I recently visited Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture on business. After finishing my meeting, I went to the Akiu area of the city and enjoyed a walk along a beautiful gorge.
Rairai-kyo is a deep gorge formed in pumice tuff deposited about eight million years ago. This rock is relatively soft but does not crumble easily, so it has been used for buildings and fences in Sendai City. If you look down into Rairai-kyo from a bridge crossing the gorge, you can find a heart-shaped groove in the rock (see the photo below). This is a so-called tafoni, a cavity created by chemical erosion, and it has become a popular spot for couples.
Well, I cannot end the story here, as this is a railway blog. Just above the gorge, I found a preserved tramcar (see the top photo). What is it? It is Unit 119 of the former Sendai City Tram MoHa 100 series. The MoHa 100 series is a medium-sized (11.9-meter-long) double-axle bogie car. It is equipped with two 38 kW DC series motors, and its rated speed is 21 kilometers per hour. A traditional nose-suspension drive system is adopted.
Unit 119 was built by Niigata Tekko in 1952. After operating for 48 years in Sendai and Nagasaki, it was withdrawn from service in 2000 and relocated to Rairai-kyo Gorge in 2002. Unit 119 is known as a “brother” of the unnamed tramcar at Seibu-en Amusement Park (see my post from February 15, 2023).
Unit 119—thank you for your long service. Have a good rest.
