International Railroad Discussion > Japan Trip Part 2 - Hakone-Tozan Railway

We spent 5 days in Hakone around Christmas, which is a resort town with lots of "onsens", or spa hotels with hot spring baths.  Many people get to Hakone on the Hakone-Tozan Railway, as we did, coming from Tokyo and transferring from the parent cape-gauge Odakyu Railway at Hakone -Yumoto.   The railway is a 10-mile long single-track railroad with passing sidings at every station, and features 8% grades operated with adhesion EMUs (no cogs, no cables), and has 3 switchbacks in the 10 miles.  Service is very frequent, with trains about every 15 minutes for most of the day.  The railway has a "sister-railway" reltaionship with the Rhaetian Railway in Switzerland, and there are some similarities between the systems - color and design of some of the rolling stock being the main ones.   The railway itself is fairly inaccessible except at stations, though you can hike in to a few locations.

1)  These are the oldest cars on the system - the MoHa1 and MoHa2 cars, which always operate as a 3-car set.  These cars are from 1919 and 1927, with significant rebuilding in 1950.  Here they are pulling into Ohiradai Station having just come up an 8% grade into the station, where they will reverse to go up another leg of a switchback.
2)  Here is the same set coming down the hill into Miyanoshita Station.
3)  Here's a 2000 series trainset (named "St Moritz") pulling into Kowakidani Station.    These cars were delivered between 1989-1997. 
 

---

---

---

4)  Here's the MoHa1/MoHa2 set again - this time passing the Hakone Open Air Museum near the Chokokunomori Station.
5)  One of the newer 3000 series trains at Miyanoshita Station heading uphill.   These cars have some styling similarities to the Rhaetian Railway Bernina Express trains, and were built in 2014. 
6)  Here's a hike-in location!  A 1000-series train crossing a viaduct across a portion of the valley wiped out by flooding a few years ago, with some impressive landslide-prevention earthworks visible all around the viaduct.  THis location is near the Jakotsu Bridge, and is a short walk from the Kowakidani Station.  There are some waterfalls in the area on the Haya River, but hard to get those into the shot of the train.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/25 22:49 by dwatry.

---

---

---

7)  1000-series trainset coming into the station at Chokokunomori.
8)  1000-series trainset near Chokokunomori.
9)  2000-series trainset coming downgrade off the switchback into the Ohiradai Station.
 

---

---

---

10)  Here's a shot of one of the switchbacks in action.  I'm on a train that has gone upgrade from Ohiradai into the switchback, and we can see a downhill train approaching the switchback.  All passing of trains happens either in the switchbacks or at stations. 
11)  The Hakone-Tozan Railway also operates a cable car that goes from the end of the line in Gora up to a transfer at Sounzan Station to a ropeway to go further up the mountain, for views of Mt Fuji, hiking opportunities, or lake cruise opportunities on Lake Ashi. 
12)  The ropeway traverses a couple of valleys that look like they could be the sets for the Orcs in "Lord of the Rings" - lots of geothermal activity and clouds of sulfurous gases billowing upwards.  Very thrilling!
 

---

---

---

13)  Mt Fuji as seen from Lake Ashi - partially obscured by clouds.  Mt Fuji makes its own weather and it's fun to watch how quickly it changes.
14)  The ferries used on Lake Ashi - all of which have a pirate theme!

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/25 22:52 by dwatry.

---

---

Wow--we in the USA could learn something here:  traction cars built in 1919, rebuilt in the 1950's, and still providing frequent, heavily used service today.  And the cars look fantastic.

See, it can be done.  It takes a work ethic, pride and willing management.

dwatry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> . . . .  The railway has a "sister-railway" reltaionship with
> the Rhaetian Railway in Switzerland, and there are
> some similarities between the systems - color and
> design of some of the rolling stock being the main
> ones.

From the Rhaetische Bahn website, here's the background on the sister railway relationship. In brief, the Bernina Bahn that is now part of the Rhaetische Bahn inspired a Japanse engineer to visit it to see how it was built and operated without a rack system. He then returned to Japan  and set about designing the Hakone Tozan on the same principles.  https://www.rhb.ch/en/company/business-partner/partnership-relations/hakone-tozan-railway

 

dwatry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 13)  Mt Fuji as seen from Lake Ashi - partially
> obscured by clouds.  Mt Fuji makes its own
> weather and it's fun to watch how quickly it
> changes.

And even if you live in Japan, it's not trivial getting a clean shot of Mt. Fuji.

> 14)  The ferries used on Lake Ashi - all of which
> have a pirate theme!

I did the Hakone National Park "riding tour" of rail + "air" + water decades ago, and like you, had so much fun. However, I didn't take any photos. Love your catch of the historic Moha 1 and Moha 2 EMUs, and especially shot #2, very nice.

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> See, it can be done.  It takes a work ethic,
> pride and willing management.

You have no idea, because it takes MUCH MORE, starting with the respect for tradition and the elders.

The culture of destruction in the name of "progress" is why this is impossible in the U.S. It's everywhere here on TO, too, the mocking of nostalgia and of opinions of older people. Moha 1 & 2 won't survive in that environment, regardless of work ethic. Any "will" of management to preserve the old will be annihilated.

The designs of Moha 1/2's electricals and trucks are from the U.S., where Japan asked permission (instead of stealing). As mentioned above by railsmith, Japan adopted Swiss experience in constructing an incline railroad, and since they were transparent about the process, they are sister railroads in a demonstration of mutual respect.

For those who understand modern global history and failed political ideologies, my snide comment "between the lines" of stealing should be obvious. We got clueless folks who are participants of the War on Four Olds.

Thanks for the tour of this unique operation. Still studying that bridge in the washout zone.