An N700A bullet train arrives at Shin-Kobe station. These trains travel the Tokaido line from Tokyo to Osaka at 285 kmh.



Shinkansen by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

[Tonytee]

What a beautiful shot. Must be leaving, hence the fast shutter speed and high ISO. At 285kmh, that is around 171mph I would venture a guess. Am I Close? Thnx for a really interesting capture.


tt

[RobG]

What a beautiful shot. Must be leaving, hence the fast shutter speed and high ISO. At 285kmh, that is around 171mph I would venture a guess. Am I Close? Thnx for a really interesting capture.

Thanks Tony! I make it 177 mph. It was arriving at Shin-Kobe. You can tell because the lights on the front are white and on the back they're red. I had to judge when it was about to exit the tunnel by the reflection of the lights on the wall.

The fastest bullet train I've been on got up to 320 kmh which is 199 mph.

[lesmore49]

Thanks Tony! I make it 177 mph. It was arriving at Shin-Kobe. You can tell because the lights on the front are white and on the back they're red. I had to judge when it was about to exit the tunnel by the reflection of the lights on the wall.

The fastest bullet train I've been on got up to 320 kmh which is 199 mph.

199 mph...that is moving !!

The fastest train I've ever been on was in 1962. If I recall it was a Canadian Pacific freight train with about 3 empty (except for very young me) passenger cars. Think it probably got up to about 55-60 mph, pulled by a Baldwin Diesel-Electric locomotive. It was a short run over the Manitoba-Northern Minnesota prairies.

Unfortunately out here on the Canadian prairies we don't have much...none is my understanding... in terms of passenger train travel Lot's of freight, oil tanker trains, but forget about passenger train service.

Lots of territory, relatively small population are the reasons.

Our personal vehicles are our 'public transportation'.

But I would like to have a fast ride in a bullet train. Interesting photo...love the streamlined appearance.

[pschlute]

I like it.

[Tonytee]

Thanks Tony! I make it 177 mph. It was arriving at Shin-Kobe. You can tell because the lights on the front are white and on the back they're red. I had to judge when it was about to exit the tunnel by the reflection of the lights on the wall.

The fastest bullet train I've been on got up to 320 kmh which is 199 mph.

Just out of curiosity, how is it that you were allowed to be in that area so close to the train? I would imagine, (knowing the Japanese) that they would have strict security

and safety measures in place. Perhaps they thought (with a camera in hand) that you were a news photographer/reporter of some kind. Thnx again, a very fun capture.

tt

[Sailor]

A clever and well-crafted shot, Rob - good stuff!

I was once on a train from Strasbourg to Paris that was pretty fast, but I don't think it was moving at anything like the speeds you mentioned. It was comfortable and smooth riding, which made the walk to the Bar Car a piece of cake.

Jer

[Kerrowdown]

Bullet train at Kobe

Impressive image indeed...

I understand the science behind the current shapes, but I still prefer the look of the original Japanese 0 Series... as a thing of beauty.

[Apet-Sure]

The fastest bullet train I've been on got up to 320 kmh which is 199 mph.

Now that is really 'haulin' the mail'! I suppose they have a way of keeping cows off the tracks?

[RobG]

199 mph...that is moving !!

It's one thing to go fast in a plane, but something else to go fast on the ground. The train which reached 320 kmh was the train to Hokkaido which now runs through the 40 km tunnel under the sea to terminate at Shin-Hakodate. Eventually it will go to Sapporo.

The fastest train I've ever been on was in 1962. If I recall it was a Canadian Pacific freight train with about 3 empty (except for very young me) passenger cars. Think it probably got up to about 55-60 mph, pulled by a Baldwin Diesel-Electric locomotive. It was a short run over the Manitoba-Northern Minnesota prairies.

Cool! Trains in Australia generally don't go much fast than that either. I think the XPT has a top speed of 160 kmh (roughly 100 mph) but I think it's generally limited to about 120 kmh.

Unfortunately out here on the Canadian prairies we don't have much...none is my understanding... in terms of passenger train travel Lot's of freight, oil tanker trains, but forget about passenger train service. Lots of territory, relatively small population are the reasons. Our personal vehicles are our 'public transportation'. But I would like to have a fast ride in a bullet train. Interesting photo...love the streamlined appearance.

We have the same problem in Australia - people spread out over a big country. I recommend a ride on the Japanese bullet train, although they have high speed trains in Europe too. Just don't be late for a Japanese train - they are always on time and wait for nobody!

I like it.

Thanks!

Just out of curiosity, how is it that you were allowed to be in that area so close to the train? I would imagine, (knowing the Japanese) that they would have strict security and safety measures in place. Perhaps they thought (with a camera in hand) that you were a news photographer/reporter of some kind. Thnx again, a very fun capture.

I was standing on the end of the platform at Shin-Kobe station, so not a security issue. I saw a video on NHK about a train otaku (geek) photographing bullet trains and carrying a ladder to have a view over a fence to photograph a train coming out of a tunnel at full speed. He meticulously researched the location and the timing. I don't quite have that luxury.

A clever and well-crafted shot, Rob - good stuff! I was once on a train from Strasbourg to Paris that was pretty fast, but I don't think it was moving at anything like the speeds you mentioned. It was comfortable and smooth riding, which made the walk to the Bar Car a piece of cake.

The fastest train I've been on in Europe was in Spain, which had indicators showing 300 kmh. I have also been on Eurostar which I think gets up to a decent speed. Sadly there's no bar on a bullet train, but you can by a beer from the trolley when the staff bring it around. I've seen a luxury cruise train which had a piano bar and a restaurant, but I can't imagine spending the price of a ticket on that.

Impressive image indeed... I understand the science behind the current shapes, but I still prefer the look of the original Japanese 0 Series... as a thing of beauty.

You can still see an O-series in a couple of museums. I swear I saw one in Saitama in 2009, but they were withdrawn from service in 2008, so it was probably the similar 100 series which operated until 2012. Sadly I never got to ride the O-series.

---------- Post added 17-07-20 at 09:29 AM ----------

PS The platform has steel barriers to prevent people from falling onto the tracks.

[Kerrowdown]

You can still see an O-series in a couple of museums

Worryingly I'm old enough to remember seeing the first running of them on TV news... does that make me a museum piece too?

[RobG]

Worryingly I'm old enough to remember seeing the first running of them on TV news... does that make me a museum piece too?

There was TV in those days?

[Kerrowdown]

There was TV in those days?

Aye Black & White mind...

[RobG]

Worryingly I'm old enough to remember seeing the first running of them on TV news... does that make me a museum piece too?

Here's a walk down memory lane courtesy of the Saitama railway museum.


The O Series Shinkansen by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

---------- Post added 17-07-20 at 08:32 PM ----------

Aye Black & White mind...

I confess I can also remember B&W TV, but only just. My Dad had a connection with a TV station, so we got a colour TV long before most people.

[Kerrowdown]

Here's a walk down memory lane courtesy of the Saitama railway museum.

Slower maybe... but a thing of beauty.