This month, a post about a steam train - the SL Banetsu Monogatari-go.
It is a special express train that runs on a 126-kilometer track from Niigata to Aizuwakamatsu in Fukushima and vice versa. One can enjoy a one-way trip to either destination or a round trip on weekends and holidays mainly from April to November.
The train - a C57-180 type train was in service from 1946 to 1969. It was restored and began its new routine running on the Banetsu West line on April 1999. Our trip on this train was made on its 10th year, in 2009.
The Banetsu West Line is known as the “Mori to Mizu to Roman no Tetsudo” (the water, forest, and nostalgia railway) and we were presented with magnificent scenery from atop the railroad bridges going across Agano River. That said, if you plan to take the ride from Aizu-Wakamatsu to Niigata like we did, make sure you secure a seat on the left side. We booked our tickets late (as we booked a few days before our intended trip) so we got seats on the right side. Not that there's anything wrong with it but for photographing purposes, the left side is better. ^^
The train at the platform. There was a huge crowd of people vying for a spot to best take photos of it once it started moving and spouting white steam. While on the train, we saw many photographers waiting to take shots of the train passing by too.
A staff with a bag of goodies to be handed out. Everyone in our carriage participated and played jan-ken-pon (rock-paper-scissor) to win free train goodies. It was super fun!
By the way, the interior of the train and the uniform of the crew are designed in a style unique to the Taisho era which is also the period when the Banetsu line was opened. Nice nostalgic touch.
Gift shop. Free postcards given for purchases made here and if the postcard is dropped in the train's mailbox (stamps sold on the train too), the postcard gets a special train postmarked.
A staff helping to take a passenger's photo. Yes, we were allowed to climb up the driver's compartment.
Some stuff we bought on the train. Two ekiben and a model train. The ekiben is especially nice because the wrapper has a train cutout that we still keep.
The Banetsu West Line is known as the “Mori to Mizu to Roman no Tetsudo” (the water, forest, and nostalgia railway) and we were presented with magnificent scenery from atop the railroad bridges going across Agano River. That said, if you plan to take the ride from Aizu-Wakamatsu to Niigata like we did, make sure you secure a seat on the left side. We booked our tickets late (as we booked a few days before our intended trip) so we got seats on the right side. Not that there's anything wrong with it but for photographing purposes, the left side is better. ^^
By the way, the interior of the train and the uniform of the crew are designed in a style unique to the Taisho era which is also the period when the Banetsu line was opened. Nice nostalgic touch.
The passenger lounge. Great place to get a better view of the scenery. Next to the lounge is the
And this being Japan, there are stamps you can stamp your hearts content available. We duly stamped our postcard and posted it away.
In between the journey, the train stops for approximately 10 to 15 minutes at two stops which allows passengers to disembark for some photo op. Boy, we passengers sure scrambled to take it!
That's me and Raimie. In the background, people were trying to check out and take a shot of the staff shoveling coals into the boiler.
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