Fifteen kilogram per metre iron rails were used, with a minimum of wood and gravel on the rail bed. Though the Temiya factory and railyard were established by now, the stations in Otaru (now Minami-Otaru Station) and Sapporo were still temporary constructs; Asari, Asakawa, and Kotoni Stations were made "flag stops", in the American style. Two steam locomotives were imported from H. K. Porter, Inc along with eight passenger cars from Harlan and Hollingsworth, both American firms. These locomotives, dubbed Benkei and Yoshitsune, were the first of what would later be termed the 7100 series of locomotives. Each locomotive in the series would be named after a figure from Japanese history. The following year, Emperor Meiji made his way to Hokkaidō on his national tour, rode the line from Otaru to Sapporo, and gave his approval.
