Replica of the handcar in Yugawara Town
Yugawara is the southwesternmost town in Kanagawa Prefecture about 100 kilometers west of Tokyo. This town is famous for its mild climate and assorted hot springs; however, Yugawara historically had been an isolated place, because it was surrounded by steep mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
The first public transportation was opened as a handcar railway in 1895. It was Zusoh Handcar Railway constructed by local people. Connecting Yoshihama in Yugawara Town and Odawara City, its route length was 10.4 kilometers. The gauge size was 610 mm. The handcars made six round trips a day. It took four hours from Odawara to Yoshihama.
We can see a replica of the handcar on the side of a street in Yugawara Town. The handcar was a lovely six-seater, which is similar with that of the ex-Taishaku Handcar Railway in Tokyo. Two or three operators pushed the car from behind. Pushing the handcar must have been hard work especially on an upward slope. In 1907, Zusoh Handcar Railway was changed to Atami Railway, and was renewed as a steam railway. The gauge size was also changed from 610 to 762 millimeters.
Currently, those classic railways had already been abolished and modern railway is operated in Yugawara Town. It is JR East's Tokaido main line. It takes only 16 minutes from Odawara to Yugawara. Looking at a modern freight train on the Tokaido main line, I thought of a long lapse of time in Yugawara Town.
The first public transportation was opened as a handcar railway in 1895. It was Zusoh Handcar Railway constructed by local people. Connecting Yoshihama in Yugawara Town and Odawara City, its route length was 10.4 kilometers. The gauge size was 610 mm. The handcars made six round trips a day. It took four hours from Odawara to Yoshihama.
We can see a replica of the handcar on the side of a street in Yugawara Town. The handcar was a lovely six-seater, which is similar with that of the ex-Taishaku Handcar Railway in Tokyo. Two or three operators pushed the car from behind. Pushing the handcar must have been hard work especially on an upward slope. In 1907, Zusoh Handcar Railway was changed to Atami Railway, and was renewed as a steam railway. The gauge size was also changed from 610 to 762 millimeters.
Currently, those classic railways had already been abolished and modern railway is operated in Yugawara Town. It is JR East's Tokaido main line. It takes only 16 minutes from Odawara to Yugawara. Looking at a modern freight train on the Tokaido main line, I thought of a long lapse of time in Yugawara Town.
A freight train pulled by the EL EF66 travels on the Tokaido main line in Yugawara Town