[Limited bonus: Postcard included] RM Re-Library11 Ibaraki's local private railways that survived into the 21st century - Hitachi Electric Railway and Kashima Railway

``RM Re-Library'' reprints two to three volumes of past masterpiece volumes from ``RM LIBRARY'', which has a long history of over 270 issues. The 11th volume in the series is a continuation of the previous volume 10, combining two books with different themes.

The title of the book is ``Ibaraki's Local Private Railways That Survived into the 21st Century,'' which refers to the common feature, and focuses on two relatively well-known railway companies, Hitachi Electric Railway and Kashima Railway. It first appeared in Volume 64 (written by Sadao Shirato) and Volume 106 (co-authored by Sadao Shirato and Koichi Nakagawa) of the RM Library.

Hitachi Electric Railway's origins are known as the Johoku Electric Railway, and it opened the line between Ogawa and Johoku Ota before the war. It has been electrified since the beginning, and 2-axle pole cars were initially used. After the war, the line between Omika and Ayukawa was opened, and during the post-war reconstruction period, it became known for its famous 4-car trains running during rush hours for people commuting to factories. It was a collection of unique trains with various origins, and the more I learned about it, the more interesting it became. In its later years, the vehicles were unified and modernized to the Geneidan Subway 2000 series, but they were discontinued as of March 2004.
The origin of the Kashima Railway is the Kashima Sangu Railway, which was intended to transport visitors to Kashima Shrine in conjunction with the water transportation of Lake Kasumigaura. However, in reality, this route has never been widely used in practical terms, and the reality is that the railway is primarily used for regional transportation along the line. During the war, it merged with Ryuzaki Railway (currently Kanto Railway Ryugasaki Line), merged with Kanto Railway in 1965 to become the company's Hokota Line, and was separated again in 1979 to become Kashima Railway... It was discontinued as of March 2007, but it is also noteworthy that there was a rich variety of vehicles, with modified Kiha 07 cars being active until the very end.
This book provides a thorough explanation of the history, facilities, and successive vehicles of these two unique railways, using a wealth of primary materials. It is a good content that can be called the definitive edition.

■Future publication schedule (subject to change)
*2022/12/16 publication information has been updated.
1, Kiha07 story
2, Mani type 35/36/37
3. Choshi Electric Railway
4, Kiha 41000 clan
5, Mani 60/61 type Suuni 60/61 type
6. Japan National Railways EF13 type - The life of wartime electric equipment
7. A century of Usui Pass
8. History of JNR mail and freight railcars
9. Birth and demise of 3-axle freight cars
10. JNR's unique diesel trains
1 1. A local private railway in Ibaraki that survived into the 21st century (this product)