

Being a train museum, of course you can buy Ekiben (Local Railway Station lunch boxes) to eat. I bought some Miso-katsu and some amazing Shinkansen shaped water bottles:

Seriously, only in Japan:

Miso-katsu - a local Nagoya specialty that tastes much better than it looks:

Another view of Dr. Yellow test Shinkansen:

Final thing to look at is the very impressive model train diorama display they have in the museum:

The detail is stunning:

I couldn't imagine how much work went into making this diorama - very impressed:

So there you have it, the JR SCMaglev and Railway Park in Nagoya - an absolute must-see for any train fan who is visiting Japan!