What is the Kamaishi Railway, the first railway in the Tohoku region and the third largest in Japan? [Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture]

The Tohoku Shinkansen is currently the most prominent railway line that traverses the Tohoku region from north to south.
The Tohoku Main Line, a conventional line that runs parallel to the Tohoku Shinkansen, has remained an important trunk line since its full opening in 1891.

However, although the Tohoku Main Line has long been an important trunk line, it is not actually the first railway in the Tohoku region.
The first railway to open in the Tohoku region, and the third in the entire country, which we will introduce hereKamaishi Railway.

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Kamaishi Railway, the third railway to open in Japan

Japan's first railway line opened in 1872 (Meiji 5) between Shinbashi Station and Yokohama Station in the Kanto region. The second railway line opened in 1874 between Osaka Station and Kobe Station in the Kansai region.
Both railway lines now form part of the Tokaido Main Line.

Following these railways, the next to opena town of ironknown asKamaishi in Iwate Prefecture.
In 1880, a railway was opened by the Ministry of Industry at the time to transport ore from the Kamaishi Mine to the government-owned ironworks.

This is theKamaishi Railway.
The route was similar to the current JR Kamaishi Line section from Rikuchu-Ohashi Station to Kamaishi Station.
It was the third railway in Japan and the first railway in the Tohoku region.

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Quickly abolished

However, the Kamaishi Railway was soon discontinued.
A problem occurred with the equipment at the government-owned steelworks, forcing its temporary closure.

Having lost its original purpose, the Kamaishi Railway began transporting passengers in 1882, but with the decision to close the government-run steelworks and mines, the Kamaishi Railway was also notified of its closure

closed down just two and a half years after it openedIt was

As an aside, although the Kamaishi Railway was the third railway in Japan and was soon abolished, it was not actually the first abandoned railway line in Japan

In Osaka, the second city in Japan to have a railway, a freight line connecting Osaka Station and Ajigawa Station, located on the right bank of the Ajigawa River, opened in 1875.
However, it was abandoned just two and a half years later, in 1877.
This is believed to be Japan's first abandoned railway line.

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Revival as a horse-drawn railway

Later, the mines and ironworks in Kamaishi were revived by private hands.
Since the railway had already been abandoned, horses were used to transport the ore.

However, transporting goods by horse quickly reached its limits, so a railway was alsoconstructed again as the "Kamaishi Mine Horse-Drawn Railway," which opened in 1894.

A "horse-drawn railway,"as the name suggests, is a type of railway where horses pull carriages that run on rails.
Horse-drawn carriages were used until 1911 when steam locomotives were introduced.

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Opening of the Kamaishi Line

After switching to steam locomotive operation, the mining railway (hereinafter referred to as such) changed management several times, and from 1940 onwards, it"Nittetsu Mining."was operated by a company called

Then, in 1944, during wartime,that would greatly change the fate of the mining railwayhappened
the Kamaishi East Line of the national railway, which is nowthe JR Kamaishi Line.

With the opening of a parallel railway line, the mining railway ceased transporting general passengers and freight,a "private railway"becoming

Since the railway was originally built to transport ore, you could say it's a throwback to its origins.
Commuting transportation for employees continued until 1950.

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Second abolition

Even after employee commuter transport ended in 1950, the mine railway continued to exist as a dedicated line for transporting ore, but its lifeline was finally cut short

It is thought that with the development of road networks and increased use of automobiles, the existence of mining railways became an obstacle to automobile traffic

The mining railway, which opened as the first railway in the Tohoku region, was once discontinued but was revived and continued to run in Kamaishi,finally ended its history in 1965.

Nearly 60 years have passed since the line was abolished, but traces of the abandoned tracks and facilities remain in places such as near JR Rikuchu-Ohashi Station

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The Kamaishi Mine after that

Although mining continued at the Kamaishi Mine even after the mine railway was discontinued, copper ore mining ceased in 1992, andlarge-scale iron ore mining also ended in 1993.

However, the Kamaishi mine is still being used effectively today

Even after the end of large-scale mining, about 100 tons are still being extracted annually, and businesses are also operating, including hydroelectric power generation using groundwater, the production of mineral water, and the utilization of the remains of underground cavities

Mineral water refers to spring water from mine shafts, and"Hermit's Secret Water."it is sold under the name
It is popular as drinking water for its "delicious" and "easy-to-drink" qualities, and is also used in cosmetics and other products.

Additionally,guided tours of the closed mine shafts are held a few times a year.

Previously, visitors could tour the mine by riding in electric mine carts that were actually used inside the mine.
However, due to the difficulty in obtaining repair parts for the carts, which made repairs impossible, tours using the mine carts were discontinued, and nowtours are conducted using self-driving electric carts.

For those who love rail-driven vehicles, the end of the trolley service may be a bit disappointing, but the electric carts produce significantly less noise and vibration than the trolleys, making for a comfortable sightseeing tour

also serves as the meeting point for guided toursthe "Former Kamaishi Mine Office," which, houses a preserved exhibition of materials related to the Kamaishi Mine that were formerly owned by Nippon Steel Mining Co., Ltd.

INFORMATION

• Facility name: Former Kamaishi Mine Office
• Address: 90-2, Koshicho 1st District, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture
• Inquiry number: 0193-55-5521
• Mine tours are held irregularly (several times a year)
• Opening hours: 9:30-16:30 (entry until 16:00)
• Closed every Tuesday and Wednesday, and during the winter season (December 9th to March 31st)　
• URL　[Former Kamaishi Mine Office] Closed for winter [until March 31]

Google Maps

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The Iron History Museum tells the history of iron making in Kamaishi

In Kamaishi, a Western-style blast furnace was built at the end of the Edo period, and iron was produced for the first time in Japan using iron ore as raw material

The establishment of the iron and steel industry in Kamaishi was a catalyst for the opening of the first railway in the Tohoku region. A
dedicated to the history of iron production in Kamaishi,the "Iron History Museum," is located about a 5-minute drive from Kamaishi Station.

There is also a static display of a locomotive that was actually used on a mining railway during the Showa period

INFORMATION

• Facility name: Kamaishi Municipal Railway History Museum
• Address: 3-12-7 Ohiracho, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture
• Inquiry number: 0193-24-2211　
• Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (entry until 16:00)
• Closed every Tuesday, New Year's holiday (December 29th to January 3rd)
• URL　[Iron History Museum] Facility Information Notice

Google Maps

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summary

The Kamaishi Mining Railway, the first railway in the Tohoku region, supported Kamaishi's iron and steel industry for many years.
I hope you will remember that such a railway existed.

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