JR Minami Kagoshima Station

[bill937ca]

JR Minami Kagoshima Station is a small station at the foot of a bluff.  Kagoshima City Transport Bureau streetcar line 1 runs along below the JR Kyushu Ibusuki-makurazaki line.  A ramp connects the tram platforms to the small JR station.  The JR center platform is further down the line up a ramp.  A stone bluff provides a backdrop for the whole scene.

 

http://mymapofjapan.com/transit/stations/view/9992518

 

 

Photos in this blog give a good indication of the overall scene at this station and some detail of the station and platforms.

 

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/naka_premium/e/6b242bdd8f412da71da1362f5fcfd030

 

Another set of images.

 

http://wiki.livedoor.jp/ekiwiki/d/%C6%EE%BC%AF%BB%F9%C5%E7%B1%D8

 

There appears to be a fair amount of student traffic through this station.

 

I got numerous images to come up in Google by typing Minami Kagoshima Station into Google Translate and then translating the station name into Japanese.  I then copied the Japanese translation into Google search and searched for images.

 

A search of the station name in English returned only a couple of images.

 

This station would make a compact scene for a double track main line and a tram line along with a built in backdrop.  Very little space is wasted at this location!  

[scott]

Interesting--lots of ideas there for how to pack a lot of stuff into a small space...

[KenS]

Wow. Great find, Bill. What an excellent prototype to model.  I wish I had room for another station on my layout.

 

I wonder what the three buildings between the tracks, next to the station, are. The don't seem to be connected to the station, or to have a path to the upper tracks.  There is what vaguely looks like a grade crossing over the lower tracks in one of the photos, so they could be houses or businesses, but I'd hate to live/work between two rail lines that close together. I guess they could be station buildings for the lower (tram) tracks, but why more than one if that's the case?

[bill937ca]

Wow. Great find, Bill. What an excellent prototype to model.  I wish I had room for another station on my layout.

 

I wonder what the three buildings between the tracks, next to the station, are. The don't seem to be connected to the station, or to have a path to the upper tracks.  There is what vaguely looks like a grade crossing over the lower tracks in one of the photos, so they could be houses or businesses, but I'd hate to live/work between two rail lines that close together. I guess they could be station buildings for the lower (tram) tracks, but why more than one if that's the case?

 

 

Thanks Ken, I those buildings are houses.  I don't think the tram line would have buildings beyond the shelters the photos.

[westfalen]

Wow. Great find, Bill. What an excellent prototype to model.  I wish I had room for another station on my layout.

 

I wonder what the three buildings between the tracks, next to the station, are. The don't seem to be connected to the station, or to have a path to the upper tracks.  There is what vaguely looks like a grade crossing over the lower tracks in one of the photos, so they could be houses or businesses, but I'd hate to live/work between two rail lines that close together. I guess they could be station buildings for the lower (tram) tracks, but why more than one if that's the case?

 

 

Thanks Ken, I those buildings are houses.  I don't think the tram line would have buildings beyond the shelters the photos.

I agree they look like houses, the Japanese have a knack for fitting houses into spaces we wouldn't even think of, great location for a railfan though.

 

The JR Ibusuki-makurazaki line is actually single track, the two tracks in the photo are a passing siding at the station. As a side note, further down the line is Nishi-Ōyama, the southernmost railway station in Japan (unless you count the monorail on Okinawa).

[Mudkip Orange]

the Japanese have a knack for fitting houses into spaces we wouldn't even think of, great location for a railfan though.

 

I'd build a 3-story house with the top floor entirely for railfanning.

 

I have to figure that the lack of an access-way wide enough for even a Kei car reduces the property values... but it would also increase construction costs, which explains why all the houses are so small. It would work beautifully if you're okay with light construction and don't mind slogging it out yourself.

[bikkuri bahn]

A nice location, with different levels making for additional interest.  Yes, those are houses, a not unusual arrangement, though surprising in a smaller city like Kagoshima.  The hardcore railfan (with requisite very tolerant spouse)would be even more satisfied with a house in Koyasu, Yokohama- sandwiched between the Tokaido Line and the Keikyu Line, trains pass by almost non-stop all day and most of the night:

 

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=35.485161&lon=139.6468976&z=19&l=7&m=b

[westfalen]

the Japanese have a knack for fitting houses into spaces we wouldn't even think of, great location for a railfan though.

 

I'd build a 3-story house with the top floor entirely for railfanning.

 

I have to figure that the lack of an access-way wide enough for even a Kei car reduces the property values... but it would also increase construction costs, which explains why all the houses are so small. It would work beautifully if you're okay with light construction and don't mind slogging it out yourself.

Why would you need a car when the tram stops at your front door and the train at the back door, not to mention that handy vending machine.

 

Disturbman's edit: problem with quotes and the edit function