Others that had extensive freight operations, such as the Seibu and Tobu lines around Tokyo, no longer carry freight and are exclusively passenger and commuter operations. Most of these have disappeared, either because their raison d’etre has ceased operation or because of a shift to road haulage. Many regional private railroads in Japan were originally freight only, constructed to serve a particular mine, factory, or port. Running from Kiryu to Kumagaya, and then to Mitsumineguchi via the city of Chichibu, it is one of the few surviving private railroads that still has a significant freight operation. The Chichibu Railroad itself is something of an anachronism. There is onboard food and beverage service, as well as the opportunity to purchase various souvenirs with the Paleo Express logo. They are comfortable and provide modern amenities. The passenger coaches are more modern, being of a design that was produced between 19. It had travelled more than one million kilometers when it was retired in 1972.Īfter a stint in an elementary school yard (numerous decommissioned steam engines can be found in school yards and parks for children in Japan), C58363 was laboriously restored and began service on the Chichibu Railroad in 1988. It was used primarily to haul freight trains in the Tohoku (Northeast) Region of Japan. The engine used by the Chichibu Railroad is a C58 model manufactured in 1944. On a one-off steam run to Choshi in Chiba some years ago, there were throngs along the road and in fields along the route such that extra police and hired security guards were needed to prevent accidents. When a steam train is run on a line that does not have a regular steam service, the crowds can be enormous. Others had elaborate camera setups with as many as three cameras on tripods. Even though the Paleo Express runs at least twice a week for much of the year, all along the route there were clusters of people waving to the train from nearby streets and fields. When the whistle is blown and smoke pours from it stack, the sense of the engine being alive is heightened.įurther testimony to the interest in steam trains in Japan is the number of people who turn out to view or photograph any steam train run. Just standing still, a steam engine under fire inhales, exhales, spits, and makes various sounds such that it seems like an animal that is anxious to get moving. Even when it is not moving, a steam engine seems like something that is alive rather than being simply a piece of machinery. The mix of riders is testimony to the fascination that steam engines hold for people irrespective of age, nationality, or gender. We made our trip in the company of Japanese of all ages, from toddlers to the quite elderly, and a large number of foreign tourists, both European and Asian. The name of the train comes from that of a dinosaur that inhabited the area millions of years ago. She said that she is overwhelmed with gratitude as the train has encouraged locals who were affected by the disaster.On March 31, I and my older son took a day trip on the Paleo Express, a steam train operated by the Chichibu Railroad between Kumagaya and Mitsumineguchi in Saitama Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo. The boy said that he wants to thank the train for nine years of service.Ī woman who runs a Japanese inn in Kamaishi City said that it's a pity as the train has attracted a lot of steam locomotive fans to the city. It is being retired from service because of its aging passenger carriages.Ī civic brass band dedicated a performance to the retiring locomotive while people took photos of the train.Īfter the stationmaster gave the departure signal, the train whistled and slowly set off for Hanamaki Station.Ī fifth-grader from nearby Morioka City said that it's sad that the train is retiring, but he remembers when he rode the train during a summer holiday. It made its final regular run on June 4.Ĭrowds of people gathered at Kamaishi Station on Sunday for the train's final run for packaged tours. The locomotive ran between Kamaishi and Hanamaki stations on Saturdays and Sundays. The steam train was introduced in 2014 on East Japan Railway's Kamaishi Line in Iwate Prefecture as part of efforts to revitalize areas affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The iconic steam locomotive SL Ginga has made a final run in northeastern Japan with crowds of railway fans and locals bidding farewell.
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