Coal Pits (Yama) in the Old Days: Turnout (Mine Car Driver; Removing Connecting Pins of Empty/Loaded mine cars)
1958 - 1963

Mukashi no Yama: Makitate (Saodori; Kara-bako/Mi-bako no Pin Kiri)
[Coal Pits (Yama) in the Old Days: Turnout (Mine Car Driver; Removing Connecting Pins of Empty/Loaded mine cars)]
21.2 x 30.4 cm Ink Painting

Text at the Right End
The wire rope socket, stretching from the winding machine on the surface, was sent to the main line or branch lines of mine car tracks. The entrance of each level (kanekata) was called makitate (landing or turnout) and had a double track. One track for empty mine cars dipped so that the cars would naturally go forward to some extent under their own inertia. The other track for loaded mine cars also dipped so that the loaded cars would reverse to the makitate in the same way.
The dressy young mine car driver (saodori) quickly removed the pin to connect the wire rope socket to the empty mine cars and connected the socket to the loaded mine cars below. After he counted the cars, removed the connecting pin between the cars, turned the finger switch called an ipponken, and gave the winding man the signal, the normal number of loaded mine cars were wound up.

Lettering between and beside the Rails
honsen reru: main track
shingo-sen waiya: signal wire

Text at the Top Right
Each of the middle and large-scale coal pits had a special transport man (kataban saodori) to arrange the allotment of mine cars to each turnout.

Text at the Top Left
In this case, the mine car driver sometimes became confused if there was enough slack in the wire rope because, if not, he could not join the wire rope socket to the loaded mine cars.
The difference in height between the tracks for loaded cars and empty cars was about 60 centimeters at most and both tracks gradually leveled as they stretched forward.
Since most small-scale coal pits had single-track turnouts (which were narrow and simple), an empty mine car joined to the wire rope socket (mukae bako) always had to be prepared, coupled and wound up with the loaded ones.


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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