Steam Locomotives of Toyo Kassei Hakudo
Toyo Kassei Hakudo Conpany, once located in Itoigawa, Niigata Prefecture, was a factory that produced "activated white clay" by processing naturally mined clay with sulfuric or hydrochloric acid to enhance its adsorption capabilities. The product was used for refining and decolorizing vegetable and mineral oils. To transport the finished product, a narrow-gauge railway (610 mm gauge) connected the factory to a transshipment site approximately 800 meters away on a siding of JNR Itoigawa Station. A steam locomotive built in 1956 by Kyosan Kogyo was used. With permission, visitors could enter the factory premises, and the line offered a variety of scenic views along the way. (Photographed in May 1979)
Toyo Kassei Hakudo Company
According to its builder’s plate, this locomotive was manufactured in 1956 (Showa 31). It was famously known as the last steam locomotive built in Japan for practical railway use. In reality, it was originally produced speculatively in 1951 (Showa 26) without a specific buyer, and later refurbished and assigned a builder’s plate. Another unidentified locomotive existed on-site, but it was stored deep in the shed and could not be photographed. The factory interior was notably clean due to pollution control efforts, with flowers planted around the premises. Unfortunately, the factory closed in 1983, and the railway was dismantled. The locomotive was later preserved in Itoigawa and exhibited at the "Great Railway Exhibition" held at the Edo-Tokyo Museum in 2007.
Locomotive from Keelung Coal Mine (Taiwan)
Because the line used a 610 mm gauge, the Rasu Chijin Railway Association was active here. The featured locomotive originally operated at a coal mine in Keelung, Taiwan. Though it once toiled under harsh conditions, it was beautifully restored and maintained at the time of photography.
Hokuriku Main Line
Adjacent to the private railway was the electrified Hokuriku Main Line, where various trains passed by. The photos show an EF70 class AC electric locomotive, introduced specifically for the Hokuriku Line. Built in 1965 (Showa 40) by Mitsubishi Electric, this class was designed to handle long and heavy trains on steep gradients and served as the backbone of operations on the line.
Identical Locomotive at Musashino Village
Compact and easy to maneuver, this locomotive type was also well-suited for tourist railways. Kyosan Kogyo of Fukushima Prefecture, its manufacturer, specialized in small industrial and recreational locomotives, including those for Western River Railroad at Tokyo Disneyland. At the amusement park Musashino Village in Kazo City, a locomotive of the same type operated until around 2004. It was later preserved by the Nakagawa Seiryu Railway Preservation Society in Nasukarasuyama, Tochigi Prefecture. (Photos taken in 1993 and 2016)
Identical Locomotive at Nakagawa Seiryu Railway
This locomotive was newly built by Kyosan Kogyo in 2015 (Heisei 27) on request from the Nakagawa Seiryu Railway. It features a 762 mm gauge. Although it was a brand-new locomotive, it was not intended to be operated. (Photographed in 2016)