My visit to the Betsukai Town Railway Memorial Museum was truly memorable and a perfect way to start exploring eastern Hokkaido. The museum beautifully preserves the history of the now-closed JR Shibetsu Line and helps visitors understand how important the railway was to the region’s development. The indoor exhibits include historical photos, documents, and railway equipment, and the outdoor displays feature well-maintained steam locomotives and vintage snowplows that make excellent photo opportunities. The setting in Railway Memorial Park adds charm, giving the feeling of stepping back in time to when trains were central to life here. Entry is free, and the atmosphere is peaceful yet rich with local history. I highly recommend this museum for train lovers, history enthusiasts, and anyone curious about rural Hokkaido’s past.

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別海鉄道記念公園 is a railway park developed on the former site of 西春別 Station. It preserves a D51-class steam locomotive that ran in サハリン and vehicles that served on the 標津線. In particular, this is the only place in Japan where you can see a D51 from サハリン, making it very rare. You can also see period vehicles up close, including a キハ２２-class railcar, a guard’s van, and a snowplow car. The memorial museum displays station name signs and fare tables from the time. It also exhibits track maintenance tools used on the 標津線 and block instruments, signaling equipment known as the tablet block system, allowing you to learn about the history of the 標津線.

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Month 6, 2026 I revisited while the memorial museum was open. You can look around for free. Many valuable materials from the 標津線, which closed in month 4, 1989, are on display, and I viewed them with great interest. I’m truly grateful that so many materials are being maintained and preserved. ---------- Visited in month 6, 2025 The memorial museum’s interior was closed that day. It seems Mondays are closing days, so please keep that in mind. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed the outdoor vehicle displays. A D51 built to overseas specifications, a rarity in Japan, is on display. Apparently, one exported to サハリン was purchased and put on display. Its specifications differ from those used in Japan. To distinguish it from domestic D51 locomotives, domestic-specification D51 has no hyphen, while the overseas version apparently uses D-51. Other valuable railway vehicles were also displayed, including a snowplow built to 北海道 specifications and diesel railcars. This railway memorial park can be thoroughly enjoyed even if you aren’t a train fanatic. I viewed it with great interest.

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Visited 2025-8-24. It is on the former site of 西春別 Station on the 標津線, which closed in month 4, 1989 (平成元年). There is also a bus terminal for the replacement bus service introduced after the railway closed. The museum adjoining the park is free to visit. It is closed on Mondays. Inside, many materials from the time are displayed, making for a fairly comprehensive exhibition. The park displays a D51, a guard’s van, a wedge snowplow (キ100), and a キハ22, along with station name signs from 西春別 Station and nearby stations. The platform, signals, and level crossing remain, creating an atmosphere as though a train might arrive at any moment. I think train enthusiasts will find it worth visiting at least once.

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【Visited in month ８, ２０２５】This is 別海町鉄道記念公園. It is a railway museum built on the former site of 西春別 Station, which opened on １０/２９, １９３６ (昭和１１年), with the opening of the 鉄道省計根別線 between 標茶 Station and 計根別 Station, and closed on ４/３０, １９８９ (平成元年), when the entire ＪＲ北海道標津線 was discontinued. It also displays panels explaining the settlement history around 別海町 and changes in dairy farming, so I think it serves as a local history museum as well. As for railway-related equipment, more than 150 items connected with the 標津線 are displayed, so I think it has more equipment than 振内鉄道記念館, located at the former 振内 Station on the old 富内線 in 平取町, 日高. Railway fans who pride themselves on their interest in abandoned lines shouldn’t miss this spot. Outside, the D51-27 steam locomotive, ヨ4642 guard’s van (class ヨ3500), キ276 wedge snowplow (class キ100), and キハ22 239 diesel railcar are preserved as static displays. The railway memorial museum is open year-round except for its closing days over the year-end and New Year period and every Monday. However, please note that the static vehicles mentioned above are covered with plastic sheets and hibernate during winter (months １１〜４).

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