Behind Bars

Out in Mihama-ku this afternoon and I took my tape measure with me. I've been planning to measure this beast for a couple of years. It's a shunting tank used in the Kawasaki steelworks at Chiba and it lives in a small park.

Actually I'd forgotten which small park and which set of traffic lights and I ended up walking around three kilometres further than I needed to but I found it in the end.

I've always thought that this tank would make the perfect live steamer in 7 1/4" gauge. Solid short frame 0-6-0 with all it's works outside and easy to adjust. Pefect eh?

So no prizes for guessing how mad I was when I eventually tracked it down to discover a fence around it and 'keep out' notices. Had someone taken leave of their senses???. Fencing such a nice locomotive in like a wild animal? There was a sign but I couldn't read it.

Well, Edera has now and it seems that the problem is that the Parks Department have found asbestos. They will have to remove it which they plan to do during this year but in the meantime keep your distance.

Found asbestos?? Don't they know that every steam locomotive in the entire world has a layer of asbestos under those boiler lagging plates. What else did they think kept the heat in?

Anyway, at least they are going to sort it out. But no working drawing for me for some months yet