Kosaka Smelting & Refining Kosaka Line
Rail line in Akita Prefecture
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kosaka Smelting & Refining Kosaka Railway (小坂製錬小坂鉄道, Kosaka Seiren Kosaka Tetsudō) was a 22.3 km Japanese freight railway line in Akita Prefecture, Japan, operated by Kosaka Smelting & Refining (小坂製錬, Kosaka Seiren).[1] The line operated between Ōdate Station in Ōdate and Kosaka Station in Kosaka. Opened in 1908, passenger services operated until 1994. The line operated as freight-only until suspension in April 2008, followed by a full closure of the line in 2009.
| Kosaka Smelting & Refining Kosaka Railway | |
|---|---|
A pair of Class DD130 diesel locomotives on a sulphuric acid train at Odate, February 2008 | |
| Overview | |
| Native name | 小坂製錬小坂鉄道 |
| Status | Closed |
| Owner | Kosaka Smelting & Refining |
| Locale | Akita Prefecture |
| Termini |
|
| Service | |
| Type | Heavy rail |
| History | |
| Opened | 15 September 1908 |
| Closed | 1 April 2009 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 22.3 km (13.9 mi) |
| Number of tracks | Single |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Minimum radius | 216 m |
| Operating speed | 60 km/h (35 mph) |
Rolling stock
In later years, the line's locomotive fleet consisted of three Class DD10 centre-cab diesel locomotives (numbered DD11 to DD13) built in 1962, three Class DD130 centre-cab diesel locomotives (numbered DD131 to DD133) built between 1967 and 1968, and one Class DD13 centre-cab diesel locomotive built in 1967 and purchased from the former Katakami Railway in 1988.[1]
Freight trains were hauled by pairs of DD130 diesel locomotives, with triple-heading used on up trains over the steeply-graded section between Kosaka and Shigenai.[2]
History
A 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge steam-operated line was opened from Ōdate to Kosaka on 15 September 1908 to transport copper ore from the Kosaka mine.[2] This became the Kosaka Railway (小坂鉄道) from 7 May 1909.[2] In 1914, the Kosaka Railway purchased the Hanaoka Mining Railway (花岡鉱山専用鉄道).[2]
From 1928, part of the line was electrified using surplus power from the copper mine.[2]
In 1951, the Hanaoka Line was converted to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge, and the Kosaka Line was also regauged to 1,067 mm from 1 October 1962, from which time diesel haulage commenced and passenger and freight services were operated separately.[2]
The Hanaoka Line closed as of 1 April 1985.[2] From 1989, the operating company was renamed Kosaka Smelting & Refining Kosaka Railway (小坂製錬小坂鉄道).[2] Passenger services on the Kosaka Line also ended on 30 September 1994.[2]
Operations on the line were suspended from April 2008 following the discontinuation of sulphuric acid transportation by rail, and the line was formally closed from 1 April 2009.[3]
Later events
On 2 November 2014, the electronics manufacturer Panasonic ran a specially built battery-powered train over a distance of 8.5 km on the line to promote its "Evolta" range of batteries. The lightweight car built of cardboard in conjunction with Akita Prefectural University was powered by 99 D size batteries, and carried 10 elementary school children at a speed of approximately 6 km/h.[4]
