Hello, Kapinozuka here.
Today, I did want to do a Hobby Show Report, however I decided to ignore the atmosphere and look at the items related to the "Yokosuka Coloring"
that’s gathering attention recently.
Due to a very complicated situation, we can’t show you the images of these trains,
so please imagine the train by the format name (Product name).
(Kapinozuka is also looking through his photo stock atm. I might put them up if I find any.)
• Kato 10-843 Series E217 Yokosuka Line &
Sobu Line (New Color) (Basic 4-Car Set)
• Kato 10-844 Series E217 Yokosuka Line & Sobu Line (New Color) (Add-On A 4-Car Set)
• Kato 10-845 Series E217 Yokosuka Line & Sobu Line (New Color) (Add-On B 3-Car Set)
• Kato 10-846 Series E217 Yokosuka Line & Sobu Line (New Color) (Aid Formation 4-Car
Set)
The Series E217 that is mainly active on the Yokosuka Line and the Sobu Line (Rapid) is the foundation train that Series E231 suburban type that’s
currently active is based on.
It’s been 10years since its arrival, and there has been update works done on them, such as replacement of parts that are getting old, and adding
functionality etc.
The updated formations has their belt color changed to a lighter color than the existing "Yokosuka Color", and Kato will be releasing the models
with the "New Color" in the name this time. Although the change of the belt color is the part that stands out most, the Moha216 and Moha217 of
the middle cars has their equipment under the flooring partially changed, recreating this difference even in the train models.
The set content will be in the Best Selections format. A basic 4-car set, add-on 4-car set A, add-on 3-car set B, enabling you to recreate the 11-car
formation like the actual train. There is also the attachment 4-car set, so by adding that as well, you will have a basic formation of the actual train +
the attachment formation for a full 15-car formation.
• 10-807 Series 113 Yokosuka Color (4-Car
Set)
A part of the suburban type electric train Series 113 Nos.2000 that had once been running on the Tokaido Line had been positioned at the Makuhari Car
Center after retiring from the Tokaido Line, being used a local train in lines such as the Uchibo Line, Sotobo Line, and Sobu Main Line etc.
Kato had previously released the
Series 113-2000 Shonan Train (4-Car Set), and they are
going to release a color variation model of it for the cars used in the Boso Region. With the easily accessible pricing only achieved by Kato, plus the 4
-car formation that’s easy to run, this is a convenient set for those just starting N-Scale models.
Also, there are section of formation that are being revived and painted back to the Shonan coloring at present, so it may be joined onto the Yokosuka
colored formation depending on the run, so there might be those of you who want to reproduce such formations too.
• Tomix 92824 J.R. Suburban Train Series
113-1500 (Yokosuka Region Color) Basic Set A
• Tomix 92825 J.R. Suburban Train Series 113-1500 (Yokosuka Region Color) Basic Set
B
• Tomix 92826 J.R. Suburban Train Series 113-1500 (Yokosuka Region Color) Add-On
Set
• Tomix 8942 J.R. Type Saro 124 Coach (Yokosuka Region Color)
There are many variations of the Series 113, and the Nos. 1500 is the group made as the improved type of the Nos. 1000 for adding on. The numbers 1000
onwards are designed with the direct operation via Yokosuka Line and Sobu Line (Rapid), through Tokyo Metro tunnel in mind. With the E217 being
introduced, they had been mainly used as the local train for the Boso Region.
Tomix will be producing the model of the renewed Nos.1500 this time. This set will allow you to reproduce the period in which the Nos.1500 was most
glamorous, during its run on the Yokosuka Line/Sobu Line (Rapid). Plus, the two-story Green-Car, Type Saro 124 is also scheduled for release on its own.
If you combine all these sets and the single item, you will be able to reproduce the 15-Car Full Formation of what could be called its Golden Age. And of
course, you can just join the basic sets to make the local train used in the Boso Region as well.
• MicroAce A6755 Series 113-1000 Early
Production Refrigerated Car Yokosuka Color Makuhari Region (6-Car Set)
Micro Ace has also scheduled to release a Series 113 Yokosuka Color as well.
