Tuesday 18 October 2016

Great Waterfall on the Yoro Line

Set D12 of the EMU Yoro Railway 610 series arrives at Mino-Matsuyama Station

Yoro-no-taki is a famous waterfall in Gifu Prefecture, about 420 km southwest of Tokyo. It is 32 meters high and 4 meters wide, and chosen as one of Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment in 1990. Although it is not a large waterfall, Yoro-no-taki is reputable as it has a long history in the region. For instance, the female Emperor Gensho (680 - 748) visited there and praised it. She then changed the era name to Yoro in 717.

To visit Yoro-no-taki, please take the Yoro Line of Yoro Railway, and get off at Yoro Station. Yoro Railway is a local private company, which belongs to the Kintetsu Group. It was spun off from Kintetsu in 2007. Connecting Kuwana and Ibi, its route length is 57.5 km. The track is single and electrified. Its electric system is 1,500 V DC overhead. Different from the other Kintetsu lines, its gauge size is 1,067 mm.

One of the main fleets on the Yoro Line is the EMU 610 series. It is a 2 or 3-car train with one motor car. A total of 11 units were moved from Kintetsu in 1993 and 1994. Although its technical specifications, such as the classic rheostatic electric control systems, is rather old, 9 of the 11 units are still operated on the line. The solid maroon colored 20 m-long bodies provide a heavy feeling, and are definitely my favorite.

The waterfall and the railway, there are two great spots in the Yoro area.

Yoro Waterfall near Yoro Station on the Yoro Railway