International Railroad Discussion > Semi-Random Steam in 2024 (Japan)

I caught 3 different stream excursions in 2024, East Japan Railway's (JR East) 4-6-4 C61-20, West Japan Railway's (JR West) 2-8-2 D51-200, and Oigawa Railway's 2-6-4 tank engine C10-8.

I reported on C61-20 here on TO almost 11 years ago, but my real motive was to catch the "heritage" electric locomotive EF65-501. JR East was vague on its exact retirement date, so I rushed over to Takasaki to document the EF65, to make sure I didn't miss it. First two clips in the video with C61-20 on the point of an ELSL --> SLEL excursion that weekend - this is the return trip from Yokogaru on the shortened Shinetsu Line.

D51-200 has been on my radar for more than 8 years. I had already known JR West's intent to "upgrade" D51-200 from running only on Umekoji (now Kyoto Railway Museum) grounds to mainline steam excursions. 2-6-0 C56-160 was facing retirement from mainline excursion due to wear & tear, and that was the official reason why D51-200 was being "upgraded."

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,4299040

I couldn't catch D51-200 when it started "revenue" excursion service in 2017-2019, as I couldn't time my visit to its running dates. Then the pandemic hit, and my plan to catch it during pandemic recovery was dashed when cracks on one of tender's trucks were discovered in 2022.

D51-200 finally returned to service again in May of 2024, and I made sure I nabbed it 5 months later, with JR Rail Pass in hand to make the 640 mile Shinkansen trek to Shin-Yamaguchi. Next 3 clips.

I'm NOT a big fan of smoke. I much prefer cleaner burning stack and lots of sound. The bridge clip of D51-200 proves my point, although kudos to the crew for catering to the expensive lens photo line behind me (not visible).

- D51-200 in 2024, leading "SL Yamaguchi," ready to depart Shin-Yamaguchi.
- D51-200 in 2017 inside Kyoto Railway Museum facility.
- Videos of C61-20, EF65-501, D51-200, and C10-8.

(more next)

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Oigawa Railway, which runs along Oigawa (Oi River) in Shizuoka Prefecture is known to several TO members for their steam excursions. They are credited with starting the post-steam era "SL (Steam Locomotive) Boom" by committing to restore and run steam locomotives in 1976.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Cigawa_Railway

This eventually led the Big Railroads (JR Group) to restore steam, too, and join the "SL Boom."

They also run a rack railway system up the river, with even more dramatic scenery, the Ikawa Line.

I had a rental car when I visited in October of 2024, as my plan was to hit a well-known yet unassuming seafood joint at the Port of Yaizu, which was inconveniently located away from easy public transit access. My brother wanted to go hiking, so after the yummy seafood experience, I dropped him off at a trailhead then I drove straight toward Oigawa to see if I could catch Oigawa Railway's steam excursion.

As mentioned in the wikipedia above, Oigawa Railway suffered typhoon damage in 2022 and the line was severed between Kawana-Onsen Sasamado and Senzu. Without access to turnaround facility at Senzu, Oigawa Railway places an electric locomotive on the rear to tow the train back to Shin-Kanaya until the ROW repairs are done. Suits me just fine, 2 "different" trains on one trip, last 2 clips in the video above.

I hope to return when the entire line is reopened, to hopefully immerse in the entire experience: steam, historic EMUs, rack railway, Thomas, and everything else.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/25 12:47 by cchan006.

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It's "Toy Time!" (paraphrasing the 1990s TV show, "Home Improvement")

From left to right in the first image, all D51-200 toys:

- McDonald's Happy Set.
- Choro-Q toy.
- Capsule Plarail wind up toy.

I found the Happy Set toy in a junk bin at a hobby shop. Good way to save time and money, not needing to buy several Happy Sets to hit the jackpot. Choro-Q is popular with Toritetsu (photo-taking railfans) who want a souvenir after a chase - I bought it at a souvenir store (doubling as a convenience store) at Shin-Yamaguchi Station. I bought the Capsule Plarail online, secondhand.

I found a far more serious "toy" at a typical Japanese bookstore back in late 2022, a metal HO scale static model with reasonable accuracy. This demonstrates Japan's "mainstream love" of trains. In the U.S., something like this might be sold only at hobby shops. 
 

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That's it for the report.

