Kurobe Gorge Narrow Gauge Freight

[bill937ca]

For the narrow gauge freight guys, freight on the normally tourist focused 762mm gauge Kurobe Gorge Railway at Kuronagi station . This line had 27 locomotives and 322 freight carriages in 2008. Video by nek0mask55.

 

Edited May 10, 2017 by bill937ca

[marknewton]

That's a sharp curve leading onto the bridge!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[ToniBabelony]

The Kurobe Gorge Railway was constructed to help build the Kurobe Dam, so a lot of freight stock remains still for maintenance of either the track, or the dam itself. I think I'm falling in love with those 2-axle freight cars... D:

 

 

P.s. here is some awesome shunting going on:

 

Edited May 10, 2017 by Kabutoni

[bill937ca]

That gondola could be transporting an essential supply of  beer.  

[Densha]

Didn't know they still had freight trains running on that line!

 

P.s. here is some awesome shunting going on:

Ah, I saw that video a few years ago. Definitely some really cool shunting.

[maihama eki]

I want one of those tiny little orange locos!  (in n-scale that is...)

[bill937ca]

A closer look at the EHR class  loco.

 

 

Edited May 10, 2017 by bill937ca

[ToniBabelony]

I want one of those tiny little orange locos!  (in n-scale that is...)

Me too to be honest... I think with a double PowerMAX chassis, a working locomotive could be made with 3D modelling, but it would be hellishly expensive (at least $250 for just the power units and the printing alone (not designing costs) as pure base costs) ;_;

[Densha]

For that price you can get the World Kogei H0n kit: http://www.world-kougei.com/SHOP/6024160.html

Edited May 10, 2017 by Densha

[stevenh]

I still love it how Japan gravity shunts!

 

update: velotrain is right below, it's hardly a kick. I can't tell if there's an incline.

Edited May 12, 2017 by stevenh

[velotrain]

I still love it how Japan gravity shunts!

 

 

Are you certain that it is in fact gravity and not the ancient technique of "kicking" the cars?

 

http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/p/232516/2602341.aspx

 

 

BTW - from the New Kato thread I came across your blog on Osaka / M250

 

http://modelrail.otenko.com/japanese-trains/osaka-incl-the-m250-super-rail-cargo

 

 

Related - Flying switch (US) - The practice of uncoupling a locomotive from a car in motion and running over a switch, whereupon an employee on the ground lines the switch to divert the car onto an adjacent track.  Once commonplace, this practice has led to several lawsuits against railroad companies and is now strictly prohibited due to the high risk to life and property.

 

From:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_North_American_railway_terms

 

 

Two discussions, including guys who kick cars for a living.

http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/10670.aspx

http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/73642.aspx

 

I don't know about the rest of the world, but there are many YT videos of the practice in the US - AKA "flat switching", vs. hump.

Edited May 11, 2017 by velotrain

[Nick_Burman]

The Kurobe Gorge Railway was constructed to help build the Kurobe Dam, so a lot of freight stock remains still for maintenance of either the track, or the dam itself. I think I'm falling in love with those 2-axle freight cars... D:

 

The freight stock is also used to carry supplies up to the several restaurants and souvenir stalls located along the line. Also because several workmen reside close to the dams during the week there is a need for food and supplies to keep them going. All the garbage generated by the visitors also travels by train.

 

Cheers NB

Edited May 11, 2017 by Nick_Burman

[ToniBabelony]

Thanks NB! That's very interesting to know. What a romantic idea for a railway (in the sense of Eisenbahnromantik romantic). That explains the large amount of 2-axle flat cars. It's almost like a local Swiss narrow gauge railway in that sense.

[bill937ca]

There are also dedicated staff trains presumably which take staff up to restaurants and souvenir stalls.

 

 

[Nick_Burman]

There are also dedicated staff trains presumably which take staff up to restaurants and souvenir stalls.

 

 

 

No kidding, these trains are needed. A lot of people work up in the valley keeping visitors happy during operating season. And there is no other access, other than the various tunnels connecting the power stations to the Nagano side of the Alps...

 

Cheers NB

Edited May 11, 2017 by Nick_Burman

[Kitayama]

My photo page http://bae.se/kitayama/krp/krp10_2_en.htm can be interesting if you like Kurobe Gorge.

[cteno4]

nice picts Kitayama! thanks

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

Another narrow gauge freight.  Video by nek0mask55.

 

[bill937ca]

Another narrow gauge freight train. Video by nek0mask55.

 

Edited May 15, 2017 by bill937ca

[Nick_Burman]

Another narrow gauge freight train. Video by nek0mask55.

 

 

This is one of the various mixed trains which run daily. They aren't featured on the public timetable but their departure is advertised at Unazuki Onsen. However the only catch is that more than often they only travel partway down the line.

 

Cheers NB

[katoftw]

@ 6:45 on the shunt video.  You can see a worker riding between the loco and cars.  Once the cars are bumped, the worker jumps off.

[JR 500系]

These narrow gauge trains are so interesting and cute, like mini versions of trains! Weird also commuters (passengers) and pulled together with cargo ~

[kvp]

These narrow gauge trains are so interesting and cute, like mini versions of trains! Weird also commuters (passengers) and pulled together with cargo ~

Once it was very common everywhere (it's called a mixed train) and some narrow gauge railroads like the Rhatische Bahn still do it, even on some tourist trains. The Kurobe gorge railway was built as a field railway (a type of industrial railway), so transporting workers and equipment together was always normal.

[bill937ca]

Video by Ayokoi.

 

Machine translated notes:

 

Kurobe gorgeous railroad connecting Uno Hiki station on the Toyama area railway station UNAASHI hot spring station and Kohira station on the Kurobe River upstream. It is a 100% owned subsidiary of Kansai Electric Power Company, and in addition to the truck trains for tourists, construction trains for dams and power stations along the railway line are also operated. The vehicle base is located at Unazuki station, and construction trains to which various vehicles are connected may carry out a replacement work by breaking after arrival. When I participated in the "Chiten Train Festival 2018 Eve aged festival" held on November 3, 2018, I was able to shoot the state of tomorrow from Unaun Hot Spring Station 3F deck, which is not normally open. Kurobe Gorge Railway Unazuki Station.

 

 

Edited December 23, 2018 by bill937ca

[katoftw]

I love how they loose shunt in this yard.  I see vids before, but they just push with the engines, and the sky blue overalls and yellow helmets run around crazily.