Hokkaido Town Keeps Its Steam Railway Heritage Alive

Steam locomotives still emit their distinctive whistles across the hills of Engaru in northeastern Hokkaido, where the historic Amemiya No. 21 continues to operate. This railway heritage remains alive in a region once supported by forestry. More than 90% of Engaru is forested, with the Maruseppu district once thriving due to the timber industry.

The steam engine once hauled felled trees along a network of forest railways, and one remains in service today. Amemiya No. 21 traverses Maruseppu Forest Park Ikoi-no-Mori, completing a 2-kilometer loop around the park in approximately 10 minutes. Originally manufactured in Tokyo in 1928 by Amemiya Seisakusho, the locomotive ran on the Murii-Kamimaruseppu Forest Railway, which expanded to 84 kilometers and transported timber to a location near a Japanese National Railways station.

During an era when people primarily traveled by horse or on foot, the forest railway served as a crucial mode of transportation for local residents. From the late 1950s, steam locomotives were phased out in favor of more fuel-efficient diesel engines, and timber transportation shifted to trucks, rendering the forest railway obsolete.

After the railway's closure, Amemiya No. 21 faced an uncertain fate. However, local residents repeatedly campaigned to preserve it. Noboru Kawaguchi, 87, who participated in the preservation effort, remembers the locomotive as the town's history. The present track was built in 1982, enabling Amemiya No. 21 to resume its whistle, now carrying passengers instead of timber.

Today, Engaru town employees operate the locomotive, with Tomohito Ueto, 55, regularly adding coal to its firebox to keep it running. Ueto emphasizes the locomotive's significance as a cherished town treasure that requires careful maintenance to keep its fire burning. Maruseppu draws visitors from across Japan, as it is the sole location in the country where a working steam locomotive from a forest railway remains operational.