3/2/2024 0 Comments Red steam train![]() To run the SL trains, the train crew must be trained and qualified to know how to replenish the water and coal to keep them running. Many parts of the trains are also analogue, which must be inspected in person to ensure they’re in working order. And since steam is used to operate the trains, they must also be checked for any steam or water leakages. The trains’ mechanical parts are old and prone to wear and tear, so they have to be inspected regularly to ensure safety and functionality. ![]() (Image credit: JR Kyushu (left) and JR East / Carissa Loh (right))Īctive SL trains are a rarity in Japan not just because of their more modern counterparts they are also extremely tedious to maintain and operate. Operating the steam engine (left) and replenishing coal on an SL train (right). Fortunately, some of them have been brought back to service in more recent times by popular demand, and people can still ride them today. By the late 1960s, SL trains were retired from many train routes, and in 1975, all SL trains were essentially phased out, with the last one ceasing operation on the Muroran Main Line (室蘭本線 Muroran-honsen) in Hokkaido. But due to their impact on the environment and energy efficiency issues, SL trains gradually gave way to more modern trains run by electricity, especially in urban areas where the railway networks were undergoing rapid electrification. In 1911, Japan built its first SL train domestically, and after World War 1 (1914–1918), many SL trains were manufactured domestically. Japan’s first SL train was the Type 110 from the United Kingdom, which landed in the country in 1872 and plied between Tokyo and Yokohama. Unlike modern trains, an SL train uses fuel such as coal that is burned to heat water in the boiler, therefore running the steam engine at the front and propelling the train forward. When you read these words, what image comes to your mind? For most people, it would be the steam locomotive (SL) train. The clouds of steam billowing from the chimney, the retro design of the steam engine’s boiler, and the familiar chugging “choo-choo” sound.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |