EF64 at Shinonoi locomotive base

I went to Nagano city area today and found many locomotives so I sneaked up to them:)

EH200(left) and DE10? (right)




First time for me to see some real EH200. Very different from EH10. Feels as if I were living in a quite different age.





Lots of EF64!





A local train for Nagano just passed by the locomotive base. I met someone in the same hobby and talked about this and that. I thought this Shinonoi locomotive base was for trains went up and down the Ubasute but he told me this was a sub-base of Shiojiri main base. I guess perhaps Shiojiri was the base for trains went steep up/down hill at Chuo line. If I remember right, there used to be loco bases at Kamisuwa and Kiso-Fukushima as well. Probably there were more loco bases around a steep up/down hills lines than flat lines. Now Shiojiri locomotive base does not exist any more, so this Shinonoi locomotive base is an independent one. I found only one that had a yellow door at the front.




This yellow door at the front is unique enough to express that it was renewed in Hiroshima factory. The dark blue line at the bottom is also drawn lower than others. I even didn't notice that until when he told it to me. He also told me this loco belonged to Aichi base and only one that regularly pulls freight trains all the way here to Nagano.





Some of EF64 locomotives were just there doing nothing. Maybe their destiny is to be scrapped as the guy said?




EF64-55




Do electric locomotives also need some sand to avoid slipping at uphills? What is the stuff like a hose just beside the wheel and rail.





A EF64 holds 3 boggies, so wheels are located like B-B-B ( 2-2-2)
The side boggies have 2 springs each.




One thick and bigger spring at the middle boggie.





EF64-22





EF64-62




Says "built in 1973" 35 years old! It's in one's prime if they were human beings!







EF64-58




EF64-52.
It's how it goes old stuff retire when newbies show up. EF64 was born in more than 40 years ago in J.N.R (Japan National Railways) era to push/pull trains at the Itaya summit of Ouu main line before it was switched from Direct current to Alternate current. But now life is cruel, the last time gets close to them.........

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