International Railroad Discussion > Degoichi 498 in Minakami

Class D51 #498, 1067mm gauge 2-8-2 built in 1936 operates Fridays and Saturdays this 2015 season in JR East between Takasaki and Minakami, Gunma, Japan. 

#1 Uncoupling from the train at Minakami station for servicing.
#2 Entering the service area
#3 Engineer on the left hand side
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/03/15 14:32 by Railpax71.

---

---

---

#4-6 Turntable operation. It is a talking turntable too.  Keeps repeating "kiken" when it is rotating, then announces it is lined up.

---

---

---

#7 Water
#8 Leveling the coal pile
#9 Lube

---

---

---

All serviced and the crew takes a break while the passengers walk around the town.

---

Great photos!

Gus
 

Railpax71 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Class D51 #498, meter gauge 2-8-2 built in 1936
> operates Fridays and Saturdays this 2015 season in
> JR East between Takasaki and Minakami, Gunma,
> Japan. 
>
> #1 Decoupling from the train at Minakami station
> for servicing.
> #2 Entering the service area
> #3 Fireman
>  
pax71,

JNR is Cape Gauge 3'6".

These SL trips are very popular around Japan.

J.

Decoupling???   I guess that's another way to say uncoupling.

De-go-ichi (D51) can only de-couple. :^) And yes, I am in metric land so to be more precise the gauge is 1067mm.

Railpax71 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> De-go-ichi (D51) can only de-couple. :^) And yes,
> I am in metric land so to be more precise the
> gauge is 1067mm.

Thanks for the great report! D51 #498 is what inspired me to become a camera-carrying foamer (撮り鉄) instead of just a train rider (乗り鉄), about 15 years ago. Hope you enjoyed the cooler weather in Minakami.

You'll have to endure another nitpick. That's the engineer in photo #3. They sit on "the other side" in Japan.

Nitpick please!  We all learn by the details. Yes, it was cooler by going up to Minakami and beyond.  At about 1500 meters it was way cooler at 27 degrees than 38 in Kiryu. How does the crew in Degoichi survive?

So funny, at one of the roadside koen on the way back little kids alerted their parents to the gaigen they had spotted at Minikami. Not as many railfans with their armade of lens and tripods as before.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/03/15 03:46 by Railpax71.

---

Very nice post. Thanks!

Steve Mitchell
http://www.yardgoatimages.com