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Wow !!  I would never have guessed the Seibu would have acquired new locomotives [ the four E 31 class ] so late in the freight game, and built in their own shops yet in 1986/87.  Amazing the Oigawa acquired all three -- maybe there was a "Buy two, get one free" sale !  I''ll bet most "real railfans" visit the Oigawa to see the electrics rather than steam......[ well, maybe......]

Best regards, SZ   E851 fan     [ Those E31's do need more red and less cream paint ]

Nice engines, photos, and video.
Thanks for the post.

In the video where the train has departed Shin-Yamaguchi and is on the curve, to the left of the 'observation car' there is what looks like an older diesel or electric locomotive, painted green, on one of the turntable fan tracks.  What IS that ?

SZ      [ who says you always seem to have very good luck with the weather -- or is that just careful planning ??!? ]

Enjoyable video. Very nice and raucous whistles. I liked the "heavyweight" consist too.

Steinzeit2 Wrote:
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> Wow !!  I would never have guessed the Seibu
> would have acquired new locomotives [ the four E
> 31 class ] so late in the freight game, and built
> in their own shops yet in 1986/87.

Research says Seibu planned to use the E31s to pull MOW trains and tow EMU sets for "Koshu." MOW motorcars at the time ran too slow to accomplish sufficient work within the short work window. E851s were considered "overkill" power-wise at the time, so they stayed on the cement/aggregate hauling duties.
 
"Koshu" is the practice of towing brand new, retired-to-be-scrapped, and "disabled" EMUs. After Seibu sold the E31s to Oigawa Railway, they use a modified 4 car classic Class 101 EMU set with all powered cars to do "Koshu."

Japan was on the tail end of their economic expansion at the time, so I suspect spending extra money to manufacture task-specific locomotives wasn't too big of a deal.

> Amazing the Oigawa acquired all three -- maybe there was a
> "Buy two, get one free" sale !  I''ll bet most "real railfans" visit
> the Oigawa to see the electrics rather than steam......[ well,
> maybe......]

Oigawa Railway repainted E34 (the one I caught) to JNR colors this year. Why? To lure railfans lamenthing the retirement of EF65-501? So your "real railfans" comment has merit! 

> Best regards, SZ   E851 fan     [ Those
> E31's do need more red and less cream paint ]

Seibu deliberately painted E31s in "inverted E851 scheme" based on my research. E33 is keeping the Seibu scheme, but I got lucky catching E34 in its original scheme. Seibu kept the Class unit E31 for historic preservation.

The last Class E851, E854 is also stored (inoperable) for historic preservation. Not viewable to the public except on Railroad Day (October 14) when Seibu does an open house event at Yokoze.

Class E851 is a very close cousin to JNR's Class EF65 and especially Class EF81, where they share the same truck design. EF65s and EF81s are no longer assigned to scheduled services starting this year (2025), now delegated to occasional extra assignments. So the curtain is falling further for the "Steinzeit Era" but I've documented enough materials in recent years to celebrate the JNR/Steinzeit Era - for future reports.

Frisco1522 Wrote:
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> Enjoyable video. Very nice and raucous whistles. I
> liked the "heavyweight" consist too.

Note how the air conditioning units blend in with the heavyweight-style roof. I suspect the railfan elements within the railroad (JR West) thoughfully catered to the aesthetic demands of "tori-tetsu" (photogs) and creature comforts of "nori-tetsu" (riders). Not out of generosity - railfans ride revenue trains (Shinkansen = $profts$) to attend SL railfan events.

I've always like the look of Japanese steam power.
Great post !
Thanks

Steinzeit2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the video where the train has departed
> Shin-Yamaguchi and is on the curve, to the left of
> the 'observation car' there is what looks like an
> older diesel or electric locomotive, painted
> green, on one of the turntable fan tracks.  What
> IS that ?

D51 smoke might be creating some color effects to make it look green?

I took a closer look repeatedly,  and that "locomotive" might be Sanyin Line's Class 120 DMU? Some social media comments from last year implies that Class 120 was a "guest" at the Shin-Yamaguchi roundhouse for maintenance/inspection:

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB:JR_West_Kiha_120-20.jpg

I do keep a close eye on the weather before every railfan trip, but the sunshine I've gotten are all luck. 

Ah, thank you.  I would never have guessed an emu or dmu;  I was misinterpreting those large windows as "grills".   I will sleep more soundly tonight.

SZ