October 18 Saturday (D)
Arrival Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) Overnight near Narita Airport (2-nights) (Welcome Dinner).
October 19 Sunday (B-L)
Morning visit to the 610mm (2 foot) gauge Narita Yume Farm Railway. This famous dairy farm is home to a variety of small steam and diesel locomotives, and we will have several steam locomotives planned for our use. Afternoon to the 1067mm (3'6" gauge) Moka Railway for a ride behind steam, with either a C-11 2-6-4T or C-12 2-6-2T for power. Overnight Narita
October 20 Monday (B-L)
JR Narita Express train to Tokyo Station, connecting to the Shinkansen Hayate to Sendai. From there we continue by JR local trains to Iwakiri and Rifu for a visit to the "Bullet" train shed. Then it is back to Sendai and on to Hachiaoke, again on the Hayate. There we change to the Super Hakucho for the run through the world's longest undersea tunnel to Hakodate on the island of Hokaido. Overnight Hakodate (2-nights)
October 21 Tuesday (B-L-D)
Morning charter streetcar tour of the Hakodate system using a beautifully restored tram. Afternoon by Super Hakucho to Tappi, a unique undersea railroad station!! Return on another Super Hakucho. Overnight Hakodate.
October 22 Wednesday (B-L-D)
Sleep in before a full day of "Bullet" trains, leaving Hakodate on the Super Hakucho , traveling south to Hachiaoke, and continuing on aboard the Hayate to Tokyo, where we connect with the Hikari to Shizuoka. Overnight Shizuoka (3-nights).
October 23 Thursday (B-L)
We take a JR local train to Kanaya to connect with steam powered Oigawa Railway, with one of the road's six locomotives up front (from classes C-10, 11, 12, or 56). During this all day adventure we will also see the Oigawa's diesel and electric rack section. Overnight Shizuoka.
October 24 Friday (B-L)
We travel aboard the Hikari to Nagoya and then transfer to the private Meitetsu electric line to Inuyama, and then a short bus ride to the Meiji-Mura Railway, operator of Japan's oldest steam locomotives. There is also a short historic tram line here. Return via Meitetsu to Nagoya, and onward via JR Hikari. Overnight Shizuoka.
October 25 Saturday (B-L)
Depart on the Hikari to Tokyo, switching to the Shinkansen "Max" Toki to Kumagaya. Continue on the Chichibu Railway behind a C-58 2-6-2, returning by JR local and then by Toki to Tokyo, connecting to the Hikari to Shin-Osaka, and Hikari Railstar to Fukuyama. Overnight Fukuyama (4-nights).
October 26 Sunday (B-L)
Depart by Hikari to Shin-Yamaguchi. Travel behind a West Japan Railway JR C-57 4-6-2, or another engine, to Tsuwano, returning in the afternoon. Hikari back to Fukuyama. Overnight Fukuyama.
October 27 Monday (B-L-D)
Depart on the Kodama to Okayama. A brief look at the streetcar terminal across from the JR station, and then it's on board the 1067mm gauge Marineliner, crossing the spectacular suspension bridge to the island of Shikoku, bound for Takamatsu. From there we will travel over local interurban lines of the Kotoden Railway, including a charter on the Shido line with a vintage 1920's electric interurban. Later in the day we train on to Matsuyama, Shikoku's largest city, for a brief ride on the local streetcar system, before returning to Okayama and Fukuyama, combining the narrow gauge Shiokaze and Shinkansen Kodama. Overnight Fukuyama.
October 28 Tuesday (B-L)
By Hikari to Hiroshima. Board a charter Hiroshima Electric Railway streetcar, ideally one of the vintage cars that survived the 1945 atomic bomb attack. Afternoon to the Mojiko Railway museum at Kokura? Evening return via Hikari Railstar. Overnight Fukuyama.
October 29 Wednesday (B)
Depart by Hikari Railstar to Shin-Osaka, transferring to a Hikari to Kyoto, one of Japan's most famous tourist cities. Rail attractions are varied, including the railway museum, and two electric tramway systems. Overnight Kyoto.
October 30 Thursday (B-L)
To Osaka-Tennoji by 1067mm JR passenger for a charter run on the standard gauge Hankai Tramways aboard one of their beautifully maintained 1930's streetcars. Late afternoon to Tokyo aboard the Hikari Shinkansen. Overnight Tokyo.
October 31 Friday (B)
A visit to the newly opened Omiya Railway Museum, the largest in Japan, with 36 steam locomotives and passenger cars. Time for tourism, or a ride on Tokyo's only surviving streetcar line, the Arakawa Line. Overnight Tokyo.
November 1 Saturday (B-L)
Early morning departure aboard the Skinkansen Toki to Nigata for a scenic East Japan Railways (JR) steam run behind a C57 Pacific. Return to Tokyo in the evening via the Yamabiko Shinkansen. Overnight Tokyo. (Farewell Luncheon).
November 2 Sunday (B)
Independent departures. JR Narita Express or Keisei Electric Railway service available for Narita Airport (NRT).
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