The Samcheok Railway (Japanese: 三陟鐵道株式會社, Sanchoku Tetsudō Kabushiki Kaisha; Korean: 삼척철도주식회사, Samcheok Cheoldo Jusikhoesa), was a privately owned railway company in Japanese-occupied Korea.

Samcheok Railway Co. Ltd.
Overview
Native name삼척철도주식회사 (Samcheok Cheoldo Jusikhoesa)
三陟鐵道株式會社 (Sanchoku Tetsudō Kabushiki Kaisha)
Route map

0.0
0.0
Mukho
0.8
Mukhohang
6.0
5.9
Bukpyeong
13.5
Dogyeongni
6.4
Chuam
17.1
Miro
7.8
Samcheok Haebyeon
21.8
Sangjeong
12.9
Samcheok
21.8
Sangjeong
27.0
Singi
32.4
Machari
35.9
Hagosari
37.6
Gosari
42.3
Dogye
45.6
Nahanjeong
47.1
Heungjeon
51.1
Simpori
58.8
Tongni
61.9
Dongbaeksan
63.7
Baeksan
68.0
Cheoram

The first 41.4 km (25.7 mi) section of the line (Mukho Port–Dogye) was opened on 31 July 1940.[1] The line was named Cheoram Line, which ran from Mukho, a port on Korea's east coast that became part of Donghae in 1980, to Cheoram in the Taebaek Mountains, to develop three coal fields.[2] Between Simpo-ri and Tong-ri stations, the great height difference was scaled by a steep double-track railway.[3] Freight railcars going up and down were connected to the same cable, passengers had to walk up the mountain.[3] On 1 August 1940, a branch from Bukpyeong (today Donghae Station) to Mukho bypassing Mukho Port was opened, and the original alignment became the Mukho Port Line (ko); this was followed by a 12.9 km (8.0 mi) branch from Bukpyeong to Samcheok, the Samcheok Line (ko), that was opened on 11 February 1944.[4]

After the partition of Korea the Samcheok Railway's network was entirely within the territory of South Korea, and the company was nationalised on 10 August 1948 and made part of the Korean National Railroad. The Cheoram Line became part of the KNR's Yeongdong Line in 1963,[2] whilst the Samcheok Line remained a separate line. The Samcheok Railway's network was isolated from the rest of Korea's railways, and remained so until 1955.[5]

Motive Power

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Steam locomotive 352 of the Samcheok Railway.

Amongst other locomotives, the Samcheok Railway operated two 2-6-2T tank locomotives built by Kisha Seizō of Japan for the railway in 1938; the company designated them the 350 series, numbered 350 and 351.[6]

Network

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鐵岩線 - 철암선 - Teggan Line - Cheoram Line
Distance Station name
Total; km S2S; km Transcribed, Korean Transcribed, Japanese Hunminjeongeum Hanja/Kanji Opening date Connections
0.0 0.0 Mukho Mokko 묵호 墨湖 31 July 1940 Mukho Port Line
6.0 6.0 Bukpyeong Hokuhei 북평 北坪 31 July 1940 Samcheok Line,
Mukho Port Line
13.5 7.5 Dogyeongni Tōkyōri 도경리 桃京里 31 July 1940
17.1 3.6 Miro Mirō 미로 未老 31 July 1940
21.8 4.7 Sangjeong Shanchō 상정 上鼎 31 July 1940
27.0 5.2 Singi Shinki 신기 新基 31 July 1940
32.4 5.4 Machari Majiri 마차리 馬次里 31 July 1940
35.9 3.5 Hagosari Kakoshiri 하고사리 下古士里 31 July 1940
37.6 1.7 Gosari Koshiri 고사리 古士里 31 July 1940
42.3 4.7 Dogye Dōkei 도계 道溪 31 July 1940
45.6 3.3 Nahanjeong Rakanjō 나한정 羅漢亭 31 July 1940
47.1 1.5 Heungjeon Kyōden 흥전 興田 31 July 1940
51.1 4.0 Simpori Shinpori 심포리 深浦里 31 July 1940
58.8 7.7 Tongni Tōni 통리 桶里 31 July 1940
61.9 3.1 Dongbaeksan Tōhakusan 동백산 東栢山 31 July 1940
63.7 1.8 Baeksan Hakusan 백산 栢山 31 July 1940
68.0 4.3 Cheoram Teggan 철암 鐵岩 31 July 1940
墨湖港線 - 철암선 - Mokkokō Line - Mukhohang Line
Distance Station name
Total; km S2S; km Transcribed, Korean Transcribed, Japanese Hunminjeongeum Hanja/Kanji Opening date Connections
0.0 0.0 Mukho Mokko 묵호 墨湖 1 August 1940 Cheoram Line
0.8 0.8 Mukhohang
(Mukho Port)
Mokkokō 묵호항 墨湖港 1 August 1940
5.9 5.1 Bukpyeong Hokuhei 북평 北坪 1 August 1940 Samcheok Line,
Cheoram Line
三陟線 - 삼척선 - Sanchoku Line - Samcheok Line
Distance Station name
Total; km S2S; km Transcribed, Korean Transcribed, Japanese Hunminjeongeum Hanja/Kanji Opening date Connections
0.0 0.0 Bukpyeong Hokuhei 북평 北坪 1 August 1940 Mukho Port Line,
Cheoram Line
6.4 6.4 Chuam Shūgan 추암 11 February 1944
7.8 1.4 Samcheok Haebyeon Sanchoku Kaihen 삼척해변 三陟海邊 11 February 1944
12.9 5.1 Samcheok Sanchoku 삼척 三陟 11 February 1944

References

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  1. ^ 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 4066, 9 August 1940
  2. ^ a b 영동선 (in Korean). EnCyber. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
  3. ^ a b "철마 110년, 영고의 자취 [12] 경제개발과 철도" (in Korean). Silvernet News. 2010-03-20. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  4. ^ 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 5103, 9 February 1944
  5. ^ "철마 110년, 영고의 자취 [11] 3대 산업선" (in Korean). Silvernet News. 2010-03-14. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
  6. ^ Yamada, Keitarō (1972). 汽車会社蒸気機関車製造史 [Manufacturing History of Kisha Kaisha Steam Locomotives] (in Japanese). Nagoya: Kōyūsha.