I am Yoshida, president of Yamada Shusei Ltd., a professional apparel garment repair group in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture.
On November 18, I enjoyed "SL Banetsu Monogatari" as a volunteer chaperone for a children's event in the town. It was my first SL ride experience, and it was a lot of fun.
SL Banetsu Monogatari is a temporary rapid train operated by JR East between Niitsu Station and Aizu-Wakamatsu Station via Banetsu-Nishi Line. C57 is often referred to as "Lady" and is called "Shigonana" by railroad fans. 8-car train is the longest train pulled by SL alone in Japan. Moreover, on August 8, it will be 77 years since it was manufactured, and the lead car has a "Kiju" plate on it.
The train arrived in no time between Niitsu and Tsugawa, which we used because of the retro atmosphere, as well as the cars with specifications for children to play and observation, and a post box where mail can be dropped off here. There were also many local residents waving to us, and the atmosphere was friendly from start to finish. I had no knowledge of trains, but by the time I got off the train, I had become a fan.
Even though I was a volunteer escort, it was like a time of refreshment for me.
