下津井電鉄2000「メリーベル」。 現役当時の姿です。 ただしこの日は営業運転には入らず、 下津井駅の側線でこうして居眠り状態。 下津井電鉄は廃止されてしまいましたが、 車両は下津井駅跡に現在も保存されているとのことです。 同電鉄にいわば 「引導を渡す」 形となった瀬戸大橋を渡って、 初めて四国に足を踏み入れた旅行の際のひとコマです。 （撮影: 1988. 7. 25, 大きな画像: 93kB）

Type 2000 emu of former Shimotsui Electric Railway, nicknamed "Merrybell". Shimotsui Railway was a narrow gauge (762mm -- narrower than the so-called Cape gauge of 1067mm which is Japanese standard) railway, carrying people that go between the two main islands of Honshu and Shikoku by ferryboats. I have heard that, years after Shimotsui discontinued service, "Merrybell" is still kept in the place where Shimotsui Station had been located. Taken during my first trip to Shikoku, going through the Seto Ohashi bridge which gave Shimotsui the "coup de grace". (Photo taken: 25 July 1988, larger image: 93kB)