The “Ushi Densha” (cow densha). You may be wondering… “What?”.
Back on October 2018, Tokyu Corporation introduced the wrapping train “Ushi Densha” to the Kodomo no Kuni Line as part of the “Kodomo no Kuni Line Fun Mou ~ Event” in collaborqation with the Kodmo no Kuni Association and Yukijirushi Kodomo no Kuni Ranch.
The train was scheduled to run for about a year and a half but due to its popularity, it’s still continuing.
The Kodomo no Kuni Line connects Nagatsuta Station, which connects with the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line and JR Yokohama Line, to Kodomo no Kuni Station, the nearest station to the children’s welfare facility Kodomo no Kuni, and takes about 7 minutes.
When it opened in 1967 (Showa 42), it was owned by the Kodomo no Kuni Kyokai, and operated by Tokyu Corporation under full consignment.
In 2000 (Heisei 12), it was converted to a commuter line, and Onda Station, a station on the way, opened.
Currently, the facilities of the Kodomo no Kuni Line are owned by Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Company and operated by Tokyu Corporation who maintains the line. A return operation between Nagatsuta and Kodomo no Kuni will be carried out by 3 trains of 2-car trains (Y0 series of Yokohama Rapid Transit Railway).
The Ushi Densha, has become popular along the Kodomo no Kuni Line, following the popularity of the Manekineko Train, which Tokyu Corporation has been operating on the Setagaya Line since last year. The corporation focused on dairy cows raised at “Yukijirushi Kodomo no Kuni Ranch”.
One of the three Kodomo-no-Kuni Line trains (Y003 and Y013) has a full body with a black and white cow pattern that looks like a HJolstein cow.
And the other train also popular along with Ushi Densha is Hitsuji Densha (Sheep Train) which was unveiled in March 2020.
And of course, with the popularity of the train, it would be expected that a special model train would be released. But instead of the usual KATO or TOMIX releases, we get a TomyTec release.
What this means is that it’s a toy. While it looks fantastic, N Scale size and acts and looks like a train. The wheels are plastic, there is no motor unit. You can display it or…you can purchase parts and install it.
Granted, It will take a TM-14 power unit and it will take the TT-03R metal wheels but to install a motor unit and metal wheels increases the price even further (if the trains and the parts are hard enough to find)!
Of course, purchasing two trains would probably cost you $100 (US), while this was sold for Y3705 yen ($27), the extra parts would put you at under $75. So, it’s still a deal…that is if you can find those parts easily.
But I absolutely love the wrapping of this Y000 train and also seeing it done in toy form. It makes me sad that Takara Tomy didn’t feel the need to release this as an official Tomix release.
But this is cool to have the Y000 trains (Yokohama Kosoku Tetsudo Y000) in some form of release. The trains started commercial operation in August 1999 and used to replace the first 7000 series used on the Kodomo no Kuni Line in March 2000.
Only three 2-car trains were developed by Tokyo Car Manufacturing.
I like seeing the Yokohama Minatomirai Rail logo showing and also this wrapping (including the Hitsuji Densha) are just so cool! No offense to the Los Angeles Rams colors of the original train line but these two trains are really the heart of the Kodomo no Kuni Line that will attract children and adults, but also train fans!
I also like how it captures the green upholstery as well!
But overall, the Tomytec Railway Collection 281191 – Yokohama High Speed Railway Y000 Series Children’s National Line Ushidensha (Manufacturer First Order Limited Production) is a cool train!
But I’ll be perfectly honest that I wished this was a Tomix release and not TomyTec release (I wished there was a Tomix option), because I would of paid more for a motorized unit, with the metal wheels.
But still, it’s a cool looking train set if you can find it!
