The Locomotive Turntable
The Tenryu Hamanako Railway Locomotive Turntable (天竜浜名湖鉄道機関車転車台) is a locomotive turntable of 1940 on the Tenryu Hamanako Railway in the yard of Tenryu-Futamata Station in Tenryu Ward, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 11, 1998 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records an iron turntable about 18.4 metres across; registration number 22-0033.
The Working Heart of the Depot
The turntable lies in front of the roundhouse and is a through-type table with a gate-shaped iron frame at its centre, turning a full 360 degrees with its operator's cabin (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It was a standard type for its day and is the core of the Tenryu depot.
According to the railway, it was built to turn steam locomotives and was originally pushed round by hand; it is now electrically driven. In the steam era turntables served Kakegawa, Tenryu-Futamata, Kanasashi and Toyohashi, but only this one remains. It was registered in December 1998 together with the roundhouse and other depot buildings.
Why It Was Registered
It was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency describes it, together with the roundhouse, as a symbol of the railway.
What to Look For
Look for the gate-shaped iron frame and the cabin turning with the girder (Agency for Cultural Affairs), and how the table and roundhouse work as a pair.
Visiting
It stands in the yard of Tenryu-Futamata Station and is normally closed to the public. The railway runs daytime turntable tours; a 2021 Hamamatsu City article describes a daily guided tour of about 40 minutes that takes visitors past the turntable, the roundhouse and the depot buildings. Tickets, fares and the turntable tour are covered on the Tenryu Hamanako Railway page. Do not enter the tracks or railway land.
Q&A
- When was the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Locomotive Turntable built?
- In 1940 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Locomotive Turntable?
- In the Tenryu-Futamata Station yard in Akura, Futamata-cho, in front of the roundhouse.
- What should I look for?
- An 18.4-metre iron turntable that turns a full circle with its cabin.
- Can I visit the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Locomotive Turntable?
- Not normally, but it is shown on the turntable tours at Tenryu-Futamata Station (Tenryu Hamanako Railway, Hamamatsu City).
- When was the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Locomotive Turntable registered?
- On December 11, 1998 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Tenryu Hamanako Railway Locomotive Turntable (天竜浜名湖鉄道機関車転車台) |
|---|---|
| Location | 230-2 Akura, Futamata-cho, Tenryu Ward, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/12/11 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Iron turntable, about 18.4 m in diameter |
| Owner | Tenryu Hamanako Railway Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | In the Tenryu-Futamata Station yard (shown on guided tours) |
References
- Tenryu Hamanako Railway Locomotive Turntable (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000964
- Cultural Properties along the Line (Tenryu Hamanako Railway, Japanese)
- https://www.tenhama.co.jp/spot/bunkazai/
- Tenryu-Futamata Station (Tenryu Hamanako Railway, Japanese)
- https://www.tenhama.co.jp/about/station/tenryufutamata/
- Turntable tour at Tenryu-Futamata Station (Hamamatsu City Tenryu Ward, Japanese)
- https://www.city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp/tn-shinko/dekigoto/r0730_dekigoto.html
Last verified: 2026.10.14
