[Bonus: Postcard included] RM Re-Library 25 Higashino Railway/Jobu Railway

RM Re-Library is a series of reprints of two or three of the best volumes from the long history of RM LIBRARY , which has already published over 280 issues. The 25th volume in the series will be a reprint of "Toya Railway and Jobu Railway" (by Takai Kunpei) from RM Library volumes 13 and 41 .

When "Tono Railway" was first published, it was released under the rather stylish title "Tono Monogatari" (the pronunciation is different, but it was inspired by "Tono Monogatari"). The railway extended its non-electrified line from Nishinasuno Station on the Tohoku Main Line in northern Tochigi Prefecture, and was particularly known among model enthusiasts for its two box-shaped DL ( DC20 type) cars transferred from the Tsugaru Railway. It is no exaggeration to say that its atmosphere and scale were extremely close to the ideal form of a local private railway for modelers, but it ended its short life of 51 years in 1968. The company itself continued to exist for a long time after that as a bus company (Tono Kotsu), but in recent years it has also disappeared due to a merger with another company.

When the Jobu Railway first appeared in the book, it was titled "Japan Nickel Railway," a very unique name for the railway. As you can imagine from the name, its roots lie in the private line of the Nippon Nickel Corporation, which extended a not-so-long line from Tanso Station on the Hachiko Line. It began general service shortly after the war and was known as the Japan Nickel Railway, and when it was separated from the main company it was renamed Jobu Railway. Even after it began general service, it was essentially a private railway, and passengers had to inform the factory reception desk that they were entering the station, so it remained a very unique railway from start to finish. In 1972 it quietly ceased passenger service, and then continued to operate only freight until 1986 , a surprisingly long time.

This book is structured to focus equally on these two little-known local private railways in northern Kanto. From the lines and history to explanations of the rolling stock used over the years, this is a definitive book.