International Railroad Discussion > Awa - Kochi on the Dosan line

I took a day off from my activities while visiting Shikoku to joy ride with my JR pass, and figured getting to Kochi and back, on the southern shore of the island was doable. This was made possible by using the app Hyperdia (also a web site), where I could punch in different itineraries to see about feasability.
I started in Awa-yoshinagawa, a small station 40 miles west of Tokushima, on the JR Awa line. Getting to Kochi involved changing at Miyoshi for the Dosan line.
When I boarded the train, the young conductor looked concerned that a westerner had boarded, and was clearly headed in the wrong direction. After I sat down, I handed over my JR pass and he held it very close, scrutinizing all of the wording as if he had never seen one. Then he spoke at length to me in Japanese, of which I know absolutely none, but I could tell he was wondering exactly what I was doing. I showed him my itinerary on my iPhone, and he seem satisfied that I knew what I was doing and left with a curious kind of smile.
Just before Miyoshi, he came back and made sure I goy off and to the correct platform.
From Miyoshi, the Josan line heads south, cutting across the rugged interior along the Yoshina river gorge, and there are very few places where the track is not on a bridge, in a tunnel or on a curve.
What I didn't realize was that my itinerary had me stop over in Otoyo for a half hour to catch a faster express scheduled to overtake the local up the line.
I noticed there were two other Japanese railfans on the local, and they remained on board after I got off in Otoyo.
The express turned out to be one of the Anpanman themed sets with the kiddie cars.
Seen here: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,3848902
The rest of the ride to Kochi was tunnel after tunnel after tunnel.....
THis is an edited and smaller version of the video linked on my web site, gnarchive.com
 

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I did the Iida   [ spoken i think as 'eeda''] line ,north from Toyohashi a few years ago and it had  numerous tunnels as well!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/15 23:11 by bakersfielddave.

here are a couple of maps from the road atlas i was using  15 years ago that show the line should be same as today

counting the tunnels

starting at

Tosa-Yamada

14  tunnels to Shigeto

13 from here to Oboke

15 more to Iyaguchi

11  more to Kotohira

around 50-55 tunnels!

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/15 18:22 by bakersfielddave.

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I love your stuff! Gives me a chance look at Japan.What are they using to power that train?


Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

bakersfielddave Wrote:
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> I did the Iida   [ spoken i think as
> 'eeda''] line ,north from Toyohashi a few years
> ago and it had  numerous tunnels as well!

I rode JR Tokai's Iida Line back in 2006. While the distances are similar between the Dosan and Iida Lines (just under 200 km), there are far more station stops on the Iida Line (94) compared to Dosan Line (61), so there's a more "urban feel" when riding the Iida Line locals, despite the wonderful forested canyon scenery. It might also have something to do with Iida Line being electrified, while the Dosan Line is not, which enhances its rural "local line" flavor.

There's a small but very interesting rail museum at Chubu-Tenryu Station on the Iida Line.

Back to the Dosan Line, very nice catch of the bridge-on-the-station in the video! I want to add that Shingai Station is one of two stations on the line located on a switchback, not visible from the limited express train because it didn't stop there.

I'll add a :-) at the "Welcoming committee" subtitle in the video, because the sign is actually asking for Nepal Earthquake relief donations. Another great video of Japan's "local line" action!

THose were DMU's - like Budd RDC's with a couple of diesels slung underneath.
retcsxcfm Wrote:
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> I love your stuff! Gives me a chance look at
> Japan.What are they using to power that train?
>
>
> Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

Here's a still of the station on a bridge - then into a tunnel

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