40 minutes of JNR-era Niseko C62

[miyakoji]

More than 40, actually.  This is a show called Saturday Special.  I believe its original broadcast date was August 7, 1971.  Great footage starting at Otaru-Chikkō Depot.

 

 

 

[bikkuri bahn]

Good stuff. Broadcast in my birth year. Some interesting takeaways from the program:

1. I knew fans back then called steam locomotives "kama" (kettles), but so did railway staff apparently.

2. The nervous businessman interviewed in the first segment is transferring to a new job in Hakodate on his own dime (unfortunately according to him), but he manages to book a seat in first class (?)

3. The lady originally from Hokkaido but living in Tokyo now, when asked if she likes steam locomotives, says she doesn't, as "they're dirty".

4. In the second segment, the food service attendant, asked in the first class coach whether she prefers steam or electric, says she likes electric because it's cleaner.  Asked about the most popular bento, she says it's the torimeshi (chicken rice). Asked if the railfans are buying, she says no, probably because they have no money

5. There's a scene somewhere (I can't seem to locate it now), where the train is passing what appears to be a mixed freight on a siding, that's engaging in some kick shunting.

 

Film is commendable for showing the operation of the train from the railway staff side, both train crew and station/depot staff.  A few jewels in the scenes inside a first class carriage, very rare.  And always nice to see tablet operation, and the views of station track layouts on a single line main- evident are the center track between the two loop tracks arrangement, allowing slow freights to take refuge to let the fast passengers through- on this line at the time, the freights, and the local passenger trains were in the hands of D51's.