This month’s selection is from this year’s Veteran’s Tour which
concluded early last month and focused on Hokkaido.
All photos: Anthony Leith
The scene at Shin-Totsukawa, the terminus of the Sasshō Line at midday on 27/05/2014.
This station handles just 3 services a day and the KiHa 40 waiting to return to Ishikari-Tōbetsu was the penultimate for the day.
A similar scene to that above at Mashike, the terminus of the Rumoi Main Line on the afternoon of 28/05/2014. This station offers 6 departures for Fukagawa on the Hakodate Main Line. This KiHa 54 returned as the 15:38 service.
The 711 series EMU’s were the first ordered by JNR for service on the Hakodate Main Line in 1968. After serving the Asahikawa – Sapporo -Otaru area for 46 years they will be withdrawn from service in late 2014. S-114 is one of two that have been re-liveried in the original JNR colours and is seen here arriving at Takikawa on 30/05/2014 while heading westbound.