Giant cardboard steam train in Hiroshima Station

A 1.5 ton 20m long cardbaord steam engine is on display in the concourse on the north side of Hiroshima Station until November 20.

The model, which requires 20 people to assemble the 4000 pieces of cardboard it is made up of, is a replica of the SL Yamaguchi Gō JNR Class D51 or “degoichi” steam locomotive which runs between Shin-yamaguchi and Tsuwano.

Those with good Japanese reading ability can find out way more about the model than we imagine anyone would need here.

The display is to attract attention to neighboring Yamaguchi’s big tourism promotion campaign currently underway.

The model has been shown in 50 venues around teh country, but this is its first outing in Hiroshima.

Train geeks will have the chance to dress up in conductors’ uniforms and toot the cardboard train whistle between 11am and 4pm on November 18 and 19.