Cab view, JR Shikoku Seto Bridge Anpan Torokko, Kojima to Kotohira

[miyakoji]

A very fine front view video by HKASAMA, this is KIKUHA 32-502 and an unknown KIHA 185, possibly KIRO 185-26.  RO would mean it has green class seating.

 

There are two KIKUHA 32 cars, 501 and 502.  They were new builds(?) by Niigata Engineering in 1997 and 2003, respectively.  Whether or not the trucks, etc came from retired KIHA 32s, I can't exactly tell.  The KIHA 32s themselves are interesting budget minded DMUs, at least in that they entered service in the last 3 weeks of JNR.  My understanding is that the KIKUHA designation includes KI not because they have diesels (they're not powered) but because they're meant to be attached to a DMU.  One site includes the word 付随気動車 fuzui kidousha.  気動車 is kidousha, a railcar with an internal combustion engine, the source of KI in KIHA.  付随 fuzui means attached, accompanying, etc.  I don't recall seeing this before and I don't know if it's a standard term or just what that page's author calls it.

 

I crossed this bridge many times, usually on the Marine Liner using a Seishun 18 ticket.  Seto Ohashi Line is I guess a marketing name, but there are formal names for different parts of it, explained on this wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seto-Ōhashi_Line

 

Points of interest:

:15 - Kojima Station, Kurashiki City, Okayama

4:30 - beginning of Great Seto Bridge

18:20 - divergence of tracks, straight is southwest on to Utazu, the ramps turn east to Sakaide/Takamatsu

20:25 - Utazu Station, Town of Utazu (Kagawa Prefecture from here on)

24:50 - Marugame Station, Marugame City

30:35 - Tadotsu Station, Town of Tadotsu

35:35 - Dosan Line diverges from Yosan Line

41:10 - Zentsuji Station, Zentsuji City

49:15 - Kotohira Station, Town of Kotohira

 

 

Google map centered on junction of Seto Ohashi Line and Yosan Line: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3157152,133.8220375,17z

 

Bonus: KIKUHA32-501 in its excellent Ao Yoshinogawa Torokko livery.  Hi res image suitable for desktop wallpaper: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ファイル:藍よしのがわトロッコ.jpg