Bus love never stops tour- "Love" is the biggest market-April 11 16:59
When I see an old bus running in the city, I remember my childhood for some reason.
Some would say that any bus is fine.
However, the route bus reflects the times and is remembered as part of the cityscape.
When I interviewed a tour planned by a bus company suffering from corona, it became clear that "like" is the biggest market.
(Matsuyama Broadcasting Station Uwajima Branch Reporter Fumiko Yamashita)
Tour for bus enthusiasts
The tour was planned by the Iyotetsu Group, which has its headquarters in Matsuyama City.
Although it has businesses such as railways, buses, and taxis, the impact of the new Corona is still serious, and President Ichiro Shimizu, who is also the chairman of the Japan Bus Association, says, "It is the biggest crisis after the war."
The company has often received inquiries from individual bus enthusiasts asking them to charter a retro bus.
An employee who is a bus enthusiast came up with the idea of planning a tour if there was such a need.
The pamphlet for this tour says "Bus Tour for Bus Mania by Bus Mania".
I was drawn to such a niche scent that seemed to have nothing to do with corona measures.
The leading role is "RJ"
The bus used for the tour is commonly known as "RJ".
The official model of the 1986 bus is "P-RJ172BA".
The capacity is 56 people, and the first headlight is pretty.
The car body has an orange line in a cream color called "Iyotetsu color" locally, and the maker's emblem is also cool.
When we solicited tours, we received more applications than expected, and we decided to dispatch another "RJ".
Two "RJs" are here.
The other "RJ" was made in 1991, and the official model is "U-RJ3HJAA". This was born in Heisei, but it is said to be one of the few active buses in Japan.
Participants in the tour are 18 bus enthusiasts from all over Japan, from Miyagi prefecture in the north to Fukuoka prefecture in the south.
Everyone got into the "RJ" with the camera in one hand, and it was time to go.
The best to ride, the best to see
When the bus started to move, the car body shook.
It's a very pleasant sway, probably because the suspension is soft.
The backrest of the seat is low, and seats for one and two people are lined up.
The floor is made of wood, and when the driver steps on the brake, the bulletin board "Be careful of sudden stops" lights up.
The push button is also small, and a high-pitched ping-pong sound is heard.
The inside of the car is retro itself.
According to the participants, it is "the best to ride, the best to see".
A man in his 50s who participated from Miyagi Prefecture
"I think" RJ "was the first to have a square design on a fixed-route bus. I thought it was a futuristic design, and it was cool for children."
The tour is for enthusiasts and the destination is not an ordinary tourist attraction.
Instead of going to the famous Dogo Onsen and Matsuyama Castle, the garages and maintenance shops of bus companies are the main stopovers.
Bus enthusiasts are looking forward to it because it is a place that is normally off limits.
Participants experienced turntables and car washes to change directions while on the bus, and also ate the same lunch that drivers usually eat and visited the sales offices in Matsuyama city.
Surprise appeared
The main event that came when I was feeling excited.
The countdown has begun at the garage.
"Everyone, pay attention to this. 3, 2, 1, open"
The shutter was slowly raised, and what appeared was a retro-looking monocoque bus.
Known as "RL", it was made in 1980 and is the oldest bus owned by the company.
Compared to the same Showa-born "RJ", the car body is rounded and I feel nostalgic.
There is also a hat-like eaves on the upper side of the "rollsign" that indicates the destination.
This is an image of the inside of the "RL" car.
The faded moquette chairs and wooden floors feel the age.
"Monocoque" means "one shell" in French, and bent iron plates are stuck together and connected with rivets.
This stud is good.
Since the car body can be made lighter, it was actively produced in the 1950s and has supported Japan's transportation network.
It can be said that it is a museum-class bus because there are only a few remaining buses in Japan such as Hokkaido and Okinawa.
Both the color and the design have taken root as a symbol of Matsuyama.
This monocoque bus "RL" belongs to "Iyotetsu Nanyo Bus" and is usually active in the Ozu sales office.
The appearance of waiting in the garage is so cute that I actually interviewed him six years ago.
Isao Utsunomiya, who has been in charge of maintenance for nearly 30 years since the new car, said:
Mr. Utsunomiya, who is in charge of maintenance
"The engine makes a clear sound. I change the hose and rubber every time the vehicle is inspected, but I always say that I will go to the destination and come back without any trouble. Feeling and attachment will also spring up. "
Returning to the tour, the garage of the Iyotetsu bus.
The driver boarded the "RL" and started the engine.
By twisting the key, vibration is transmitted to the car body and the body.
Idling for a while to remove the air in the engine.
I slowly grasped the manual shift lever, put in the gear, and it started to move.
"Oh, it's a good engine sound. I feel some history."
The driver smiled that he was driving the "RL" for the first time and carefully turned the steering wheel.
Then, the group of the tour observed the body of the bus from under the pit.
When I dive into the narrow pits in order and look up, the suspension oil is applied to the suspension, and the bolts and hoses are beautiful.
You can see that it is well maintained.
Oops, I wondered if the spare tire was in such a place, and this is a tour unique to a bus company.
Well, the monocoque bus looking up from directly below is truly majestic.
The ultimate is a photo session with buses lined up in one place.
"RJ" and "RL", as well as nostalgic high-speed buses with pink and blue coloring designs, lined up in a large parking lot.
Not only that, but also a chartered bus and a limousine bus.
It's a blissful time for bus lovers, as they can shoot this indefinitely.
The colors, the shapes, and the slight differences made everyone crazy.
Great treasure release
The tour also sold used bus parts.
It sells destination information boards for abandoned bus routes, emblems and direction curtains for abandoned buses, and even bus seats.
This sells surprisingly.
The unit price varies from several thousand yen to tens of thousands of yen, but it sold like a fly, and many people were shopping for more than the tour participation fee (19,800 yen).
For the company, it seems that it was a big extra income in Corona, and he realized that "like" is the biggest market.
The person in charge of the bus company
"If there was such a reaction, I should have done it earlier.
I realized that old buses also have commercial value and must be easily lost because they are old."
Even though there were only 18 people, it seemed that they felt a response when they saw the smiles of the participants.
Old buses are probably not cheap to maintain.
Still, the company was eager to keep these buses as long as there were people who loved them.
After the interview
I also have memories of the bus when I was a kid.
Before the highway opened, I was looking forward to traveling from Uwajima to Matsuyama by car for 3 hours with my family.
When I saw an unfamiliar bus running, I was excited to say, "Oh, I came to the city."
There were only two participants from Ehime on this tour, but I was proud to know that people all over the country love Ehime's retro buses.
The corona disaster has been prolonged, and the management of public transportation is becoming more difficult.
It will take some time for the high-speed bus, which is a pillar of earnings, to recover.
Isn't there any other way to move people's hearts and generate profits as well as scenic tourist spots?
I want to keep thinking as a person who loves railways and buses.
Matsuyama Broadcasting Station Uwajima Branch Reporter
Fumiko Yamashita
Since 2012, based in the Uwajima Branch, he has been enthusiastic
about not only railways but also cars, motorcycles, and vehicles born in the Showa era.
How about an ekiben for a train trip?
-April 10 [Ekiben Day]-
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