JR East’s SL Banetsu Monogatari
This month we take a look at JR East’s popular Banetsu Monogatari ‘Joyful Train’ which operates seasonally on the un-electrified section of the Banetsu West Line between Niigata & Aizu-Wakamatsu. The service is typically hauled by 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive C57 180.
All Photos: Hiroshi Naito, taken 23rd July 2017.
Headed for Aizu-Wakamatsu in drizzling rain between Higashi-Niitsu & Gosen
Seen in lush greenery, C57 180 & consist emerged from the tunnel between Igashima & Mikawa.
Coasting downhill on approach to Nozawa station in the rain.
We earlier covered this operation on our Steam in Japan page, in our 2010 AGM Special
Bullet-In & in an article titled Railwaymen by Minoru Shinozaki soon after the service commenced in 1999.