Sankō Line Farewell
This month’s photos are a tribute to the JR West Sankō Line which closed on the 31st March 2018. With a length of 108 Km’s, it is the longest single line closure in distance for some years. The central section which completed construction of the line was finished in 1975, in the era of massive spending on what could arguably described as questional routes by the former JNR, it was also one of the shortest lived, fully constructed lines in Japan.
120 317 at Iwami-Kawamoto having arrived as the 09:57 from Miyoshi on 23rd March 2011. It then sat here for an hour and forty minutes before carrying on to Gotsu. The service on this line was sparse not helped by a lack of passing loops north of Iwami Kawamoto. Photo: Alex Morley
Kiha 120 317 getting ready to be refuelled at Gotsu again on 23rd March 2011. This didn’t happen in our 2016 visit where the empty units ran off towards Hamada. Photo: Peter Dibben
20 310 and 120 311 at Iwami-Kawamoto with the 09:57 from Miyoshi on 28th September 2016. Photo: Alex Morley
Railfans at Miyoshi on 30th December 2016 get their souveneir photos of Ki Ha 120 321. Photo: Kiyoshi Jinno
Morning rush hour at Osekiyama Station on 30th December 2016. Photo: Kiyoshi Jinno
Iwami-Kawamoto was the largest town on the line, is now without a rail service. 30th December 2016. Photo: Kiyoshi Jinno