Kumamoto Electric Railway--Moving Freight Cars with Moha Rolling Stock

[bill937ca]

Today we go back to a time before Shinkansens,when the road system was well developed and local railways still prospered or at least survived and JNR still handled LCL freight. For years the Kumamoto Electric Railway handled freight without locomotives.  Usually a single freight car was towed behind a small Moha car, sometimes either 72 or 71, or a larger motor. Today Moha 71 is preserved and you will find it at the bottom of this page.   https://www.kumamotodentetsu.co.jp/train/vehicles/

 

This historical blog is an old standby.

 

http://tsushima-keibendo.a.la9.jp/kumamoto/kumamoto1.html

 

http://tsushima-keibendo.a.la9.jp/kumamoto/kumamoto2.html

 

http://tsushima-keibendo.a.la9.jp/kumamoto/kumamoto3.html

 

http://tsushima-keibendo.a.la9.jp/kumamoto/kumamoto4.html

 

http://tsushima-keibendo.a.la9.jp/kumamoto/kumamoto5.html

Another blog that looks back to 1955-57.

https://drfc-ob.com/wp/archives/9650

 

The yard layout at the workshops.

https://dodochan.net/tomaru/ekikita.htm

 

More photos of Moha 71

https://www.google.com/search?q=熊本電気鉄道株式会社+モハ71&safe=off&rlz=1C1GCEA_enCA749CA749&sxsrf=ALeKk01VpRVMZdQKHK04XYC3VmK9ShF5Lg:1589896734712&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiFhejwisDpAhXMW80KHTcFBeEQ_AUoAXoECEwQAw&biw=1360&bih=625

 

[miyakoji]

I do love web 1.0 sites with good content 🙂

[marknewton]

Some excellent sites you've linked Bill, thanks!

 

All the best,

 

Mark.

[Das Steinkopf]

Thanks for the links, it's interesting to see the freight operations as well as the sections of the line that went to Kikuchi before it was abandoned, not to mention the link with the JNR line at Kami-Kumamoto. I would really like to get my hands on a model of Moha 71 as it is one of the few types that I don't have in my Kumaden fleet which ranges from 1998 till current day, the other one I am missing is the  5000 Series (ex Tokyu 5000 Series), Moha 71 was one of the three former Hiroshima Electric/Hirohama Railway Moha 90's and was originally fitted with a trolley pole when it entered service back in 1928.

[Das Steinkopf]

I forgot to mention that it was also interesting how much the surrounding area along the line has developed over the years especially places like Ikeda which is instantly recognizable due to the landscape, I have the DVD for the 5000 Series retirement and I have also studied the line quite a bit using Google Earth for reference for a future layout.