The Asia Express
At first glance, this could pass for a US scene of the late 1930s, but it is anything but. The South Manchuria Railway was Imperial Japan's foothold into mainland China, as the country gained the concession to operate the line from Tsarist Russia in the aftermath of the Russo-Japanese War of 1903-04. After Japan annexed Manchuria in 1932 and created the puppet state of Manchukuo, the South Manchuria Railway became key to the territory's rapid industrialisation and colonisation. To convey Manchukuo's technocrats, civil servants and army personnel, the Asia Express was launched in November 1934, connecting the 943 km (586 miles) between Dalian and Harbin in around 13 hours, at speeds of up to 75 mph. Not only only was this the fastest train in Asia, but few American or European railways could match its speed or modernity.
The train was a huge source of national pride in Japan, representing the ultimate in steam railway technology. The coaching stock was built from lightweight steel and fully air-conditioned, with full dining and cocktail bar facilities, plus an observation car at the rear. The on-board waitresses were drawn mainly from Manchukuo's White Russian community.
Haulage was provided by a dozen Pashina-class 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives, designed by the Mantetsu's precocious engineer, Nobutaro Yoshino. The first three locos were built in Mantetsu's own workshops, the rest by Kawasaki in Japan. As an aircraft manufacturer, Kawasaki made available its wind tunnel to enhance the effectiveness of the streamlined casing.
It is worth reflecting that Japan had imported all of its locomotive requirements until 1915, but made rapid strides once it began its indigenous railway industry, drawing on the best technologies of the United States and Europe.
Fast forward to today, and now US passenger railroads as well as the UK's leading franchise operators are relying on Japanese companies to meet their latest rolling stock needs. While Japan was ejected from its Manchurian colony after 1945, the experience of high-speed rail technology was not wasted, its pioneering Shinkansen trains astonishing the rest of the world when launched in 1964.
The Asia Express
At first glance, this could pass for a US scene of the late 1930s, but it is anything but. The South Manchuria Railway was Imperial Japan's foothold into mainland China, as the country gained the concession to operate the line from Tsarist Russia in the aftermath of the Russo-Japanese War of 1903-04. After Japan annexed Manchuria in 1932 and created the puppet state of Manchukuo, the South Manchuria Railway became key to the territory's rapid industrialisation and colonisation. To convey Manchukuo's technocrats, civil servants and army personnel, the Asia Express was launched in November 1934, connecting the 943 km (586 miles) between Dalian and Harbin in around 13 hours, at speeds of up to 75 mph. Not only only was this the fastest train in Asia, but few American or European railways could match its speed or modernity.
The train was a huge source of national pride in Japan, representing the ultimate in steam railway technology. The coaching stock was built from lightweight steel and fully air-conditioned, with full dining and cocktail bar facilities, plus an observation car at the rear. The on-board waitresses were drawn mainly from Manchukuo's White Russian community.
Haulage was provided by a dozen Pashina-class 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives, designed by the Mantetsu's precocious engineer, Nobutaro Yoshino. The first three locos were built in Mantetsu's own workshops, the rest by Kawasaki in Japan. As an aircraft manufacturer, Kawasaki made available its wind tunnel to enhance the effectiveness of the streamlined casing.
It is worth reflecting that Japan had imported all of its locomotive requirements until 1915, but made rapid strides once it began its indigenous railway industry, drawing on the best technologies of the United States and Europe.
Fast forward to today, and now US passenger railroads as well as the UK's leading franchise operators are relying on Japanese companies to meet their latest rolling stock needs. While Japan was ejected from its Manchurian colony after 1945, the experience of high-speed rail technology was not wasted, its pioneering Shinkansen trains astonishing the rest of the world when launched in 1964.