International Railroad Discussion > Japan Scenes

More scenes from Kumamoto, Kyushu, in summer of 1972

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More from Kumamoto, Japan, summer of 1972

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More from Kumamoto, Japan, summer of 1972

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The steam facilities are fantastic. They would make quite a modelling challenge. Thanks very much for the post. Also like the 2-6-4T shot in the first post.

Tom

Fascinating! Thank you very much for posting more.

Shot #5 is of the 583 Series EMU, which was Japan's first sleeper EMU. Looks like it was assigned to the Limited Express Ariake, which covered Kyushu's main travel corridor between Hakata and Kagoshima, including Kumamoto in the middle. JNR had just completed their electrification project on that corridor in 1970, and 583 Series was assigned to it as a result. 583 with quick bed/seating reconfiguration could be used as sleeper, or non-sleeper, and I suspect it was used for the latter when you nabbed it.

Also, nice shots of the ED72/ED73 in #2, #3, and #6. The slanted cab windowed 4 axle locomotives are long gone, but one is preserved at the Kyushu Railway Museum in Mojiko (near Kokura). I might have a shot of it somewhere.