Many people are familiar with the Narita Express and it may just be the first train they ever rode on.
Why is that?
Well, it’s one of the trains that usually takes travelers from Narita Airport (the other is its rival, the Keisei AE series) in Chiba to Tokyo. And definitely one of the cheaper alternatives and one of the coolest and most comfortable. And more than likely, it’s the train that you will ride on the way back.
I was in Japan when it was the 253 and since 2009, it’s the E259 series that people will ride on. And the train was manufactured by Kinki Sharyo and Tokyu Car Corporation.
The E259 is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) operated by JR East (so, you can use your JR Pass to board it) and it travels at 130 km/h (81 mph).
Designed by industrial designer Ekuan Kenji, the E259 features a retracting gangway connection on the end cars, so two sets of the E259 can be coupled and become a 12-car formation. The E259-500 MoHa has two single armed pantographs but does not come with the Automatic Train Control (ATC).
And as always, any train I ride, I want to own on N Gauge and Plarail.
The version I got was the 10-847 three car set. So, you get the front kuha E258-10, the motor car moha E-259-10 and the rear kuro E-259-10. You can purchase the add-on set with the other three cars MoHa E258-10 x2 and MoHa E259-510.
But the train which is a power unit with flywheel is really well-produced with its white, red and black. It reproduces the signal flame tube, train phone antenna, protective radio antenna and comes with a body mount close coupler (with hook), has headlight/taillight lighting (with turn off switch). The headlights match with actual vehicle, with white HID lamps (high-intensity discharge lamps) in the upper part and a bulb-colored shield beam in the middle part. Also, red led tail lights which light up at the bottom.
The set comes with a mini driver for the switch to turn it off.
For the most part, the KATO 10-847 E259 Narita Express (N Gauge) but unfortunately, I was using the train when I was first designing my diorama set and launching it at full speed and somehow the body close coupler got caught on the bridge and detached from the unit.
Granted, I was able to fix it but it doesn’t stay on as good as before, which is unfortunate.
But for the most part, it’s a beautiful reproduction, runs very well and collector’s can purchase it quite inexpensively at Y8400 (about $58).
If you have ridden on the Narita Express and enjoy it! Then definitely get the KATO 10-847 E259 Narita Express Basic 3-Car Set (N Gauge).
