The , or for short, is a private 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge railway company operating the Kurobe Gorge Main Line along the Kurobe River

Kurobe River

The is a river in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. 86 km in length, it has a watershed of 689 km².The river rises from Mount Washiba in the Hida Mountains and carves the deep valley known as the Kurobe gorge...

 in the Kurobe gorge area of Toyama Prefecture

Toyama Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources....

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. The railway was built to serve the construction of the Kurobe dam

Kurobe dam

The or , is a variable-radius arch dam on the Kurobe River in Toyama Prefecture on the island of Honshū, Japan. It supports the 335 MW Kurobe No. 4 Hydropower Plant and is owned by Kansai Electric Power Company. At high, it is the tallest dam in Japan. It was constructed between 1956 and 1963 at...

 for the Kansai Electric Power Company

Kansai Electric Power Company

, also known as , is an electric utility with its operational area of Kansai region, Japan . The company is regarded as one of the leading companies in Kansai, as well as a leader of the Japanese electric power industry....

, which was completed in 1963; Kurotetsu was spun off from the power company in June 1971, but remains a wholly owned subsidiary. At its terminus, the Main Line links to Kurobe Senyō Railway

Kurobe Senyo Railway

The is a Japanese industrial railway line in Toyama Prefecture, operated by Kansai Electric Power Company. There are two lines, namely and . The two lines go to hydroelectric power plants of Kurobe River. These lines are basically not open to public...

, which is not open to general public.

Electric locomotives

• EB class (Nos. 1–3, 5–7): withdrawn from service in 1984.
• ED class (Nos. 8–11): 9–11 survive.
• EDS class (Nos. 13, 15–17): No. 13 survives.
• EDM class (Nos. 22, 23, 30–32)
• EDR class (Nos. 17–21,24–29,33)
• EHR class (Nos. 101, 102)

Diesel locomotives

• DB class (No. 11): withdrawn 1985
• DD21: withdrawn 1979
• DD22, DD23: DD23 withdrawn 2000
• DD24

Passenger cars

class: 2-axle open car.

• 1000 class: open car
• 2000 class: heated car with fixed, widthwise seats, extra charge to ride
• 2500 class: heated car with reversible seats so that passengers can always ride facing forward, extra charge to ride
• 2800 class: lounge car, heated, reversible seats, extra charge to ride
• 3000 class: panoramic observation car
  Observation car
  An observation car/carriage/coach is a type of railroad passenger car, generally operated in a passenger train as the last carriage, with windows on the rear of the car for passengers' viewing pleasure...
  
  , extra charge to ride

Freight cars

class (boxcar

Boxcar

A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...

) class depressed center flatcar

Flatcar

A flatcar is a piece of railroad or railway rolling stock that consists of an open, flat deck on four or six wheels or a pair of trucks or bogies . The deck of the car can be wood or steel, and the sides of the deck can include pockets for stakes or tie-down points to secure loads...

 class flatcar class flatcar class flatcar class gondola

Gondola

The gondola is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian Lagoon. For centuries gondolas were the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. In modern times the iconic boats still have a role in public transport in...

 class gondola class flatcar class depressed center flatcar

Stations

All stations are in Kurobe

Kurobe, Toyama

is a city located in Toyama, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 42,612 and the density of 99.9 persons per km². The total area is 426.34 km². The city was founded on April 1, 1954...

, Toyama Prefecture

Toyama Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources....

.

Name	Japanese	Distance	Train stop
Unazuki Unazuki Station is a train station in Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture, Japan.-Structure:One island platform with two tracks and side tracks on ground. Platforms are located lower than the station building...	宇奈月	0.0	●
Yanagibashi	柳橋	2.1	｜
Moriishi	森石	5.1	｜
Kuronagi	黒薙	6.5	▲
Sasadaira	笹平	7.0	｜
Dashidaira	出平	9.1	｜
Nekomata	猫又	11.8	｜
Kanetsuri	鐘釣	14.3	●
Koyadaira	小屋平	17.5	｜
Keyakidaira	欅平	20.1	●

●：All trains stop ▲：Some trains stop｜：Only technical stops

External links

Official site