Volunteering on the Hisatsu Line

[SL58654号]

The locals in Hitoyoshi and other municipalities once served by stations and halts along the 87 km of the Hisatsu Line, damaged by the Kyushu July 2020 floods, banded together and pulled weeds and cleared the line of shrubbery and saplings growing between the rails. I along with fellow 肥薩線again members also went on Sunday October 22 and helped to clear a 5 km section of track near Dan Station, the first station on the line south of Yatsushiro. This was a chance I had been waiting for to make a tangible difference and to help encourage restoration of the Hisatsu Line. NHK made a report, though sadly you can't see me in it. I pulled weeds like there was no tomorrow! It was them or I!  

 

However, I didn't leave this glorious day without candid photos by any means! It was an adventure! I can't wait to go and volunteer on my favorite Japanese railway line again. 

If this doesn't make a train come back down the line before you know it, nothing will!
This is how I'll get off in case I fall asleep! 

[ED75-775]

Nice, Mason! Hopefully this will help speed the restoration of the line up.

 

I just did a Google Maps-jaunt along the route of the line, and I'm surprised that the tracks between Yatsushiro and Dan look to be in pretty good shape notwithstanding, even cleared in a few places by locals even before 肥薩線again and local communities carried out their clearance work. I'm guessing there wouldn't be enough traffic from Dan though to warrant reopening the line that far... maybe if they could go further? It looks like the road route is being reconstructed, so once the road is off the trackbed then all the engineers would have to contend with is whatever damage was dealt back in 2020. Washouts, slips, and of course a couple of bridges, 'some re-assembly required'.

 

Alastair

[SL58654号]

@ED75-775 Yup! It was glorious weather, and though I was the only foreigner to be found, they appreciated my help and all those years of pulling weeds in my Dad's vegetable garden (sweaty, tedious work that I disliked!) really paid off to help the railway track look better! 

 

Yes, some reassembly required, indeed.
I'll always miss those red American bridges that stood proudly over the River Kuma. Even something similar to replace them as a tribute would be nice. My layout will definitely feature the one made by KATO in the likeness of them. 肥薩線again look forward to my progress. ☺️

 

Hmm.... Bridge on the River Kuma. That has a nice ring to it that I may have heard from somewhere....🤔
*whistles Colonel Bogey March* 

[ATShinkansen]

Despite its somewhat sloppy presentation, Microsoft Train Simulator has forever placed the Hisatsu Line (and Odawara Line, of course) as one of my favorites.  I really hope these efforts pay off; I would love to ride that line someday!

[SL58654号]

On 10/29/2023 at 2:59 AM, ATShinkansen said:

Despite its somewhat sloppy presentation, Microsoft Train Simulator has forever placed the Hisatsu Line (and Odawara Line, of course) as one of my favorites.  I really hope these efforts pay off; I would love to ride that line someday!

Yeah! 😃 I remember playing that route on MSTS myself (having no idea of its historical significance at the time) and I generally thought it was boring since the route only came with diesel cars and no steam was in sight. (I had NO IDEA how to download and install outside locomotives and rolling stock to the game) 
I mostly enjoyed crashing 🙃 the diesels at any opportunity, and I was clueless as to the fact I had to reverse to use the switchback sections. I don't even think the game explained that! There wasn't even a turntable at Hitoyoshi Station. 

 

So far as I know an SL Aso Boy was made to install for MSTS I, but I've long since stopped playing. Now I'm building a layout inspired by the line! 

 

Sadly, NO KiHa 31 diesel rail cars were retained.
I had just arrived in Kyushu and inquired to some local JR Kyushu employees where they had gone, only to be disappointed that they had all recently been withdrawn from the Hisatsu Line. But, they gave me a postcard of one of them for nothing! 

Edited November 6, 2023 by SL58654号

[ATShinkansen]

There were two versions of the 8620 available: one for the Aso Boy, and another one for freight service (came with a box, flat, loaded/empty gon, and guard’s van, don’t remember the exact models).  There was also a set of steam facilities (coaling stage, water tower, and water column).

 

My most memorable part was constantly overshooting the platforms when stopping, especially the really short ones!

Edited November 7, 2023 by ATShinkansen

[SL58654号]

9 hours ago, ATShinkansen said:

There were two versions of the 8620 available: one for the Aso Boy, and another one for freight service (came with a box, flat, loaded/empty gon, and guard’s van, don’t remember the exact models).  There was also a set of steam facilities (coaling stage, water tower, and water column).

Really? Can you show any evidence of the latter? 😃
I would've had loads of fun if I had learned how to install those on my MSTS copy. 

More importantly, who are the ones who made all those 3rd party mods and locomotive add-ons? Computer whizzes? I couldn't spell my own name on that route editor included with the game and had no clue where to begin!    

Edited November 7, 2023 by SL58654号

[ATShinkansen]

They’re over on the Train Sim forum file library.  I have neither MSTS nor a PC anymore, so I can’t do anything with them if I download them right now.  But both trains and the facilities are all by the same person (search “Hisatsu” in the file library; “Vernon” to find the steam facilities); the trains have been updated and grouped together by another person.

 

Here’s an old page that lists both locomotives, with pictures:

http://msts.banal.net/catalog/pages/Japan-Steam.html

 

Installing the files was fairly simple; using the route editor had a learning curve, but helped for customization and fixing poorly placed track and scenery items (there were a lot of scenery items in the game’s folders that didn’t make it on to the routes, including one of those maintenance rail tractors, I don’t know the official name for them).  I tried my hand at building entirely new items from scratch a couple of times, but it was way more work than I wanted to put into.

 

 It was also possible to copy the KiHa 31’s cab and sound files over to the KiHa 140 so you could drive that as well.

Edited November 8, 2023 by ATShinkansen
More info

[SL58654号]

And by the way, I think it should be emphasized to cheer up distraught rail fans everywhere, the Hisatsu Line WILL be restored. 😃 They're moving towards concrete action in rebuilding the line to Hitoyoshi, and the line between Yoshimatsu and Okoba Station may be reopened even sooner, due to it being less damaged. 
Now we'll see if my layout or the real line will be finished first... 🌸

[katoftw]

Late reply. But just wanted to say good job to the community. This will also show the politicians that your community and the other communities along the line, that they still want the line open.

[SL58654号]

8 hours ago, katoftw said:

Late reply. But just wanted to say good job to the community. This will also show the politicians that your community and the other communities along the line, that they still want the line open.

It did, and they do. And it will reopen.

And maybe, just maybe, an SL will be seen chuffing down the line to Hitoyoshi again...