Chichibu Railway's SL Paleo Express charges ahead with Mount Buko—a center of limestone mining—rising in the background in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture.
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A steam locomotive climbs a steep grade, smoke billowing from its stack. In the cab, the assistant fireman shovels coal into the firebox while making constant, delicate adjustments to the steam valves. Unlike modern electric trains, a steam locomotive must be handled based on the weather and the engine's condition that day.
In Saitama Prefecture, Chichibu Railway keeps that older rhythm alive. Its steam locomotive runs as an "operating industrial heritage," carrying the breath of a bygone era into the present.
Chichibu Railway opened in 1901 as Jobu Railway, initially linking Kumagaya and Yorii in northern Saitama Prefecture. In 1930, the route that is now the Chichibu Main Line was completed, extending from Hanyu in the prefecture's northeast to Mitsumineguchi in the mountainous Chichibu region to the west.
The railway grew not only through passenger service, but also through freight transport, carrying timber and limestone quarried from Mount Buko, a landmark mountain overlooking Chichibu.
In 1976, commercial steam locomotive service returned to Japan after having disappeared from regular operation. The revival gradually spread nationwide, and today steam locomotives operate in many regions as tourist trains.
A Lost Era Brought Back to Life
In its early years, Chichibu Railway's trains were pulled by steam locomotives. But in 1923, as the line was electrified, steam disappeared from the railway.
Its revival came in 1988. To mark the Saitama Expo in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, C58 No. 363—a locomotive that had been preserved at an elementary school in the former town of Fukiage, now part of Konosu—was restored to working order. It returned to the rails as the SL Paleo Express.
"Steam locomotives are completely different from electric trains or diesel railcars," says driver Yuki Kurosawa, 39. After more than a decade at the controls, Kurosawa relies on experience and instinct to fine-tune the steam pressure, working to keep the ride as smooth as possible for passengers.
This year, the SL Paleo Express will run mainly on weekends and national holidays from late March to early December, operating between Kumagaya in northern Saitama and Mitsumineguchi in the Chichibu area. Passengers need both a regular train ticket and an SL reserved-seat ticket, priced at ¥1,000 to ¥1,100 (about $6.50-$7.10).
In 1976, commercial steam locomotive service returned to Japan after having disappeared from regular operation. The revival gradually spread nationwide, and today steam locomotives operate in many regions as tourist trains.
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Author: Masamichi Kirihara, Masahiro Sakai, The Sankei Shimbun
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