West Japan July 2018 Floods

[Sacto1985]

YouTube member nimo5 has shown videos of this new routing of JR Freight:

 

Crew training run using JNR Class DD51 1179:

 

 

A freight run using JRN Class DD51 857:
 

 

[lesliegibson]

Thank you so much, super videos

[Sacto1985]

YouTube member nimo5 just posted a video of this new freight operation, with a train travelling east on the San'in Main Line pulled by a JNR Class DD 51 and then switching over to a JNR Class EF64 1028 at Yonago Station for the trip down the Hakubi Line to Okayama:

 

 

[Das Steinkopf]

All of the footage I have seen so far shows the trains at only 6 cars in length, I know that the DD51's on their own could handle double that and the EF64-1000's even more, I wonder if this is due to limitations with the lengths of the passing loops that are along the route.

[Sacto1985]

1 hour ago, Das Steinkopf said:

All of the footage I have seen so far shows the trains at only 6 cars in length, I know that the DD51's on their own could handle double that and the EF64-1000's even more, I wonder if this is due to limitations with the lengths of the passing loops that are along the route.

 

I believe that's correct. the stations on the San'yo Main Line have long passing tracks and could handle much longer trains. The freight trains running on the Yamaguchi Line/San'in Main live detour have to be shorter. Given the huge landslide damage on the San'yo Main Line, the trains going back to regular routes may not happen until probably at least end of September 2018.

[kvp]

There is a headmark on the ef64 which i never really seen on a freight locomotive. What does it says?

[railsquid]

1 hour ago, kvp said:

There is a headmark on the ef64 which i never really seen on a freight locomotive. What does it says?

 

がんばろう広島

がんばろう岡山

 

Ganbarou Hiroshima

Ganbarou Okayama

 

Encouraging slogans for the affected areas.

[scotspensioner]

YouTube member Superknightrider3000 uploaded a film of a section of the Sanyo line showing some of the damage under repair as well as some marooned trains xincluding a pair of yellow 115s and a Redwing.The film is dated 23 August.

Aviation Flytag also uploaded footage dated 18 August showing further damage.

In passing it's worth mentioning that in August 1948,the British East Coast Mainline was washed out between Dunbar and Berwick including the destruction of Seven Bridges.The line was closed from 12 August  to something like 23 October.

So it's not only in Japan it happens

Edited September 2, 2018 by scotspensioner
Additional details

[Sacto1985]

YouTube member nimo5 just posted a 19-minute video of this JR Freight detour:

 

 

[Sacto1985]

According to information from JR West:

 

https://trafficinfo.westjr.co.jp/chugoku.html

 

It appears that the San'yo Main Line will be full restored to service on September 30, 2018. That's more than three weeks earlier than anticipated.

[Sacto1985]

YouTube member kona1317 shot some videos of the freight detour action from 28 September 2018:

 

 

Note that in this video, DD51 1802 is part of the train with EF64 1028 leading, which means the DD51 is (probably) being sent back with its assignment completed.

[Sacto1985]

Unfortunately, due the arrival of typhoon Trami in western Japan by 30 September 2018, it's likely JR West may delay the full reopening the San'yo Main Line between Tokuyama and Fukuyama until the typhoon goes past and JR West makes sure the line repairs hold up after this storm.