There was a period where the JR East rushing to turn the non-air conditioned cars to be air conditioned, after it had been privatized, and they had
developed a small dispersion type air conditioner by the name of type AU712, which had been equipped to a portion of the Series 113. The new item
scheduled for release from Micro Ace is going to be the group that had been produced in the early stages out of the lot, and will be the model positioned
at the Makuhari Electric Train District (currently the Makuhari Car Center) with the AU712 type air conditioner equipped. These have already been replaced
by the successor trains, thus you will not be able to see the actual train no longer.
Therefore, it is different to the items introduced earlier, the Nos.2000 by Kato and the Nos.1500 by Tomix too. Why not add this to your collection as a
variation car?
• Bandai B Train Shorty Series 113 Latter
Yokosuka Color
From the B-Train Shorty Series, the late period of Series 113 Yokosuka Color is popularly on sale. The group of Yokosuka Line that been modified for
running onto the Tokyo Station metro tunnel had been reproduced.
• Tomytec SHM-04 Manual Front Rollsign
Series 113 Tokaido / Yokosuka Line
This is a product that had turned the manual rollsign placed at the face of the Series 113 around the top into a 1/5 scale model product.
It says "Tokaido / Yokosuka Line" in the name, as there was a time when the Yokosuka line ran on the same rail as the Tokaido Line to get ride
into the Tokyo station, before the tunnel of Tokyo Station underground had been opened, and the product had reproduced that period. As it has used the car
positioned at the Ohuna Electric Train Region around the year 1962 as its model, the destinations featured has that of Tokaido Line included as well.
• Tomytec SHM-06 Manual Front Rollsign
Series 113 Boso Region
The Series 113 like the previous item, the Manual Front Rollsign of Yokosuka Color Series 113.
This one has used the car positioned at the Tsudanuma Electric Train Region from around 1975 as its model. The product features each destination of the
each of the Boso Lines, as well as the different ones used for the temporary trains too. Very unlike these days, the background back then just used white
as base, a very standard specification. The current Series 113 of Boso Region has different colors so that the customers can identify what line that train
belonged to, yellow being the Sobu Main Line, red being the Sotobo line, the navy blue being Uchibo Line, and green being Narita Line etc.
• Kapinozuka’s Erudition Corner
"The Yokosuka Color" was originally started with the electric trains of Yokosuka line being painted in two colors, blue and cream. It’s
also called the "Suka-shoku (Suka-color)", and the colors were selected with the image of seaside in mind. There had been changes in the
coloring, but it had been passed onto the Series E217 even in this present date.
The Sobu Main Line splits from Kinshicho Station, connecting to the Yokosuka line via the underground tunnel at Tokyo Station, and the direct operation
had started with the use of Yokosuka Color Series 113. With the introduction of Yokosuka Color Series 113 in both Boso Lines, the Yokosuka Colors had
become a familiarized coloring within the Chiba prefecture as well.
Of course, the Yokosuka Colored trains are also used in the Minobu Line, Iida Line, and the Chuo Main Line etc. as well, so they are also familiarized in
those regions too. However, the Yokosuka Color trains that were used at places without sea were referred to as "Yama-Suka" (note: Yama means
mountain) etc.
The Series 113 of the Boso Region are in process of being replaced by the Series 209 that had retired from the Keihin Tohoku Line. The Series 209 that had
been modified for use in the Boso Region had been colored with yellow and blue, the "Boso Color" instead of the Yokosuka Color. So this will
only leave the Series E217 to be left running with the Yokosuka Color in the Boso region. As for the coloring of the cars, they will completely split
between the trains that runs on the Sobu Line (Rapid) that’s connected to the Yokosuka Line, and the trains that runs only within the Boso Region,
which is likely to improve the service side for the users, but there is also some sadness to come, as the Yokosuka Colored trains that had been
familiarized for a long time will almost completely be wiped out from the Boso Region. However, a new color name "Boso Color", that should
surely represent Chiba has is born out of all this, so we should be happy that the name of Boso will be known throughout the country.
Right, that was rather long, but that’s it all for the Yokosuka Color Special.
The news of the Hobby Show will be coming up soon, so please look forward to them too.
By Kapinozuka (It’s hard to tell whats what without images!)