The (Luxury Super Express) was an

electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number o ...

(EMU) train type operated from December 1980 to July 2018 by

Odakyu Electric Railway , commonly known as Odakyū, is a major railway company based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for its '' Romancecar'' series of limited express trains from Tokyo to Odawara, Enoshima, Tama New Town, and Hakone. The Odakyu Electric Railway Company f ...

on "

Romancecar The is Odakyu Electric Railway's name for its limited express luxury tourist services south-west of Tokyo, to mountain resorts such as Hakone and Gotemba (Mount Fuji), and beaches such as Odawara and Enoshima. When the service started in ...

" limited express services in Japan.

Design

The 7000 series LSE trains were the first new "Romancecars" introduced since the Odakyu 3100 series NSE 17 years previously. The overall styling represented an evolution of the 3100 series design, with 11 articulated cars mounted on shared

bogie A bogie ( ) (or truck in North American English) comprises two or more Wheelset (rail transport), wheelsets (two Railroad wheel, wheels on an axle), in a frame, attached under a vehicle by a pivot. Bogies take various forms in various modes ...

s. The external livery of orange vermilion, grey, and white was also identical to that carried by the 3100 series. The passenger doors continued the folding style, but were automatically operated instead of the manually operated doors of the 3100 series. File:OER 3100 sideview.jpg, 3100 series NSE side view File:OER 7003 sideview.jpg, 7000 series LSE side view

Operations

The 7000 series LSE sets were normally used on ''Hakone'' and ''Super Hakone'' services between Shinjuku and Hakone-Yumoto, and on ''Sagami'' services.

Formations

The four 11-car articulated sets were formed as follows, with car 1 at the Odawara and Hakone end. Cars 2, 5, 7, and 10 each had one single-arm pantograph.

Interior

Passenger accommodation

Passenger accommodation consists of rotating/reclining pairs of seats arranged 2+2 abreast. All cars are no-smoking. File:Observation Seat of Odakyu RomanceCar LSE.JPG, Observation car seating, July 2007 File:Blue Seat of Odakyu RomanceCar LSE.JPG, Seating with blue moquette, September 2006 File:Red Seat of Odakyu RomanceCar LSE.JPG, Seating with red moquette, October 2006 File:Counter of Odakyu RomanceCar LSE.JPG, Former refreshment counter, October 2007

Facilities

Cars 4 and 8 have toilet and washing facilities. Cars 3 and 9 had refreshment counters, although since the 1990s, these are used as a base for trolley service sales.

History

The first set, 7001, was delivered in December 1980, and entered service on 27 December of the same year. One set was delivered each subsequent year, with the final set, 7004, delivered in December 1983. In 1981, the 7000 series LSE was awarded the Blue Ribbon Award, presented annually in Japan by the Japan Railfan Club for railway vehicles voted as being the most outstanding design of the year. The fleet was refurbished between 1995 and 1997 to improve accessibility, and new seat

moquette Moquette is a type of woven pile (fabric), pile fabric in which cut or uncut threads form a short dense cut or loop pile. The pile's upright fibres form a flexible, durable, non-rigid surface with a distinctive velvet-like feel. Traditional moqu ...

was added. At the same time, the sets were repainted into a new livery of wine red and white based on that applied to the Odakyu 10000 series HiSE sets. From 2005, the original scissors-type pantographs were replaced with single-arm pantographs. In 2007, set 7004 was repainted back into its original livery to mark the 80th anniversary of Odakyu. In 2012, one of the two sets still in new livery was repainted back into the original livery, and the other set was withdrawn as of 19 February 2012, leaving two sets in service, both in the original livery. The last set was withdrawn from regular service on 10 July 2018 after it was used on the ''Home Way No. 83'' service. The sets have been completely retired from service on 13 October 2018.

In popular culture

The 7000 LSE is a player-driveable train in the 2001 ''

Microsoft Train Simulator ''Microsoft Train Simulator'' (informally abbreviated to MSTS) is a 2001 train simulator game developed by UK-based Kuju Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios, Microsoft Games (now known as Xbox Game Studios) for Microsoft Windows, W ...

'' railroad simulator.

References

External links

Odakyu Romancecar Lineup
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odakyu 07000 Series Lse Electric multiple units of Japan 7000 series LSE Articulated passenger trains 1500 V DC multiple units of Japan Train-related introductions in 1980