Nanbu-Jyukan Railway

[railbusgerman]

Hi from Germany.

As I have already posted under topic "Tomix Railbus", I am currently working on a "Model-Nanbu-Jyukan Railway". Fact is, that I have come to this idea entirely through this very, very nice railbus-model that I have recently purchased on Ebay (KIHA-10). I am now looking for further details about this railway line, "Mr. Google" is (and that is indeed very unusual) not very helpful. Anyone out there who could "fill the huge gaps"? Any hint whatsoever would be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards

Pero

[DanMacK]

There's some info on the railbus and line at http://www.ogaemon.com/r-bus/r-bus-top.html - Just run it through Google Translate.  Wikipedia Japan also has an article on it as well.  A search on Youtube for "Nambu Railbus" generated some hits as well.

[westfalen]

Here's the photos from my 1996 visit. I'll look at editing up a bit of the video I took.

[westfalen]

My 1996 trip part 2.

[westfalen]

My 1996 trip part 3.

[railbusgerman]

Hi Westfalen.

Thank you for charing these wonderful pictures. They will greatly assist me in modelling that railway.

Pardon me for seeming a bit ignorant here, but I am a bit confused about the actual route of the NJR. I have done a bit of research on google, and I always seem to be ending up at http://www.ogaemon.com/, which, as far as I have understood, resembles the Trans Southern Railway (or what's left of it). Could you be of assistance here?

Regards Pero

[quinntopia]

A bit like Pero, I've also been strangely drawn to these cool little Tomix Railbuses!  Thanks for raising this topic Pero, its a very interesting little railway.

 

And Westfalen...thanks for the terrific photos!  Really cool to see 'real' photos of this vehicle!

[Kabutoni]

The NJR is a really interesting railway line and has a great atmosphere around it so many of us like so much. Thanks for the photographs! :) Inspires me a lot as well!

[westfalen]

Hi Westfalen.

Thank you for charing these wonderful pictures. They will greatly assist me in modelling that railway.

Pardon me for seeming a bit ignorant here, but I am a bit confused about the actual route of the NJR. I have done a bit of research on google, and I always seem to be ending up at http://www.ogaemon.com/, which, as far as I have understood, resembles the Trans Southern Railway (or what's left of it). Could you be of assistance here?

Regards Pero

Maybe one of our language experts could help but Nanbu Jukan apparently translates as Trans Southern, this is the Japanese Wikipedia page http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8D%97%E9%83%A8%E7%B8%A6%E8%B2%AB%E9%89%84%E9%81%93%E7%B7%9A, when you run it through a translator you get the Trans Southern Railway but maybe 'trans' is not an accurate translation because it seems a strange name for a railway in the far north of Honshu. There are plenty of railways in English speaking countries that never lived up to their names though.

 

The line ran from a connection with JR's Tohoku Line at Noheji to Shichinohe. It appears a group has restored the railbuses and operates the on a short stretch of track at Shichinohe station. I'm sure one of the old guys in the photos on your website was the driver the day I rode the line back in 96.

 

I'm working on that video.

[railbusgerman]

Hi Westfalen!

Well, I had a look on that wikipedia-page before and now that you mention it, I actually understand the name of that Rwy! I was under the impression, that the railway must have been operating between two towns, one being Nanbu, the other one Jyukan!  :BangHead: This, for instance is usual practice in Germany: Rural and private rwy-companies are/were named after the two main towns they connect.  I never thought, that the translation of Nanbu... would be Trans Southern Rwy - thank you for pointing that out to me. To my defence, I must, however, say, that the German translation of the Japanese website is pretty bad!

Regards Pero

[bikkuri bahn]

I think the origin of the name Nanbu Jyukan derived from the intention of being a connecting or access railway between the JNR railhead at Noheji and the southern terminus at Shichinohe.

 

On the topic of connecting railways, one is currently being built- the Tohoku Jyukan Line will enable Joban, Takasaki and Utsunomiya Line trains to continue on to Tokyo Station (the current terminus is at Ueno). The track will be built above the shinkansen tracks. Completion will be in 2013. A news report about construction of the line:

 

[railbusgerman]

Well, thank you for that explanation. I am getting more and more into the history and operational matters of this interesting, little railway.

Regards

[westfalen]

I think the origin of the name Nanbu Jyukan derived from the intention of being a connecting or access railway between the JNR railhead at Noheji and the southern terminus at Shichinohe.

