Asakura narrow-gauge railway
| Asakura Narrow Gauge Railway 朝 倉 軌道 (あ さ く ら き ど う) |
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|---|---|
 Type 3 rail bus on a turntable
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 Route (black: today's routes)
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| Route length: | 32.2 km |
| Gauge : | 914 mm ( English 3-foot track ) |
| Dual track : | Single track |
The Asakura narrow-gauge railway ( Japanese 朝 倉 軌道 Asakura Kidō ) was a 32.2 km long narrow-gauge railway line with a gauge of 914 mm (3 feet ). She was 1908-1940 in the district Asakura District of Fukuoka prefecture in Japan in operation.
history
After a lengthy planning phase, a 15.5 km long section between Yokkaichi and Amagi (today: Asakura ) was opened on December 14, 1908 . The rails weighed 11.9 kilograms (24 pounds) per meter.
Initially there was only passenger traffic, but freight traffic began as early as February 1909. Mainly cotton and Japanese wax were transported. On April 18, 1909, the route was inaugurated with a grandiose ceremony, with all the houses in Amagi being decorated with national flags , artificial flowers and lanterns.
The results after the opening were so positive that in December 1909 an extraordinary general assembly decided to extend the route. The route was extended by 6.5 km to October 23, 1911, by another 3 km to December 19, 1911, by another 2 km to January 15, 1912 and by another 5 km to the Chikugo River until July 15, 1922 .
From 1924, and especially from 1930, competition from buses and trucks increased. The income from passenger transport therefore fell by almost half. To compensate for this, petrol-powered rail buses were used for passenger transport from 1932 in order to shorten travel times and reduce operating costs.
On April 24, 1939, four days before the opening of the Shikoku Line (today: Amagi Line ), the Asakura narrow-gauge railway applied for the abolition of freight traffic. On July 8, 1939, it applied for a temporary shutdown and on August 21, 1939, it was finally shut down. There were no petitions against the closure from residents along the line. On April 19, 1940, the entire line was taken out of service and the decision was made to liquidate the company on the following day.
Compensation for the parallel Shikoku Line, granted on July 16, 1941, was 182,353.50 yen. This is less than the amount spent on the Asakura Narrow Gauge Railway, and it is said that the Ministry of Railways chose the parallel line because of the incompleteness of the Asakura Narrow Gauge Railway.
Individual evidence