相沢甲子夫
Kashio Aizawa
| 飯能実業学校へ通ったからね。昭和12年から、5年間八高線には世話になったよ。その頃は、だいたい2時間に1本だったね。客車は2輌であとは貨物が何輌もつながっていてね。今ではとても考えられないことだけど、発車時間が15分くらい遅れるのは、当り前だったね。 | Since I went to the Hanno Business School, I used to use the Hachiko Line for five years from 1937. In those days, there was roughly one service every two hours. The train had two passenger cars, followed by a number of cargo cars. Although it is hardly conceivable today, it was quite common for the departure times to run about 15 minutes late. |
| でも、人情味があったね。何しろ、人が遠くに見えると「オーィ！早くっ」て駅長が呼んでくれてね、汽車を待たせておいてくれたものね。卒業後、都内で寮生活をしていたんだが、昭和27年に今の魚屋を始めてね、それから20年以上毎日八高線で築地へ通ったね。最近は車になったけどね。昭和45年にSLが姿を消したんだが、懐しいね、煙くて参ったり、石炭殻が目に入ったりもしたけど、どこか人間味があるっていうのかなあ。金子駅を過ぎて長沢峠へさしかかると飛び降りられるくらいにスピードが落ちてね、思わず「ガンバレ！」って応援したくなったね。それからあの汽笛の音も、いやぁすっかり昔を思い出しちゃったね。 | Nonetheless, it was a time of much goodwill. For example, if the stationmaster could see someone in the distance he would hold the train while urging them, "Hello there, get a move on!". After graduating, I lived in a dormitory in Tokyo, but in 1952 I started the present fishmonger business. From that time, I used to commute every day to the Tsukiji National Market by the Hachiko Line for more than 20 years. Recently, I have been using a car, though. The steam locomotive disappeared in 1970, but I feel nostalgic – we used to get smoke-covered, and sometimes even coal cinders got in the eyes, but somehow it was a more comforting experience … When the train came close to Nagasawa Pass after passing the Kaneko station, its speed dropped off so much that we could almost jump off, and I was often tempted to cheer it on, "Don’t give up, keep going!". Then, the sound of that whistle, too. All these memories of the good old days are coming back to me now. |
| (箱根ヶ崎) | (At Hakonegasaki) |