[Bonus: Special postcard included] RM Re-Library 28: Japanese National Railways Train Nickname Plates from the 1950s

RM Re-Library is a series of reprints of two or three classic volumes from the long history of RM LIBRARY , which has already exceeded 280 issues. The 27th volume in the series will be a reprint of "Nickname Plates of Japanese National Railway Trains in the 1950s " (by Yasuo Satake and Akira Satake) from RM Library volumes 45 and 46 .

Train nickname plates, commonly known as headmarks and tailmarks, date back to the tailmarks "Fuji" and "Sakura" displayed on the observation car at the end of express trains. From that time on, they were inscribed with not only text but also graphic elements, and have become a tradition that continues to this day. After World War II, headmarks began to be displayed on the front of locomotives at almost the same time that express trains were revived after the war, and in the 1950s , they quickly spread to semi-express trains and became popular. There was no uniform style nationwide, and each management office had its own unique charm. Since the 1960s and later, the style became more uniform and the display was omitted more and more, so I feel that the 1950s was the most attractive period of a profusion of designs.

This book first outlines the origins and definitions of nickname plates, as well as their characteristics over time, and then introduces various train nickname plates in alphabetical order as an illustrated catalog. This book is the culmination of the great effort of the authors, who worked together as a brother to record all of this at a time when information was scarce and film was valuable.

[List of trains included]

Asagiri/Arao/Awa/Alps/Asakaze/Izu/Izu/Ideyu/Okuizu/Ibuki/Iyo/Okukuji/Okutama/Izumo/Kamome/Kinokuni/Kuroshio/Kumano/Kibo/Kishu/Keiyo/Kurikoma/Kodama/Sakura/Sachikaze/Sazanami/Natural Science/Shinano/Shinano/Jukoku/Seto/Suigyo/Shonan/Soma/Daisen/Daibosatsu/Takara/Tajima/Tarumae/Tachibana/Tango/Chuzenji/Tamba/Chiyoda-go/Chidori/Tsubame/Tenryu/Tokai/ Tokiwa / Tosa / Towada / Nagisa / Nasun / Nanpu / Nikko / Norikura / Notoji / Nototsubame / Hakutsuru / Hakuto / Hatsukari / Hato / Hayabusa / Hayachine / Hakkoda / Hatsushima / Hamayu / Hiei / Hikari / Hinoyama / Hida / Hinode / Hibiki / Biwako / Fuji / Heiwa / Boso / Boso (Inubo) (Uchibo) (Sotobo) / Boso no Kyujitsu / Miyagino / Misaki / Mashu / Mizuho / Murone / Yamabato / Yamabiko / Yukiguni / Yunoka / Yunokuni / Washu / Express, Semi-express, Rapid, Test run