Built in 1929, the Akenobe Mine Meishin Train was a six-kilometer electric railway that carried ore from the mine in Akenobe to the processing plant in Mikobata. In 1945 the mine added passenger cars designed to fit on the narrow-gauge railway, allowing employees to travel between the towns. In 1949 this service was extended to the general public, and it became a convenient commuter route. The train cost just one yen to ride, so it was known as the One-Yen Train (ichi-en densha). Passenger trains ran daily until 1985, two years before the Meishin Train ceased operation and the Akenobe mine closed.
Three of the passenger cars remain on display in Akenobe. They are called “Silver” (Shirogane), “Copper” (Akagane), and “Iron” (Kurogane). In 2010, a nationwide fundraising campaign and the work of volunteers created a 70-meter track for the “Iron” train to carry visitors. It operates once a month from April to November.