Hokkaido rolling stock

[ia909]

Hi all,

 

Am starting to pull together some rolling stock for a proposed snowy Hokkaido layout. The idea is for a 13' x 2' tail-chaser possibly for exhibition.

 

In response to watching numerous YouTube videos and trawling the net for inspiration, I've acquired three DF200's and 20 Koki 101 - 107 flats with almost 100 containers. Also I have half a dozen Koki 200 flats, some 35000 and 1000 series oil tankers and a dozen Taki 1900 cement cars. Four Hoki 2200 hoppers cheap on eBay brings up the total.

 

Like many I suspect, I buy now and think about the appropriateness later and on reflection, every video I see suggests the DF 200's only haul Koki flats and the Taki oil tankers. To give some variety yet retain some sense of reality, are the above appropriate and are any other types of rolling stock I should consider? I've my eye on a set of Hoki 2500 gondolas. The time period is, say 2010 to present day.

 

Never having been to Japan, I'll be appreciative of any thoughts.

 

Regards,

 

Ian

[Nick_Burman]

Ian,

 

The HoKi 2500s were never used in Hokkaido - they were Tokyo area cars, used on the Okutama to Hamakawasaki limestone trains which once fed the Nippon Kokan steel mill, hauled usually by an elderly boxcab electric. A few still exist (?), allocated to the Ogaki (transfer to/from the Seino Tetsudo) to Nagoya-ko run for Nippon Steel. The HoKi 2200 covered hoppers did run in Hokkaido (I once saw a film scene with one C11, one 2200 and a brakevan ploughing their way through the Hokkaido winter on a local freight) but probably you would have to turn your clock back to before the breakup of JNR (1984) to justify them.

 

Alas Hokkaido is a bit of desert area for freight... depopulation, immigration to the big cities, the end of the mining industry and road competition meant that rail freight dried up pretty quickly, especially under JRF. What remains has been compressed into the container service, with the closure of the Muroran refinery even the tankers have gone...

 

Cheers NB

[ia909]

Hi Nick,

 

Many thanks for the heads-up that confirms my thoughts (fears).

 

Looks as if I have two options, either move location and dispose of the DF200's or invoke modeller's licence.

 

Regards,

 

 

Ian

[Nick_Burman]

Ian,

 

Off my mind there is only one place where these wagons came together regularly, namely the Tsurumi line in Kawasaki. Not the big sky country you wanted but at least a "tailchaser" based on the Hamakawasaki area (with at least part of the yard) will absorb all your freight cars and some extras. The DF200's you can swap for some more appropriate electric power...or for an 103 series MU set. You will have to turn the clock back a bit to justify the HoKi2500s and 2200s, though.

 

Cheers NB