steam train (early Meiji period)
Obsolete colloquial term for a steam locomotive, used in the early Meiji era when railways were first introduced. Contrasted with 海蒸気 (sea steamship). Not used in modern Japanese.
In the early Meiji period, steam trains are said to have amazed people.
Technical term for steam locomotive; 陸蒸気 is a historical, colloquial alternative.
Compound of 陸 (land) and 蒸気 (steam), literally 'land steam', coined in the early Meiji period to distinguish land-based steam trains from steamships (海蒸気).