Botchan Ressha
Encyclopedia
The is a diesel-powered
replica of a small-gauge steam locomotive
installed in the city of Matsuyama, Ehime
, Japan in 1888 as the original Iyo Railway
. "Not only was it the first railway in Shikoku
but it was also the third private railway in Japan." The reconstructed locomotives are now a tourist attraction, alternating with electric tram
s on two of the Iyo Railway
's city lines.
(B) type steam locomotive
s built by Krauss & Company in Munich
were imported to Matsuyama in 1888. The narrow-gauge (2'6" / 762 millimeter) locomotives used Stephenson valve gear
s and ran on coal
. The 4.5 mile line ran every hour from Mitsuhama
to Togawa (now Matsuyama City Station
) stopping at Komachi station. In the 1894 Murray's Handbook Chamberlain and Mason wrote, "This is a pretty little journey across the mountain-girt plain, in whose centre rises the wooded hill crowned by Matsuyama castle, which comes in view before reaching the intermediate station of Komachi. "
The train was small even by narrow-gauge standards as passengers, almost invariably noted. Osman Edwards, who visited Matsuyama in 1898, wrote "Dōgō is only a short distance from the seashore, and is reached in half-an-hour by what I can only describe as a toy train." A character in Eliza Scidmore's 1907 novel, As the Hague Ordains comments: "Such a railway! The tiniest miniscule of a railway — a string of netsuke
s is the train. I might hang the locomotive on my watch chain — a breloque merely. So droll."
Most famously, the train was depicted in Natsume Soseki
's 1906 novel, Botchan
: "I found the train station soon enough and bought myself a ticket. When I got on the train, it looked as dinky as a matchbox. It had hardly started to get rolling when it was already time to get off; the whole ride couldn't have taken more than five minutes. No wonder the ticket was so cheap, I thought — only three sen!"
introduced electric cars in 1931. During subsequent decades, Iyotetsu made efforts to preserve the legacy of the original trains, due to their historical value and association with Soseki's famous novel. These efforts included preservation of one of the original locomotives, dubbed "Botchan." As a historian noted in 1995, "The Krauss and an original car are kept in a kind of iron cage in the city's Baishinji Park. Its label reads 'No. 2585 Munchen 1888.'"
On October 12, 2001, a diesel-powered replica was introduced by Iyotetsu. Currently, the Botchan Ressha runs on two of the Iyotetsu city lines: ten round trips daily on the Jonan line (from Dogo to Matsuyama City Station) and four round trips daily on the Hanazono line between JR Matsuyama Station
and Dogo, stopping at Komachi.
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
replica of a small-gauge steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
installed in the city of Matsuyama, Ehime
Matsuyama, Ehime
is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture on the Shikoku island of Japan. It is located on the northeastern portion of the Dōgo Plain. Its name means "pine mountain." The city was founded on December 15, 1889....
, Japan in 1888 as the original Iyo Railway
Iyo Railway
The is a transportation company in Matsuyama, Japan. The company or its lines are commonly known as . The private company operates railway, tram, and bus lines, and is a core company of Iyotetsu Group, which also operates other business such as department stores and travel agencies.-History:The...
. "Not only was it the first railway in Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
but it was also the third private railway in Japan." The reconstructed locomotives are now a tourist attraction, alternating with electric tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s on two of the Iyo Railway
Iyo Railway
The is a transportation company in Matsuyama, Japan. The company or its lines are commonly known as . The private company operates railway, tram, and bus lines, and is a core company of Iyotetsu Group, which also operates other business such as department stores and travel agencies.-History:The...
's city lines.
The original railway
The original 0-4-00-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
(B) type steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s built by Krauss & Company in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
were imported to Matsuyama in 1888. The narrow-gauge (2'6" / 762 millimeter) locomotives used Stephenson valve gear
Stephenson valve gear
The Stephenson valve gear or Stephenson link or shifting link is a simple design of valve gear that was widely used throughout the world for all kinds of steam engine. It is named after Robert Stephenson but was actually invented by his employees....
s and ran on coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
. The 4.5 mile line ran every hour from Mitsuhama
Mitsuhama
Mitsuhama , formerly also known as Mitsugahama, is the main port of Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan.In October, 1888, a light railway line connecting Mitsuhama with Matsuyama began operation....
to Togawa (now Matsuyama City Station
Matsuyama City Station
, informally known as "Shieki" is the terminus for the Iyo Railway's rail, tram, and bus lines. It also forms one of Matsuyama's city centers.-History:...
) stopping at Komachi station. In the 1894 Murray's Handbook Chamberlain and Mason wrote, "This is a pretty little journey across the mountain-girt plain, in whose centre rises the wooded hill crowned by Matsuyama castle, which comes in view before reaching the intermediate station of Komachi. "
The train was small even by narrow-gauge standards as passengers, almost invariably noted. Osman Edwards, who visited Matsuyama in 1898, wrote "Dōgō is only a short distance from the seashore, and is reached in half-an-hour by what I can only describe as a toy train." A character in Eliza Scidmore's 1907 novel, As the Hague Ordains comments: "Such a railway! The tiniest miniscule of a railway — a string of netsuke
Netsuke
Netsuke are miniature sculptures that were invented in 17th-century Japan to serve a practical function...
s is the train. I might hang the locomotive on my watch chain — a breloque merely. So droll."
Most famously, the train was depicted in Natsume Soseki
Natsume Soseki
, born ', is widely considered to be the foremost Japanese novelist of the Meiji period . He is best known for his novels Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat and his unfinished work Light and Darkness. He was also a scholar of British literature and composer of haiku, Chinese-style poetry, and fairy tales...
's 1906 novel, Botchan
Botchan
Botchan is a novel written by Natsume Sōseki in 1906. It is considered to be one of the most popular novels in Japan, read by most Japanese during their childhood. The central theme of the story is morality.-Narrative:...
: "I found the train station soon enough and bought myself a ticket. When I got on the train, it looked as dinky as a matchbox. It had hardly started to get rolling when it was already time to get off; the whole ride couldn't have taken more than five minutes. No wonder the ticket was so cheap, I thought — only three sen!"
Demise and rebirth
The original trains were decommissioned in the after Iyo RailwayIyo Railway
The is a transportation company in Matsuyama, Japan. The company or its lines are commonly known as . The private company operates railway, tram, and bus lines, and is a core company of Iyotetsu Group, which also operates other business such as department stores and travel agencies.-History:The...
introduced electric cars in 1931. During subsequent decades, Iyotetsu made efforts to preserve the legacy of the original trains, due to their historical value and association with Soseki's famous novel. These efforts included preservation of one of the original locomotives, dubbed "Botchan." As a historian noted in 1995, "The Krauss and an original car are kept in a kind of iron cage in the city's Baishinji Park. Its label reads 'No. 2585 Munchen 1888.'"
On October 12, 2001, a diesel-powered replica was introduced by Iyotetsu. Currently, the Botchan Ressha runs on two of the Iyotetsu city lines: ten round trips daily on the Jonan line (from Dogo to Matsuyama City Station) and four round trips daily on the Hanazono line between JR Matsuyama Station
Matsuyama Station (Ehime)
is a JR Shikoku railway station on the Yosan Line located in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.The central station of the prefectural capital is on the Yosan line between Takamatsu, Kagawa and Uwajima, Ehime. Express trains head from Matsuyama to Okayama on Honshū, connecting with the Sanyō...
and Dogo, stopping at Komachi.