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 runs north to south through the Tohoku region.
The Tohoku Main Line, a conventional line that runs parallel to the Shinkansen, has been an important main line since it opened 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 country Kamaishi Railway , which we will introduce here .

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Kamaishi Railway, the third railway to open in Japan

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

The next railway to open Kamaishi in Iwate Prefecture known as the town of iron .
In 1880, the Ministry of Public Works opened a railway to transport ore from the Kamaishi mine to the government-run ironworks.

This was the Kamaishi 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 in the Tohoku region .

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Quickly abolished

However, the Kamaishi Railway was soon abolished
due to equipment problems at the government-run steelworks, which forced it to suspend operation.

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

It was closed just two and a half years after it opened

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

Osaka was the second city in Japan to have a railway, and a freight line connecting Osaka Station and Ajigawa Station, located on the right bank of the Aji River, opened in 1875.
However, just two and a half years later, in 1877, the line had outlived its usefulness and was abandoned.
This is thought to be the first abandoned railway line in Japan.

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Revival as a horse-drawn railway

Later, Kamaishi's mines and steelworks were rebuilt by private individuals.
Since the railway had already been abolished, horses were used to transport the ore.

However, transport by horse soon reached its limits, so a railway built again as the Kamaishi Mine Horse-Drawn Railway , which opened in 1894.

a horse-drawn railway is a railway in which carriages are pulled by horses on rails.
Horse-drawn carriages were used until 1911, when operation was switched to steam locomotives.

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Opening of the Kamaishi Line

After switching to steam locomotive operation, the mine railway (hereafter referred to as such) changed hands frequently, and from 1940 it came under the management of a company called Nittetsu Mining

Then, in 1944 during the war, happened
that would greatly change the fate of the mining railway the Japanese National Railways' Kamaishi East Line, now the JR Kamaishi Line .

With the opening of a parallel railway, the mine railway ceased to transport general passengers and freight, and became a "private railway"

It was originally opened to transport ore, so it could be considered a throwback to its roots, but
continued to transport employee commuters 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 mine railway, which opened as the first railway in the Tohoku region and was once abolished but later revived and continued to run through the Kamaishi area, came to an end 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

Kamaishi Mine continued mining even after the mine railway was abolished, but copper ore mining ceased in 1992, and ceased 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

The mineral spring water is spring water from the mine tunnels and is sold under the name
"Sennin Himizu." It has a reputation for being "delicious" and "easy to drink," and is also used in lotions and other products.

also held several times a year .

Previously, visitors could tour the mine tunnels on an electric trolley that was actually used inside the tunnels.
However, due to the difficulty in obtaining repair parts for the trolley, which made it impossible to repair, tours on the trolley were discontinued, and now tours are conducted on 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

the former Kamaishi Mine Office which serves as the meeting point for tours , houses a preserved exhibition of materials related to the Kamaishi Mine that were owned by Nittetsu 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 the winter [until March 31st]

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 steel industry taking root in Kamaishi also led to the opening of the first railway in the Tohoku region.
The Steel History Museum where you can learn about the history of steel manufacturing in Kamaishi , is located about a five-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

Google Maps

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summary

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

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