JNR Mooka Line

This photo shows the JNR Mooka Line in January 1987, just before privatization. The KiHa 45 series DMUs were operating at the time. The official Mooka Line ran between Shimodate and Motegi, but about half of the services extended from Oyama to Motegi. This picture was taken three months before the line was transferred to JR in April. On the east side of the station, old warehouses remained unchanged since the days when C50 steam locomotives from Oyama Depot were used for shunting.

At Shimodate Station, Mooka Line trains arrived on the same platform used by Mito-bound trains on the Mito Line, but the direction toward Motegi was opposite.

The destination board displayed "Mooka Line" instead of specific endpoints like "Oyama – Motegi." This was likely done to reduce the effort required for changing the signs.

While KiHa 45 series DMUs were in operation, KiHa 20 series units were stored on the sidings at Mooka Station. Freight station services had already been discontinued, but trucks were still parked in front of the freight sheds.

Nishidai Station retained its appearance from earlier eras. The toilet building was located away from the station building, there were fences made of railway ties, blue station name signs with white lettering, and a wooden ticket gate—all reminiscent of the old days.

The destination was always "Nanai" Station. This photo was taken in December 1966. At that time, it was still a staffed station with a stationmaster. There was even a handmade billboard promoting New Year pilgrimages to Naritasan Temple, giving the station a lively atmosphere unlike that of unmanned stations.

The station premises were very spacious. Trains were long, and up and down trains exchanged here. There was also a waiting room on the down platform (on the left side). Many freight cars were parked on the sidings. The signaling was of the semaphore type, with tablet block operation, and points were manually changed using long cables connected from the station building.

As of June 1971, KiHa 17 series DMUs were still in operation. The down platform was no longer in use, making the station unable to handle train exchanges. The KiHa 17 series were former KiHa 45000 types with a single cab and toilets. In 1955, the Mooka Sub-District had units numbered KiHa 45020–28, 89, and 127. By November 1984, they had been replaced with two-car sets of the Metropolitan area color KiHa 20 series. The down platform had become increasingly overgrown with weeds.

Around 1966, Nanai Station front was still the center of transportation for the town. Buildings lined both sides of the station front, with shops on the left side and the Haga Transport office on the right, featuring a yellow sign with a white circle and a red "通" (Transport) character in the middle. Trucks were parked in front of the buildings, giving a glimpse of the vibrant logistics at that time. Haga Transport was a regional subsidiary of Nippon Express, a company licensed under the "Transportation Business Law" enacted before the war. They were designated freight handlers within the JNR station premises, playing a key role in connecting the station with the local area for logistics. Shops also lined the street beyond the station square, and it was normal for local residents to do their daily shopping there. However, over time, the role of rail transportation declined. By November 1984, the buildings of the transport company and shops remained, but all had closed. The once lively station front lost its vibrancy, and the era when the station was the hub of regional transport became a thing of the past. Further, by March 2003, all the station-front buildings were demolished, completely erasing the long-familiar scene that had been the face of the town for many years.

By 1984, the station building had been renovated. Rather than being completely rebuilt, it seemed that only the deteriorated parts were simply repaired. Around this time, all stations along the line underwent similar renovations, resulting in plain, characterless station buildings. Although the line was marked for closure as a deficit-ridden local line, local communities launched campaigns to keep it running, with banners from local councils erected at stations. Unfortunately, this station building was later destroyed in a suspicious fire, leaving Nanai Station without a building for a period.

Ichihana Station also had a similar appearance. Even when looking through negatives for photos, it was hard to tell which station was which because the station buildings all looked alike.

Motegi Station, the terminus of the line, was a relatively large station. The station building as of 1974 was likely constructed around the same time as Nanai and Ichihana stations. The station plaza in front had not yet been paved. By 1984, the station had undergone similar renovations.

Motegi Station had a large yard suitable for a terminus. There does not seem to be much change compared to the current track layout. However, there was no turntable.

This view of Motegi Station is from the direction where the unfinished Nagakura Line was planned to extend. In 1975, freight services were still active, and freight cars can be seen. After the steam locomotive era, DD13 diesel locomotives hauled freight trains here.

This is a photo of a C12-hauled freight train that happened to pass while I was waiting for a signal near Mashiko Station in 1969. This was the only steam-hauled freight train I saw on the Mooka Line. The second photo shows the same location in 2003.

Chasing the train by car, I caught up and took this shot between Mashiko and Nishidai (near today's Kitayama Station). The second photo was taken at the same spot in 2003. The crossing had been upgraded from a fourth-class crossing with only a warning sign to a third-class crossing with crossing gates. Unfortunately, the camera resolution back then was poor.