Ako Railway?

[Nick_Burman]

Could anyone please tell me more about this 762mm gauge railway, or point me to web resources about it? The Mori Works book has a pic of a Baldwin 0-6-0ST loco which was converted into a diesel loco for this line.

 

 

Cheers NB

[miyakoji]

Well I had some text written for you and I deleted it somehow...  basic points:

 

• north end was at Une on the Sanyo Main Line
• south end was a bit below present-day Banshu-Ako Station
• total of 12.7 km
• started operation on April 14, 1921, ended on December 12, 1951

Some interesting sites:

 

http://www.hotetu.net/haisen/Kansai/121125akoutetudou.html

http://homepage2.nifty.com/t-nakayama/haisen/akou/akou.htm

http://www.kigekiraumen.com/kippu/akoutetsudo.htm

http://harimabike.exblog.jp/17144257

 

model of railbus KA3:

 

http://www.kk-net.com/~tabuchi/ako_ka3.htm

 

Japanese wikipedia page:

 

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B5%A4%E7%A9%82%E9%89%84%E9%81%93

 

Google map centered on Une Station:

 

http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?q=%E8%B5%A4%E7%A9%82%E5%B8%82%E5%8A%A0%E9%87%8C%E5%B1%8B%E4%B8%AD%E5%B7%9E3%E4%B8%81%E7%9B%AE&hl=ja&ie=UTF8&ll=34.829353,134.397104&spn=0.003879,0.006105&sll=34.753824,134.39127&sspn=0.001941,0.004074&t=m&brcurrent=3,0x3554580ba6920d9f:0x6486bb715563f17f,0&hnear=%E5%85%B5%E5%BA%AB%E7%9C%8C%E8%B5%A4%E7%A9%82%E5%B8%82%E5%8A%A0%E9%87%8C%E5%B1%8B%E4%B8%AD%E6%B4%B2%EF%BC%93%E4%B8%81%E7%9B%AE&z=18

 

Google map centered on West depot of Kishin Bus company:

 

http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?q=%E8%B5%A4%E7%A9%82%E5%B8%82%E5%8A%A0%E9%87%8C%E5%B1%8B%E4%B8%AD%E5%B7%9E3%E4%B8%81%E7%9B%AE&hl=ja&ie=UTF8&ll=34.751283,134.3958&spn=0.001942,0.003052&sll=34.753824,134.39127&sspn=0.001941,0.004074&t=m&brcurrent=3,0x35545f703d4f387f:0xc272b48427345baa,0&hnear=%E5%85%B5%E5%BA%AB%E7%9C%8C%E8%B5%A4%E7%A9%82%E5%B8%82%E5%8A%A0%E9%87%8C%E5%B1%8B%E4%B8%AD%E6%B4%B2%EF%BC%93%E4%B8%81%E7%9B%AE&z=19

[Nick_Burman]

Miakoji,

 

Thanks. As I have suspected, the line closed because of the construction of JNR's Ako Line. I find it surprising that although it closed in the 1950's, no one (at least no one with a web presence...) bothered to turn their lenses onto it.

 

The model of KA3 is by Arumodel. I'm ogling one for my HOn30 pike.

 

 

Cheers NB

[bikkuri bahn]

The fact that it was closed in the 1950's is likely why there is not much photographic record (beyond perhaps some newspaper photos)- cameras were still luxury items then- railfan photography became more commonplace starting from the mid-sixties, which corressponds with rising levels of income and the ability of the hoi polloi to afford luxuries (which things like railfan photography/travel and model trains definitely are). Add to that the area in question is not in the Tokyo or Osaka metro region (where the overwhelming majority of railfans live even now).

Edited November 12, 2013 by bikkuri bahn