SL Abt-kun is seen blowing out smoke while running at Usuitouge Railway Heritage Park in Annaka, Gunma Prefecture, on July 4, 2021. (Mainichi/Shin Sato)

       ANNAKA, Gunma -- A steam locomotive that was initially set to be scrapped has been restored thanks to a crowdfunding effort, and is up and running again at a railway theme park in this east Japan city after a two-year hiatus.

       A departure ceremony for the locomotive, nicknamed "SL Abt-kun," was held at the Usuitouge Railway Heritage Park in the city on July 4.

       SL Abt-kun is a 2-foot gauge steam locomotive manufactured in Britain, which is rare in Japan. Going around the theme park with visitors on board, it had been loved since the facility's opening in 1999. However, the locomotive deteriorated heavily due to heat and aging, and the platform supporting the boiler nearly gave way, resulting in its operation being suspended two years ago for safety. The park initially was poised to scrap the train, as it could not afford the vast restoration sum -- at least 10 million yen (about $90,000) -- due to the park's temporary closure amid the coronavirus pandemic and a declining number of visitors.

       It was then that the park hit on the idea of launching a crowdfunding campaign to procure money. It sought funds between Jan. 18 and the end of March this year, and 857 individuals and entities supported it. With direct donations from about 100 other individuals and entities, the park ultimately collected some 13.72 million yen (approximately $123,000) in total. The locomotive was taken to a factory in the neighboring prefecture of Saitama for restoration work in April, and came back in June. Test runs with coal were conducted for the departure ceremony.

       The ceremony was attended by 15 people involved in the project. Yoshihisa Nakajima, chairperson of the Usui Pass Exchange Memorial Foundation, which operates the railway heritage park, said, "We achieved our crowdfunding target thanks to the support of many people across the country, from Hokkaido to Kagoshima Prefecture. We appreciate them."

       Attendees at SL Abt-kun's departure ceremony cut the ribbon at Usuitouge Railway Heritage Park in Annaka, Gunma Prefecture, on July 4, 2021. (Mainichi/Shin Sato)

       Annaka Mayor Hideko Moteki also celebrated the resumption of the locomotive's operation, saying, "I'm glad to see the stately figure of SL Abt-kun."

       After cutting the ribbon, the ceremony attendees boarded the train, comprising the three coaches "Akagi," "Haruna" and "Myogi" -- named after the three major mountains in the Jomo region of Gunma Prefecture. Blowing its whistle to commemorate its revival, the locomotive set out around the approximately 800-meter-long track at the park with smoke billowing from its stack, and the passengers enjoyed the mountainous view in the gentle rain.

       "This is a memory-filled locomotive that I've been riding since childhood," said Masayuki Aoyama, 25, who lives in the neighboring city of Takasaki and observed the departure ceremony, preparing a card bearing the message, "Welcome back, SL Abt-kun." "I donated 10,000 yen (about $90) in the crowdfunding campaign because I wanted to pass down this majestic train to future generations," he said.

       SL Abt-kun will be operated on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. It will also run daily between July 22 and Aug. 15, except during the park's temporary closure on July 27. For more information, contact the park by phone at 027-380-4163 (in Japanese).

       (Japanese original by Shin Sato, Takasaki Local Bureau)

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