SL Yamaguchi
JR Wast’s weekend steam train special named ‘SL Yamaguchi’ finally resumed steam operation using steam locomotive D51-200 in May this year, after an almost four years’ hiatus of steam haulage, during which the service itself was continued in substituted diesel-powered mode. Two steam locomotives based at Kyoto Railway Museum, C57-1 4-6-2 Pacific and D51-200 2-8-2 Mikado, were originally the workforce of this steam-special, but both were withdrawn out of service one after another around 2020 due to their failures. The repair of the D51 was finished last year, and the locomotive was brought back to the ‘SL Yamaguchi’ service. The C57 is still under repair at the Kyoto Railway Museum.
The ‘SL Yamaguchi’ runs along the Yamaguchi Line between Shin-Yamaguchi on the Sanyo Main Line and Tsuwano on the Yamaguchi Line, a distance of about 63 km, offering a nostalgic steam-era journey in about two hours in each direction.
All photos: Taken by Hiroshi Naito on July 20th, 2025.
The ‘SL Yamaguchi’ shown in the lush mountainous landscape of Yamaguchi with its blast sounds breaking the quietness in the rural environment.
The ‘SL Yamaguchi’ has departed from Tokusa station to challenge the upcoming ascent, leading a string of five retro passenger cars which resemble steam era carriages including observation cars at both ends.
The side view of steam locomotive D51-200. The D51 is a 2-cylinder, super-heated steam locomotive designed by the Government Railway and was mass-produced from 1936 until 1945. It is the most popular and successful steam locomotive ever built in Japan.