In the Park

A feature of Japan is the number of steam locomotives that found their way into municipal parks in the 1950's and 1960's. There are literally hundreds and often they aren't easy to track down.

In a way it's a big bonus - to have so many engines saved from the scrapper's blowtorch. But many seem to be starting to deteriorate now - in the UK this wonderful and fortuitous national collection would already be attracting a big conservation effort. If something isn't done soon they will rust away. And some of the ones under cover are sad examples too - one in Sakura is imprisoned behind thick chicken wire that makes a photograph impossible!

Here's one of the better examples - a class C57 'Pacific' in a park near Oomori station in Tokyo. It looks a bit sad here in the driving rain but mechanically it's in good shape and actually moves it's wheels under compressed air power a couple of times a day.

Just behind it is the old Tokaido main line where it lived during it's working life, speeding expresses from Tokyo to Osaka and points west. A very fitting location for retirement eh?

I was past here a couple of weeks ago headed for Tsurumi and noticed that C57 66 had been given a fresh coat of black paint by someone over the winter. Great!