A steam locomotive seen from the Oiwake overpass in the rain

Six months before commercial steam locomotives retired from the Japanese National Railways, in July 1975, I traveled to Hokkaido by ferry to photograph steam locomotives on the Yubari Line and the Muroran Main Line. Please take a look at these photos of a coal train pulled by a D51 on the Yubari Line and a passenger train pulled by a C57 on the Muroran Main Line, taken at the Oiwake Overpass, about 2km north of Oiwake Station, in the rain at the end of the rainy season.

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A long coal train bound for Yubari, pulled by D511119, photographed under an overpass to avoid getting wet in the rain.(Jul.1975)

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The smoke coming out of the Giesl ejector of D511119 is a thin plume.(Jul.1975)

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D51565 pulling a freight train on the Muroran Main Line, spewing smoke.(Jul.1975)

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In the rain, D51565 spews black smoke as it climbs the slope.(Jul.1975)

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A passenger train pulled by a C57 runs along the Muroran Main Line in heavy rain.(Jul.1975)

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C57 passes through on time despite the heavy rain(Jul.1975)

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D51710 heading for the Yubari coal mine in light rain, pulling dozens of empty coal cars.(Jul.1975)

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As the rain subsided and the background slowly became more visible, a long coal train pulled by D51241 headed towards Yubari.(Jul.1975)

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D51241 is also equipped with a Giesl ejector, and a thin plume of black smoke appears to be coming out from the front view.(Jul.1975)

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D5160, carrying a train of Seki 6000 loaded with coal from the Yubari coal mine, enters Oiwake Station in the rain.(Jul.1975)

Yonesaka Line closed due to heavy rain disaster--Clear day in snowy season