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This is a reskin of Rizky’s 01 Series. The original model is not avaible anymore, so please download the Tokyu 5000 Series from the “Tokyo Subway Pack” instead, as it uses the same dependencies.

All the necessary dependencies are included in this package, avaible on the DLS or from Rizky’s website
Reskinned with permission.

 

Renewing Tokyo’s oldest Subway Line…

Following the construction of the Hanzomon line, TRTA looked to renovate it’s older lines: the Ginza, Marunouchi, Hibiya and Tozai Lines.

Especially the Ginza Line, wich at the time had the oldest stock (all dating between 1949 and 1958, with a few units even from 1934!), making the newest train atleast 20 years old. Moreover, these were designed to be technically compatible and operable in multiple (therefore sharing identical equipment, motors and controls) with the original 1000 series dating back to the line opening (in 1927!), making them absurdly obsolete for the eraly 1980s!

The 01 Series was then introduced. At the time it was cutting edge, with new improvements for passengers such as an analogue route direction indicator above the doors (wich was still used as of 2017), precursor of modern above-door LCD screens, and a 3-tone door opening and closing chime, wich became subseqent standard on all subway trains and was the first of it’s kind not only in Tokyo, but in the whole of Japan.
It also had less visible but more audible improvements: a GTO chopprer control, wich made a distinctive 3-note melody, and was subsequently used in the 02, 03 and 05 serieses.

Initially these trains were also predisposed for air-conditioning, but due to the small size of the Ginza line’s tunnels, new, very small air conditioning units had to be developed with a lenghty process, being fitted to the trains only between 1990 and 1995.
In the meantime, between 1984 and 1990 the 01 series traveled with provisional air intakes, similar to those found on older stock.

With the air conditioning units being fitted to the trains between 1990 and 1995, they became a familiar face for many Tokyoites, wich were used to ride in old, rumorous stock reminescent of New York’s IRT, now replaced by shiny, silent and swift modern stock, a welcome sight for both passengers and crews, wich now had a more spacious and comfortable cab to work in. It was, suprisingly enough, well recieved even by hardcore “old always better than new” railway enthusiasts.

The old mixture of stock was phased out in two times: most (1200,1300,1400,1600,1700,1800,1900 and some 1500s) were phased out in 1986/87 and the remaining (all of the 1500s and the 2000s) were retired (not without a bit of ceremony) in 1993.

 

…and special liveries!

In the late 1990s, TRTA devised the “U-Liner” – a pubblicitary initiative wich was to be a kind of “spoof” of other companies’ adverts (a “Liner” is usually a quite fast and sometimes exclusive limited express service, wich were commonly advertized in the mid-1990s), by sort-of-saying “Hey! You are not the only ones to have “Liners”! come and see!”.

Fitted in a special livery, a 01 Series set ran branded as the “U-Liner” in the late 1990s, and the idea was later replied on a Marunouchi line 02 series set, and after the company changeover, seemingly repeated by Tokyo Metro. Apart from this, information (such as operation dates) and photos (especially sidewiews) are vey scarce.

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Ginza Line, in 2007,  Tokyo Metro organized a ran a special”revival color train”: 01 Series set No.17 was repainted in an all-body yellow livery with a brown roof, reminescent of the original 1000 series.

The initiative was so well liked by evryday passengers, that they surprisingly took interest in the idea of running an actual replica train. This idea was later the principal driving force behind the design of the new 1000 series introduced in 2012 to replace the 01 Series, with it’s design based on original 1000 series trains, and with the last delivered units even more closely resembling the original 1000 series (down to the single headlight and replica wood panels!)

The 01 series was replaced by the new 1000 series by the late 2010s, with the last 01 set (set 30) being withdrawn on 31 March 2017.

 

 

Trivia#1
In 1980 the Ginza Line was said to be precieved by the pubblic as “old fashoned”, therefore the new stock was given a radically different appearance from exitsting trains following the ideas of “functionality”, “brightness” and “chic”.

 

Trivia#2
Initally both the 01 and 02 series trains did not carry any logo at all. This is because these trains did not have trough-running services (the Ginza and Maronouchi lines are self-enclosed) and therefore they did not have to be distinguished by other companies’ trains.
All the other TRTA trains (such as the Chiyoda line’s 6000 series) carried a well-visible “S-arrow” logo on the front and the sides.
This changed in 2004, when the newly formed Tokyo Metro applied what is literally a sticker with it’s “M-Heart” logo on all trains.

 

Trivia#3
The 2007 “revival color train” was based on an older idea of TRTA, wich in 1997 (for the 70th anniversary of the line’s opening) repainted only the Asakusa-end KuHa of set 22 (01 622) into the original 1000 series yellow color, and was also applied the fake number of 1006.