Chikugo-Oishi station

[Rail Announcement]

Hello,

 

In 2005 I visited this deligtful station on the day of the monthly clean carried out by retired residents of the town.

 

It's now just a single line with a single platform and siding, but does anyone know what the original layout was like?

 

There is a second , disused, platform with no track and what looks like the track bed of an old siding near the platform currently in use. Also, does anyone know if there was ever a signal box at Chikugo-Oishi or if freight was ever shunted there?

 

Here are a few pictures of the monthly clean taking place:

 

http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/p773535743/h40f8f90#h40f8f90

http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/p773535743/h40f8f90#h2fcb69de

http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/p773535743/h40f8f90#h27ecef28

Edited February 9, 2015 by Rail Announcement

[bikkuri bahn]

Unfortunately, the charming if somewhat ramshackle station building depicted was torn down and replaced with a "modern" building in yet another example of JR Kyushu's insensitive disregard for railway heritage.  Lesson to be learned- if you see a wooden, original station building on a JR Kyushu Line, photograph it then and there, as it will likely be gone within a few years and replaced with a plastic-cladded pseudo-western thing.

 

To answer your question, the station originally had 3 through tracks, the far side platform likely had two faces.  Turnback operations occured until Sept. 1968.  There was a freight track and platform, which was extant until the 1980's, though freight service likely ended earlier than that. 

 

There was no signal box, but there was likely a lever frame on the platform alongside or next to the station building. Points were worked manually by station staff stationed in a shack near the points, standard practice for a small station such as this.

 

see this picture (the third) of a train approaching the station for hints (Kyuudai line local train bound for Oita, Aug. 1965):

http://locomotivesteam.web.fc2.com/PhotoKyuudaiSummer2.htm

[Rail Announcement]

Thanks for this.

 

Was there double track througout the route or was Chikugo-Oishi a passing loop, rather like the next station at Ukiha is now?

 

Yes, I had heard the the old station buildings had been swept away. I just hope the monthly clean still takes place as it was a great way of the local community getting together.

 

Do you know what type of freight would have been handled? I imagine, knowing the area, it would have been farm produce.

 

[marknewton]

From the photo in bb's link, I'd say it was a crossing loop on a single track line - note the two home starter signals controlling entry into the section. The third track he mentions would have been used for terminating or turning back trains so they could stand clear of the crossing loop lines. That seems to have been a very common layout on single track lines there.

 

Something interesting I noticed when looking at the google street view was the shed at the end of the siding. The track runs into it through a roller door, and it has the sort of ventilators on the roof that you normally see on loco sheds. I wonder if there are track machines stabled here?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[mrp]

The wikipedia page also has some basic info.

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/筑後大石駅

If I understand it correctly, it seems to confirm that the second line went to a shed with track maintenance equipment, and that there was switching and cargo up to 1971.

[railsquid]

Unfortunately, the charming if somewhat ramshackle station building depicted was torn down and replaced with a "modern" building in yet another example of JR Kyushu's insensitive disregard for railway heritage.  Lesson to be learned- if you see a wooden, original station building on a JR Kyushu Line, photograph it then and there, as it will likely be gone within a few years and replaced with a plastic-cladded pseudo-western thing.

 

This applies to pretty much any building in Japan which doesn't have UNESCO world heritage status...

[bikkuri bahn]

Do you know what type of freight would have been handled? I imagine, knowing the area, it would have been farm produce.

The Kyuudai Line was a cross country route, so it did not see the heavy coal traffic of its immediate northern neighbors. It seems rather short mixed freights were the norm.

see this pic of a typical freight on this line:

http://rail.hobidas.com/kokutetsu2/sp/archives/2012/07/post_515.html

 

from 1975, some color views in the diesel era, including a rare view of a local diesel freight. Photographers typically ignored these after the end of steam. Plenty of atmosphere left, including semaphore signals:

http://www7b.biglobe.ne.jp/~kidousha/31-kyuudai/31.kyuudai.html

Edited February 10, 2015 by bikkuri bahn

[bikkuri bahn]

freight timetable for this line, October 1968:

There were two daily through freights Tosu to Oita, and one through freight Oita to Tosu. Note the leisurely schedule, taking more than 12 hours to traverse the whole route. Only one freight train stopped and served Chikugo Oishi, train 694 from Oita, scheduled to arrive 12:59 daily. Being 1968, it's possible these freight trains were still steam hauled.

[Rail Announcement]

freight timetable for this line, October 1968:

DSC_0413.JPG

There were two daily through freights Tosu to Oita, and one through freight Oita to Tosu. Note the leisurely schedule, taking more than 12 hours to traverse the whole route. Only one freight train stopped and served Chikugo Oishi, train 694 from Oita, scheduled to arrive 12:59 daily. Being 1968, it's possible these freight trains were still steam hauled.

 Thanks for this. It's very interesting.

 

Would most stations have passing loops on the line?

 

I know that the stations either side (Ukiha and Yoake) still retain passing loops. With Ukiha also having a siding and Yoake being a junction station.

 

Picture of Ukiha here:  http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/p800085578/h28d29a33#h28d29a33

[marknewton]

There was no signal box, but there was likely a lever frame on the platform alongside or next to the station building. Points were worked manually by station staff stationed in a shack near the points, standard practice for a small station such as this.

 

There's some fascinating views elsewhere on this website showing typical lever frames and pointsman's huts:

 

http://locomotivesteam.web.fc2.com/PhotoIkutaharaEkimu.htm

 

One feature I found very interesting was the use of colour light repeater signals, as seen in the middle photo of the 8620 shunting.

 

The photos on this website are great - both artistic and informative - great find bb! :)

 

All the best,

 

Mark.

Edited February 11, 2015 by marknewton

[mrp]

from 1975, some color views in the diesel era, including a rare view of a local diesel freight. Photographers typically ignored these after the end of steam. Plenty of atmosphere left, including semaphore signals:

http://www7b.biglobe.ne.jp/~kidousha/31-kyuudai/31.kyuudai.html

 

Those - and the rest of the site - are amazing photos.  The guy must have spent a serious amount of time sitting out in the middle of fields framing shots waiting for trains to go past.  It feels like every photo has extra detail the more you look at it.  Definitely keeping that link.

[katoftw]

I think that is a harse assessment of JR Kyushu. Considering alot of the wooden 1920s/1930s stations on the Hisatsu Sen have had some form of renewal in the past few years. Sakamoto, Watari, Okaba, Yakate, Masaki etc.

[Rail Announcement]

Does anyone know when the loops were removed from Chikugo-Oishi and the semaphore signalling abolished?

 

Thanks.

[mrp]

I think the Wikipedia page is saying that switching operations stopped in 1971 and the equipment was removed in 1972.