The Tōbu Yaita Line (東武矢板線, Tōbu Yaita-sen) was a 23.5 km railway line in Japan operated by Tobu Railway, which connected Shin-Takatoku on the Tōbu Kinugawa Line to Yaita on the Tōhoku Main Line in Tochigi Prefecture. The line opened on 1 March 1924, and closed on 30 June 1959.[1]
| Tōbu Yaita Line | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Owner | Tobu Railway |
| Locale | Tochigi Prefecture |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 9 |
| Service | |
| Type | Heavy rail |
| History | |
| Opened | 1 March 1924 |
| Closed | 30 June 1959 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 23.5 km (14.6 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Old gauge | 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) |
Operations
editIn its final years, there were just five trains in each direction daily, with only three in each direction running over the entire length of the line.[2] Trains were mixed passenger and freight services hauled by 4-4-0 steam locomotives built by Beyer, Peacock & Company in England, with passenger cars converted from former Tobu electric multiple units.[2]
History
editThe line first opened on 1 March 1924 by the Shimotsuke Electric Railway (下野電気鉄道, Shimotsuke Denki Tetsudō), as a 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge branch line which extended 9.9 km from Takatoku Station (later Shin-Takatoku Station) to Tenchō Station (天頂駅).[2] The line was re-gauged to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) and extended from Tenchō to Yaita on the Tōhoku Main Line, with the 23.5 km line completed in October 1929.[2]
On 1 May 1943, the line was bought by the Tobu Railway, becoming the Yaita Line.[2]
The line closed on 30 June 1959.[2]
See also
editReferences
editThis article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia
- ^ 歴史でめぐる鉄道全路線NO.5 東武鉄道２ [Railway Line History No. 5: Tobu Railway 2]. Japan: Asahi Shimbun Publications. September 2010. p. 23. ISBN 978-4-02-340135-8.
- ^ a b c d e f Hanai, Masahiro (April 1998). "東北本線沿線に失われた私鉄の接続駅を訪ねる1 東武鉄道矢板線" [Visiting Lost Private Railway Interchange Stations on the Tohoku Main Line (1): Tobu Yaita Line]. Japan Railfan Magazine. Vol. 38, no. 444. Japan: Kōyūsha Co., Ltd. pp. 76–81.