Test drive before the first SL in 47 years JR Oga Line Akita Oct. 9 17:10
The test ride event was held on the 9th before the commercial operation of the SL in the JR Oga Line connecting Akita City and Oga City in Akita Prefecture for the first time in 47 years.
JR East Akita Branch commemorates that “Oga's Namahage” was registered as an intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO, and in cooperation with Akita Prefecture for two days from this month for 12 days, the first SL business on the JR Oga Line Do the driving.
Before this, a test-riding event was held on the 9th of the local governments and tourist organizations related to the line, and “SL Oga” left JR Oga Station after 2:30 pm.
This vehicle was built 70 years ago and can run at a speed of 75 kilometers per hour using coal as fuel. In the car, participants enjoyed the sound of a whistle peculiar to SL, and waved hands to those who saw it off along the line.
In addition, railroad fans gathered along the railway line and photographed the SL running with black smoke.
According to JR, “SL Oga” reserved seat tickets sold out almost simultaneously with the start of sales.
An 89-year-old man from Akita City who participated in the test-drive event said, “I was an engineer of SL when I was young, but at that time I had to burn about 8 tons of coal in one operation, which was hard work. "It's nostalgic when I see it for the first time in a long time, and I think SL is good after all."