The engineer of the SL Paleo Express was waving to boys staring at the locomotive intently

SL Paleo Express of Chichibu Railway — Locomotive running near Ohanabatake Station

I thought it was because the people beside the tracks were getting restless, but I became convinced when I heard a whistle coming from nowhere. From the other side, a black object was moving on the tracks, exhaling powerful smoke. It was a Chichibu Railway steam locomotive express train.

The steam locomotive was a sight to behold as it slowed down to enter Ohanabatake Station. I even felt the dignity of the driver as he gracefully waved back to the young boys standing at the crossing, waving frantically.

By the way, let's talk about Ohanabatake Station. Despite the station name (ohanabatake means field of flowers in Japanese), there are no flower gardens around the station. Yet the name of the station makes you imagine the station building standing alone in a flower garden. It seems like a bit of a scam. I feel that it is similar to Fujiyamashita Station on the Jomo Electric Railway Jomo Line, which gives the illusion of being at the foot of Mt.Fuji. But it's so far away from the mountain.

There was Ootabisho near the station. It is a place where the portable shrine carrying the deity of the shrine rests or stays during the procession. The name of the station is said to have come from the fact that it was called "Ohanabatake" in olden times. But I wonder why. It should be a beautiful name, but somehow the word "Ohanabatake" has come to have a slightly ridiculous nuance to it.

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