Sakuradani Light Railway

The Sakuradani Light Railway (桜谷軽便鉄道, Sakuradani Keiben Tetsudō) is a privately owned, ridable 15 in (381 mm) gauge electric garden railway in the Toyono District of Osaka Prefecture, Japan.[1]

Kaze-No-Toge Station on the Sakuradani Light Railway in February 2013, with electric cars 1408 and 10 visible

The Sakuradani Light Railway was built as a hobby by Setsuo Mochimoto (持元節夫), who had been interested in model trains since his childhood, but started building a full-size railway in the 1990s.[1] Visitors are allowed to drive the trains. The 150 metres (490 ft) long loop of the Minamiyama Line stops at the single-track platform of Sakuradani Station (桜谷駅) and the double-track platform of Kaze-No-Tōge Station (風の峠駅).[2] In total, the track has 13 switches. An overhead line is used to transmit electricity at 36 volts DC to trams and locomotives.[2] The shorter Lower Line, which is not connected to the Minamiyama Line, runs at a lower level and has a length of 165 feet (50 m).[3]

The railway opens to the public on the afternoon on the first Sunday every month.[1] It is named after a mine that was once located there.[3]

Rolling stock

As of August 2015, the following rolling stock is used on the line.[4]

NumberTypeDate builtPower outputLiveryRemarks
16Flat wagonJuly 1996- 
2Battery locomotiveMay 1997100 WYellow 
7Battery locomotiveMay 2000116 WBlackBuilt to resemble a steam locomotive.
8Steam locomotiveNovember 20000.2 hpBlack 
301Passenger coachDecember 2001-Brown & cream 
DeKi 12Electric locomotiveJanuary 2004232 WBlackBuilt to resemble a Kusagaru Electric Railway locomotive.
150Passenger coachJuly 2004-Vermillion & cream 
HoTo 71Open wagonNovember 2004-BlackBuilt to resemble a Kusagaru Electric Railway wagon.
MoHa 1408Electric carMay 2005220 WBlue & creamBuilt to resemble an Akiu Electric Railway car.
DeKi 3Electric locomotiveJuly 2006270 WDark greenSteeple-cab type.
201Passenger coachJuly 2008-Blue & cream 
OHa 7Passenger coachDecember 2009-Green & cream 
10Electric carAugust 2011600 WVermillion & creamBuilt to resemble a Ueda Electric Railway car.
KiHa D11Gasoline-driven carJune 2012300 WBlue & creamBuilt to resemble a Shizuoka Railway car.
ED51Electric locomotiveApril 2013600 WMaroon
OHa 8Passenger coachNovember 2013-Green & creamRebuilt from KiHa 3.
-HandcarAugust 2015-Green & cream

References
  1. Kanda, Tsuyoshi (5 July 2012). 【桜谷軽便鉄道】小さな列車に大きな夢 [The Sakuradani Light Railway: A small railway with big dreams]. Asahi Shimbun Digital (in Japanese). Japan: The Asahi Shimbun Company. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  2. Otake, Naoki (5 June 2015). あなたも運転できる！「桜谷軽便鉄道」は鉄道ファンの夢の終着駅 [You can drive too! The Sakuradani Light Railway is the final stop of a train enthusiast's dream]. Sankei West (in Japanese). Japan: The Sankei Shimbun and Sankei Digital. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  3. Introduction with map of Sakuradani station & Kaze-No-Touge station.
  4. 桜谷軽便鉄道の車両たち2015 [Sakuradani Light Railway rolling stock 2015] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan: Sakuradani Light Railway. August 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
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