 

On the topic of connecting railways, one is currently being built- the Tohoku Jyukan Line will enable Joban, Takasaki and Utsunomiya Line trains to continue on to Tokyo Station (the current terminus is at Ueno). The track will be built above the shinkansen tracks. Completion will be in 2013. A news report about construction of the line:

 

That makes sense, sometimes literal translation from Japanese doesn't quite work, the same thing probably happens going from English to Japanese.

 

I saw the Tohoku Jyukan Line construction while I was in Tokyo, it will make Tokyo station a busy place.

 

Back to the Nanbu Jyukan, here's my video. Parts one and two are the trip from Noheji to Shichinohe, part three is a poke around the station and shed at Shichinoe and the return to Noheji.

 

I returned to Tokyo that night on an E1 MAX Shinkansen from Morioka, quite a contrast from the railbus.

 

[railbusgerman]

G'day westfalen!

Well, those videos are just absolutely smashing! Many thanks, you've really made my day. What a beautiful railway-line, phantastic railbusses, exotic scenery and very dutiful staff. Most impressive. I reckon, I'm not the only one who appreciates these pretty awesome clips, am I?...

Thanks again!

[railbusgerman]

It appears a group has restored the railbuses and operates the on a short stretch of track at Shichinohe station. I'm sure one of the old guys in the photos on your website was the driver the day I rode the line back in 96.

That's quite right! One of the drivers must be, in fact, the driver of the train of '96, I've compared the faces, could it be, that it is the driver, shown on the right hand side of this pagehttp://www.ogaemon.com/r-bus/2005gw.htm (the one with the friendly smile)?. Those guys at Shishinohe are doing a pretty good job holding up the flag of the NJR. A pity, that Japan is so far away Germany, I'd love to visit them and also, I'd love to have a look at their shop! They seem to have a lot of interesting things for sale (i.e. the DVD and those books about the rwy-line.

 

Regards

[railbusgerman]

Hi!

Does anyone have a copy of one of the last timetables of that railway?

Regards

[westfalen]

Hi!

Does anyone have a copy of one of the last timetables of that railway?

Regards

I'll see if I can find my JR timetable from the trip and scan the page.

[bikkuri bahn]

Until westfalen gets the scan you can take a look at these pictures.

 

At Nishichibiki Station:

http://shiotsu.blog.so-net.ne.jp/blog/_images/blog/_fdf/shiotsu/10032713.jpg

 

At Tsubogawa Station:

http://www.dagashi.org/local/localpic/nanbuj04.jpg

 

*as you can see, five round trips a day.

[railbusgerman]

Hi! Thank you for those pictures. Wonderful! Five round trips a day seem quite sufficient for a little railway like the Trans Southern, don't they? I will now ask a Japanese friend of mine, who lives here in Germany, to translate these wonderful looking timetables for me. Thank you again!

Regards

[bikkuri bahn]

You're welcome.  As for reading the schedule, the left column is the times for trains bound for Shichinohe (train # and time), and the right is for trains bound for Noheji.  Further right is the fare table.  For example, from Nishichibiki Station, it's 210 yen to Noheji, and 550 yen to Noheji.

[westfalen]

It's not much but the two lines in the centre of this scan are all the poor little Nanbu-Jyukan Railway rated in the 1104 page November 1996 edition of the JR timetable. I can't remember if I picked up an actual Nanbu-Jyukan timetable while I was there, if I can find anything else in my stash of souvenirs I'll scan that as well, I know I still have my ticket somewhere. I rode the 1415 from Noheji and returned on the 1540, and retracing my steps through the yellowing dog eared pages of the timetable arrived back at Ikebukero at 2245.

[railbusgerman]

@ westfalen and bikkuri: Thank you very much for your help! I really appreciate it. I am learning more and more about this rwy, pretty interesting, indeed.

Regards

[railbusgerman]

I know it's a long shot, but does anyone here have an advice, how to get in contact with the guyz from www.ogaemon.com? I have mailed them a few times, because I'd like to purchase some of the souvenirs and books they have for sale, but unfortunately, they do not reply to emails  .

Regards

[bikkuri bahn]

According to their website, they don't accept orders by email, you have to call them.

[railbusgerman]

Yeah, I think I'll have to do that. And now I have found the phone-number on their homepage, wasn't easy to find ;-)