Nagaragawa Railway gets the Mitooka treatment

[miyakoji]

Two of Nagaragawa's 300 series DMUs will be updated and back in service as soon as spring 2016.  They'll operate as the sightseeing train Nagara.  The artist's rendering looks very familiar, I assume these images originate from the same place (Mitooka's design company?).
 
The Nagaragawa's only line is the Etsumi-nan Line (the character for nan means south), originally operated by JNR.  It was to be connected with the Etsumi-hoku Line (hoku is north) thereby connecting Echizen (the old name of that part of Fukui) and Mino (the old name of that part of Gifu), but this never materialized.  JR West took over the Etsumi-hoku line, which still operates with KIHA120s, but presumably the southern section wasn't to be so lucky.

 

The Nagaragawa Railway Company was established on August 28, 1986 with operation of the line beginning on December 11th, about three and a half months before the end of JNR.  I suppose it was communicated that the future JR Central was not interested in the line, and if the communities wanted their trains to keep rolling, they'd have to do it themselves.  Maybe this was similar to the Akechi Railway and Aichi Loop Railway, although in these cases the timing was different; the Akechi was created and took over their line in 1985, and JR Central did run the Okata Line until early 1988 when the 3rd sector company took over.

 

The Nagaragawa Railway is based in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture, which has long been a center of sword, knife, and blade production.

 

 

http://railf.jp/news/2015/11/27/110000.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagaragawa_Railway_Etsumi-Nan_Line
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seki,_Gifu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagara_River
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiji_Mitooka

[Mudkip Orange]

45 more bucks I'll be sending to Tomytec next year.

[katoftw]

Isaburo-Shinpei without the big viewing windows?  I like the concept.  But not the originality.

Edited November 28, 2015 by katoftw

[Sacto1985]

For those interested, here's a zenmen tenbou video of a trip on the Nagarawara Railway Etsumi-Nan Line from the JR Central Mino-Ōta Station to Mino-Shirotori Station, taken from a Nagaragawa Railway 300 Series DMU, the same model that will have two DMU's upgraded to the Nagara sightseeing train:

 

[Mudkip Orange]

Nice little station+engine shed at 1:39:50. Could kitbash that out of Greenmax (or Pikestuff) parts.

[katoftw]

It has the ability to be a major tourism drawcard due to the scenery.  It would be up to the businesses also within in the area to be forthcoming with assistance.  I believe the tourism agency assist the Mooka Railway with funding to run their steam trains.

Edited November 29, 2015 by katoftw

[Sacto1985]

An update: a YouTube member filmed this zenmen tenbou video of a trip on this line on 3 January 2015 after a snowstorm had gone though the area. This video is from Hokuno Station to JR Central Mino-Ōta Station:

 

[miyakoji]

Looks like the work has been completed and they're back on the property:

 

http://railf.jp/news/2016/03/19/203000.html