Japanese sugar beet processing and railways

[velotrain]

I gather that Japan still produces / processes both sugar cane and beet, despite declining domestic consumption and production. 

https://www.sugarpub.com/features/the-japanese-chinese-beet-sugar-industries-by-peter-buzzanell

 

 

However, I don't know if railways are still involved in the process, although narrow gauge may be employed in the harvest of the cane, as is the case in a number of countries - including Australia.

 

Jeff started a thread on Bergen National Laser http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/12478-lasercut-industrial-building/

which had produced a large and handsome N scale sugar beet refinery (although easily adaptable to other industries).  I'm considering ordering this - if they do a final run before closing up shop for now.  Mark posted links to two photos of likely turn-of-the-century (or early 20th) Japanese sugar mills, which are not dissimilar to this kit, although far larger and more complex.

 

However, I suspect that railway haulage of the harvested beets to large processing plants ended sometime in the mid to late Showa period.  I've tried multiple searches for info, but have come up empty.  My three major questions are:

 

==>>  I'm wondering if anyone might know how late into the Showa, trains were used for the haulage of sugar beets?

 

==>>  What type of cars were used to haul the beets (obviously open top), and would anyone know the designation for these and if N scale models (or similar) are available?

 

==>>  Are there any photo-rich sites out there discussing the history of Japanese sugar beet processing?

 

 

thanks, Charles

[marknewton]

Charles,

 

All I know about the sugar beet industry is that the two sugar mills I linked both opened in 1923, the railway serving Obihiro mill operated until 1959, while the railway serving Shimizu mill closed in 1951.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[velotrain]

Thanks for the info Mark. 

 

Searching for the Tokachi Railway, I found an image that I think you'll like, although I do wish the focus and contrast were better - a truly mixed train with a strange breed of sheep grazing alongside.  The railway was apparently built to serve the Obihiro mill, but became a general regional railway.

 

It looks like only the passenger service was stopped in 1959 (or 1945? - stated in first link), while the refinery had service through 1972.

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://blog.goo.ne.jp/niquwojady/e/26b9a4f72e0a8f7fe1162337631f3325&prev=search

 

 

Tokachi Railway history

 

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.city.obihiro.hokkaido.jp/shougaigakusyuubu/bunnkaka/sitei_bunkazai_kikannsya.html&prev=search

 

 

Video showing Obihiro plant under construction, and more recent operation. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqDRoEfJ96A

 

Perhaps produced by Nippon Beet Sugar company, as it appears to be part historical, and part marketing - perhaps a company history.  I should say that for me the video gets a lot less interesting after 4:00 or so.  The video consists of still images that have received the "Ken Burns" treatment, AKA "Ken Burns effect"  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Burns_effect

 

 

The former plant in Obihiro is now a research laboratory, etc. adjacent to the Museum of Sugar Beet

 

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.ekinavi-net.jp/hokkaido/tokachi/sights/beet.html&prev=search

 

 

General info on sugar beets in Hokkaido

 

https://pucchi.net/en/hokkaido/foods/tensai.php

 

 

Sugar beet cars

 

http://www.city.obihiro.hokkaido.jp/shougaigakusyuubu/bunnkaka/sitei_bunkazai_kikannsya.data/picture2.jpg

 

It looks like bamboo "matts" are used to retain the sugar beets above the side boards.  It also looks to me that both the tuber and base of the plant and/or the roots are harvested, to be trimmed later.  In the photos I've seen of European and American sugar beet operations, the tuber is much more carefully trimmed at harvest time.

EDIT:  I'm guessing this might be related to the difference between early manual harvesting, vs. later mechanized methods, which likely do the trimming as part of the process.

 

The video linked above also shows a couple of somewhat more modern cars - with a single side door and lower bamboo extensions, on the approach trestle to the plant (3:36).  Based on the celebratory mood, I suspect this is the first train to the newly constructed facility.  There are also some early, short side dump cars at 1:00 and elsewhere - I captured the image, but can't show it here.

 

 

I inadvertently stumbled on the prototype for the Bergen sugar mill kit, largely due to the atmospheric shot of the prototype.  I have to say that his kit is very true to the proto.

 

http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/new-product-development-sugar-beet-refinery.78169/

Edited January 23, 2017 by velotrain

[velotrain]

I've made arrangements to buy a Bergen National Laser sugar beet refinery kit, so am researching the industry to decide what else I need to add to create a realistic scene - mostly because although large for N-scale, the kit structures seem small for this type of industry.  I'm leaning toward a trestle unloading track similar to that at Obihiro, along with a lower track for empties, perhaps on a long (and deep) T-Trak module.  I think I'll aim for mid-Showa.

 

It seems these plants received a vast amount of beets from the fall harvest, but I'm still looking into how they brought them inside for the initial washing stage when needed.  I've seen a number of diagrams of the overall process, with this perhaps the clearest of them, but there are others with more detail - although not necessarily legible on the web.  It seems a bit strange to have Carbon Dioxide being added during a "purification" stage.

 

http://www.fastonline.org/CD3WD_40/HDLHTML/ENVMANL/GIF/P30.GIF

 

I've also found a few detailed models showing the interior of these large buildings.  The first two are large scale and from the Sugar Beet Museum, although appear to be different models.

 

http://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/3b/a7/4ebb00ce10e4d308c567f497b67ae852.jpg

 

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/aima99hide/GALLERY/show_image.html?id=66854741&no=5

 

An American fellow built a very realistic model for his 3-rail O-scale layout.

 

http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/progress-on-the-sugar-beet-refinery

 

The BNL model includes a very tall smokestack, but I see no indication of a powerhouse, or coal storage.  Another open question has to do with just what the outgoing products are, and how they're packaged and shipped.  I gather modern refineries can produce up to a half dozen things from sugar beets, but I suspect that wasn't the case sixty years ago.  There is a smallish loading dock, but it's part of the main building, not what I take to be the warehouse.  The search goes on - maybe I should start looking at European examples.

Edited January 27, 2017 by velotrain