On the "Kurogane Line"

[Nick_Burman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztH9ukF2KCw

 

Nippon Steel's Yahata Works intraplant electric railway. One thing I never understood was why do they have to tag a diesel loco along on all trains (and why did they had to make it look like a steampunk version of an Alco-GE-IR "Oil Electric"...).

 

That tunnel portal is grand...wouldn't go amiss in any UK mainline!

 

 

Cheers NB

[kvp]

That locomotive looks like a demotorized electric locomotive used as a transfer caboose/cabbage car (officially called a non powered control unit). Amtrak uses old FP7 locomotives for the same purpose. This way the train can be controlled from both ends with a single locomotive and in case of a unit train all switching can be avoided.

[Densha]

Looks like those grey boards are to muffle the sound of the bogies and equipment.

[westfalen]

I found the other portal on Google Earth, different from the first but equally impressive.

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/103410255?source=wapi&referrer=mw1.google.com

 

I might have to have a look at this line on one of my trips.  Anyone have any idea how frequently the trains run?

Edited March 24, 2014 by westfalen

[Ronny]

The diesel loco

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PR7f0ob3-Y&feature=player_detailpage#t=173

[kvp]

Thanks! So it is a diesel locomotive, just a bit dirty and not working on the first video.

[westfalen]

I've definately got to make time to go and see this.

[Doddy]

https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/くろがね線

 

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:0903110424_NS_kuroganeline.jpg