253-1000 Kinugawa Presentation

[ToniBabelony]

I wonder what the pass validity is on this service as it is one that non-railfan tourists to whom a train is a train are most likely to use.

 

Pass holders have to pay the fare in the Tobu section between Kurihashi and Tobu-Nikko.

 

Maybe not for the Japan Railpass, but the JR East Pass allows rides on these non-JR lines:

 

• Tokyo Monorail

• Izu Kyuko Line

• Hokuetsu Kyuko Railway Hokuhoku Line

• Aoimori Railway

• IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway

• Tobu Railway – local trains between Shimo-imaichi and Tobu-nikko/Kinugawa-onsen Stations. Also, the following Tobu Railway limited express trains: the Nikko, the Spacia Nikko, the Kinugawa and the Spacia Kinugawa

 

Source: http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/eastpass/index.html

[westfalen]

I wonder what the pass validity is on this service as it is one that non-railfan tourists to whom a train is a train are most likely to use.

 

Pass holders have to pay the fare in the Tobu section between Kurihashi and Tobu-Nikko.

 

Maybe not for the Japan Railpass, but the JR East Pass allows rides on these non-JR lines:

 

• Tokyo Monorail

• Izu Kyuko Line

• Hokuetsu Kyuko Railway Hokuhoku Line

• Aoimori Railway

• IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway

• Tobu Railway – local trains between Shimo-imaichi and Tobu-nikko/Kinugawa-onsen Stations. Also, the following Tobu Railway limited express trains: the Nikko, the Spacia Nikko, the Kinugawa and the Spacia Kinugawa

 

Source: http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/eastpass/index.html

Makes sense as JR East have affiliations with those lines , eg:Tokyo Monorail (I think actually owned by JR) and Tobu, or they connect different sections of JR East lines, eg:Aomori and IGR. The JR pass might be more restrictive as JR East, for example, mightn't want to be giving free rides on a line JR West has an agreement with and vice versa. The JR East pass might be worth getting over the full JR Pass if you are only visiting their part of the country.

[angusmclean]

I have noted that conditions of fares for sleeper trains to Sapporo, that a supplement is payable for passage over the Iwate and Aomori sections.

 

Angus

[miyakoji]

video by youtube contributor tobu2181

 

[Darklighter]

Awesome video, thanks a lot! Those curves look pretty sharp.

[miyakoji]

Awesome video, thanks a lot! Those curves look pretty sharp.

I was thinking the same thing.  That's on Tobu's track, as far as I know, but I don't know if that turn is any tighter than usual, if minimum radius is dictated by track gauge--both Tobu and JR are 3'6", plus I just kind of doubt it, etc etc.  I predict a post by bikkuri.

[gmat]

Great video.

Thanks Miyakoji.

It's going to be h*ll trying to shoot that train on a clear sunny day or running through shadows.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[westfalen]

I've noticed a lot of private railways, both standard and 3'6" gauge, seem to have tight curves in places. I'm assuming it's because of their heritage of starting out as light interurban lines rather than mainline railways as JR's lines.

[marknewton]

That's my impression as well. In other cases there are lines that started out as tramways or even 762mm gauge light railways, with very sharp curves as a legacy.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[bikkuri bahn]

I predict a post by bikkuri.

 

I'm here! (whether you like it or not ) My home pc is out of order right now (youtube video crashed it and it won't start up), and man this thread takes time to load up to get to the bottom...But anyway, as marknewton alluded to, this line was originally a steam locomotive powered 762mm line built to supply building materials to the Shimotaki Hydroelectric Generating Plant located in the Kinugawa area, back in 1913.  It later was electrified and became a general railway under the name Shimotsuke Electric Railway.  It was converted to 1067mm gauge around 1929, and was finally acquired by Tobu Railway in 1943 and renamed the Kinugawa Line.  As per its 762mm gauge origins as a purpose-built line for construction supply, the curves are sharp and line speeds low.