Fukuii Railway Remembrance

[ben_issacs]

Folks, 

A few years ago I was in Toyama, and decided to investigate the Fukuii Railway, down the coast to the south.

So, local train to Fukuii.

The Fukuii Rly. is about a 20 km. long, largely single track main line, running parallel to the North Coast, 

The main line terminates in the north at Tawaramaci, where it connects with the Echizen Rly. 

The southern terminal is Echizen Takefu, where the lines depot and works shops are.

Almost at the northern end is a short branch line to Fukuii JR station.

So, set  off along the line going southwards.

Going along, I passed an interesting looking station structure calle 'Harmonie Hall'. Yes, that is the spelling.

This little stop has an odd curved cover, apparently designed by a famous architect, and serves a modern performing arts building, hence the name.

I went to the end of the line, and decided that on the return journey i'd get off at H.H. and do some photography, which I did..

At the southern end of the station is a level crossing, with the usual lights and boom gates.

Back onto the platform, the only others there were a couple of girls. 

Then, ding,ding and down went the booms, with the train which I think was an ex Gifu car, appearing in the distance to my left.

For some reason, I was looking to my right, and not to my left towards the train, when I heard a mutued clunk!

Turning to my left, I saw a little white truck that had crashed through the left hand boom and was off away down the road.

The broken boom was lying across the track, and the train driver braked and pulled up a few yards short of the crossing.

He then got down onto the track, walked forwards, picked up the broken boom and put it down beside the line, then back into his tram, forward to the station, where I and the girls got on, and so off to Fukuii.

Interruption of service, about three minutes!

No doubt he would have reported this incident back to head office on his radio.

Could something similar happen outside of Japan?

Admittedly, here in Australia, the boom gates are of much more heavy construction than a piece of plastic tube, but here, no doubt the police would be called, and the driver would not be allowed to remove the damaged boom, that's a job for members of a different union, so traffic both on rail and road would be held up for an hour or so.

And it shows that Japan can have stupid truck drivers in much the same way as other countries!

 

Regards, 

Bill,

Melbourne.

 

 

 

Edited January 16, 2019 by cteno4