International Railroad Discussion > Trip to Miyamori for C58 #239 (Japan)

Last October, I visited Japan again, and planned a Saturday return to Miyamori (宮守) to get a video of the C58 #239 steam locomotive and SL Ginga train cross the arch bridge. I'm posting a separate thread, since this adventure was different enough from my ride and chase in April of 2014.

First clip in the video is at Shin-Hanamaki (新花巻), where I just detrained from a Shinkansen and about to board a Kamaishi Line 110 Series DMU set. 110 Series started service in 1990. Doesn't the diesel sound remind you of a Budd RDC?

In the second clip, I'm at Miyamori Station, watching the Kamaishi Line train depart in the opposite direction. Kamaishi Line is single track, so the DMUs had a meet here. Note the MOW train parked, a rail train with section rails?

Third clips is an outtake. There's a price to pay if railfans "want smoke" from the steam locomotive. The wind was blowing in the wrong direction, so I didn't get a clean shot of the C58 and the SL Ginga. This is the Saturday SL Ginga departing Tono (遠野).

I am perfectly OK with a clean stack, as long as the steam locomotive makes lots of sounds for my camcorder.

- About to depart Tsuchizawa Station (土沢駅).
- 110 Series DMUs meet at Miyamori.
- Video as described.

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The walk from Miyamori Station to the view location of the arch bridge is less than 1/2 mile.

- Miyamori Station view from the street.
- View location. You can't miss it.
- Updated schedule for the SL Ginga is posted on the other side.

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- Photo line was already established about an hour before SL Ginga's arrival. Note the farthest two people, who are wearing water-proof boots and are in the river. One of them is a Tetsuko (鉄子), a lady railfan.

- Tetsuko's hardware are two Nikon cameras. She went in and out of the water while waiting for the C58, because the water was so cold!

- Dragonfly railfan.

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There was a casual railfan who got in front of the photo line. If you look at the third image with the 110 Series DMU on the arch bridge, he was standing on the knoll just below the last car of the DMU. I noticed him, and told a guy next to me that with his point-n-shoot, he was too close for a good composition.

Just at that moment, the entire photo line yelled at him to back off. The casual railfan jumped in surprise and complied, then the guy next to me said to me, "あほ　(stupid)."

- Canon contingent. If you look very carefully, there are 2 cameras on each tripod, for 4 total.

- Three cameras for this railfan's tripod.

- 110 Series DMU showed up, and everyone got their test shots.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/15 19:10 by cchan006.

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I hopped on the next eastbound 110 Series DMU at Myamori and caught up to SL Ginga at Tono, where C58 #239 made a fuel and water stop.

- The lady to the far right is a Chinese tourist, trying to bring Tokyo fashion to Japan's countryside. Note how the other folks on the platform are dressed, who are domestic tourists. Her husband/boyfriend seemed like an accomplished photographer. She was posing patiently, and he was waiting for the right moment to hit the shutter.

- Enthusiastic railfan getting photos with the officials. The man in white is a ceremonial station master.

- I had to rush over to my video shooting location, so this was the cleanest shot I got of the C58 #239 while at Tono.

That's all folks.

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Very good photos and quite interesting.  Thanks for posting.
Chris