Let's Go to Fukui, Let's Go to Railway Ruins - Echizen Trip Back and Forth: Yamanaka Tunnel Switchback Edition -

Today, I am bringing this to all you ruin lovers and railway enthusiasts. This is a trip to visit the ruins of the old Hokuriku Main Line.

When planning a trip, you sometimes struggle with the lack of information.

There is information, yet there isn't, regarding the "Yamanaka Tunnel" we are about to visit. So, I have organized the information. What I struggled with was,

These were the questions.

▼ Departing from Imajō Station

Let me explain today's destination.

Around the red circle below

Ate sobaDeparting from Imajō Station at the top right. Shortly after heading south, leave National Route 476 and drive along Prefectural Road 207. For part of the way, you will run parallel to the Hapi-Line Fukui Line (Hokuriku Main Line). Around the time you pass Minami-Imajō Station, you will part ways with the Hokuriku Main Line. We will continue heading west on Prefectural Road 207.

In contrast, the Hokuriku Main Line continues straight south, getting sucked into a tunnel covered in lush greenery. This is the "Hokuriku Tunnel," the longest tunnel in Japan. It pierces directly beneath the Kinome Pass, which is the old "Hokuriku Road" highway.

▼ Three Roads

Let's look at the Edo period map once more. There were three highways heading south from Imajō, right? The one we are heading to now is the Manyo Road (old Hokuriku Main Line) on the far left. The route where the Hapi-Line Fukui Line (Hokuriku Main Line) runs is the Hokuriku Road route in the middle, which includes the Kinome Pass.

In ancient times when people traveled on foot, the Manyo Road on the far left was used, and then the Hokuriku Road in the middle was developed. Isn't it interesting that the railway followed the same transition?

Proceeding steadily west on Prefectural Road 207. The road enters the mountains while drawing a gentle arc. It is a single-track railway where sleepers were once lined up; it is a bit narrow for a road. Also, the angle with the ground at the curves is that of a train. As I grip the steering wheel while imagining this, I feel like I am driving a train.

▼ Yamanaka Signal Station Ruins

The goal is the Yamanaka Signal Station ruins. Let's look at Google Map again here.

The recommended parking lot is the Yamanaka Signal Station ruins, which is marked in red. Only here does the road shoulder widen, allowing for a few cars to park.

▼ Switchback

If you park here, you can walk back and forth along the old switchback line.

Alright, from here on, let's look at the sign and go, feeling like Thomas the Tank Engine!

I'm Thomas the Tank Engine, an up-train, and I'm at A. As I'm huffing and puffing my way up the steep main line (Prefectural Road 207) toward Yamanaka Tunnel (D), Percy the down-train approaches. I have to move!

What should Thomas do?

I'll pull into B to wait for Percy to pass. After that, I'll back up to return to the main line. However, since the main line is a steep slope, if I stop once, I can't start climbing again. You've all experienced this on a bicycle, right? So, I'll pull back even further to C. This area is flat. From there, I'll get a running start to accelerate and return to the original main line (the uphill slope).

Yay!

Passing successful!

▼ Let's walk

Could you visualize it? Let's actually walk it. If you walk about 500m from the Yamanaka Signal Station, you will see the Yamanaka Tunnel.

The right side is the main line's Yamanaka Tunnel (D), and the left is the switchback tunnel (B).

The one on the left was a tunnel dug with no exit, just for the engine to poke its head into, as a result of extending the siding to allow long trains to pass each other. Back then, the sight of a steam locomotive, the lead car puffing smoke, diving into a hole looks like a comedy sketch, doesn't it?

Also, for the first railway construction, transporting materials was difficult. Of course, it was an era without truck transport. Believe it or not, people carried them on their backs all the way from the port to here.

Alright, back it up, I'm returning.

The back left is the site of the siding (C), and the asphalt part on the right is the main line (A). It's surprising that a locomotive climbed such a steep slope, isn't it? The place where the car is parked is the site of the signal station I explained earlier.

▼ What about the steel frames of the ruins?

Alright, I'm walking to the very tip of the siding (C).

After walking for a few minutes on the gravel road where ballast remains, the rock shed gradually reveals its full form.

Many old station buildings reused rails. The framework of this rock shed was also made of rails.

The tip of the siding says 'Beware of falling rocks'...
I really don't want to stop here...

▼ Let's go to the ruins

Once a major artery connecting various regions to the Hokuriku area, the railway now stands quietly. If you listen closely, it feels as though you can hear the breathing of the locomotives.

▼ Let's drive!

Once I've fully enjoyed it, I'll get in the car and drive along the former Hokuriku Main Line.

The Yamanaka Tunnel is over a kilometer long. The single-track railway is too narrow to speed through. Of course, you can't pass other cars, so make sure to look ahead carefully before entering.

I really don't want to have to reverse if an oncoming car appears (crying).

And from here on, more than 10 tunnels continue intermittently. It's a fun drive course, too.

Then, beside the expressway, after passing the Suizu Station ruins and descending a steep slope, the view opens up. Once you see the sparkling Sea of Japan, you've reached the goal.

- Next Episode Preview -

Fukui nights are all about soba, right?

( To be continued... )

<Postscript>
I registered my marriage on July 7, 1995, a date with repeating numbers,
and believe it or not, July 7, 2025, is also a date with repeating numbers, marking our 30th wedding anniversary! Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket (lol).