The is a Japanese

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in Track (rail transport), tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the ...

line connecting

Shimodate Station is a junction passenger railway station located in the city of Chikusei, Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East), together with the private railway operator Kantō Railway and the third sector Mooka Ra ...

, in

Chikusei, Ibaraki 260px, Shimodate Haguro Shrine is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 99,987 in 37,635 households and a population density of 487 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 6 ...

and Motegi Station in

Motegi, Tochigi is a town located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 11,777 in 4503 households, and a population density of 68 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geography Motegi is located on the far easte ...

. It is the only railway line operated by the . The third sector company took over the former

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters ar ...

line in 1988. In addition to regular diesel local trains, the line also operates the ''SL Mooka'' steam service for tourists using

C11 C11, C.XI, C-11 or C.11 may refer to: Transport * C-11 Fleetster, a 1920s American light transport aircraft for use of the United States Assistant Secretary of War * Fokker C.XI, a 1935 Dutch reconnaissance seaplane * LET C-11, a license-build var ...

and

C12 C12, C.XII or C-12 may be: *LNER Class C12, a class of British 4-4-2T locomotives *C12 Workmen's Compensation (Agriculture) Convention, 1921 *C-12 Huron, C-12 ''Huron'', a logistics support aircraft of the U.S. Military (military versions of the Be ...

class

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the loco ...

History

* 1 April 1912: 16.5 km line opens between Shimodate and Mooka. * 15 December 1920: Entire line opened to Motegi (route length of 42.0 km). The proposed extension to Nagakura was not constructed. * 2 September 1922: Line renamed Mooka Line. * 1 November 1982: Freight services discontinued. * 11 September 1984: Line closure approved. * 11 April 1988: JR line closes and becomes Mooka Railway Mooka Line. Route length is reduced to 41.9 km. * 27 March 1994: ''SL Mooka'' steam train operation starts. * 30 July 2020:

JNR Class C11 The is a type of 2-6-4T steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil ...

steam locomotive #325 moved to

Tobu Railway is a Japanese commuter railway and ''keiretsu'' holding company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. Excluding the Japan Railways Group companies, Tobu's rail system is the second longe ...

Rolling stock

''(As of October 2022)''Mooka Railway company overview
. Retrieved on 8 October 2008. * Mooka 14 diesel railcars x9 * DE10 Class diesel locomotive #1535 *

JNR Class C12 The Class C12 is a type of 2-6-2T steam locomotive built by the Japanese Government Railways and the Japanese National Railways from 1932 to 1947. A total of 282 Class C12 locomotives were built and designed by Hideo Shima . Service outside Ja ...

steam locomotive #66 * OHa & OHaFu coaches x3

Stations

* The SL Mooka stops at stations marked with "●" and passes stations marked "｜". * To take the ''SL Mooka'', passengers must purchase the SL ticket (500 yen) vi
Mooka Railways SL Guide
an
reserve their seats
at least a day in advance. * There is "SL・DL Rapid" service only on days SL Mooka is operated. And, boarding on this service costs only fares.Holidays timetable from/to Shimodate Station around 15 p.m. and 16 p.m.
/ref>

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia {{Specified local lines, state=collapsed Railway lines in Japan Rail transport in Tochigi Prefecture Rail transport in Ibaraki Prefecture Railway lines opened in 1912 1067 mm gauge railways in Japan 1912 establishments in Japan Japanese third-sector railway lines Heritage railways in Japan

History

Rolling stock

Stations

See also

References