I recently checked the Preserved Railway Cars Database published by the Japan Railfan Club and found that a total of 3,780 valuable railway vehicles are preserved in Japan. These include locomotives, electric cars, diesel railcars, passenger coaches, freight cars, and more. While most of them are preserved by museums, railway companies, and local governments, in rare cases they are maintained by individuals or private organizations.
Last November, I visited an eye clinic in Saitama City. Was it because I had an eye disease? No—the purpose of my visit was to see a preserved diesel railcar: Unit 3 of the Haboro Coal Mine Railway’s KiHa 22 series (hereafter referred to as KiHa 223). Please take a look at the top photo. You can see its maroon body with a white stripe—beautiful! KiHa 223 is a 20-meter-long hydraulic diesel railcar equipped with a 132 kW diesel engine. It was built in 1966 by Fuji Heavy Industries. After the closure of the Haboro Coal Mine Railway in 1970, KiHa 223 was transferred to Ibaraki Kotsu (today’s Hitachinaka Kaihin Railway) and operated there for 39 years. After retirement, the railcar was taken over by Hoshiai Eye Clinic in 2010, where it was restored to its original Haboro Coal Mine Railway condition from its days in Hokkaido.
What immediately caught my attention was the round “clear view” screen on the front. As you may know, it is a rotating glass disk mounted on the window to disperse snow for the driver (see the photo below). I would like to express my gratitude to Hoshiai Eye Clinic for preserving this precious piece of railway history.
