Me and Doctor Yellow

Thursday, April 25, 2024

We traveled by local trains about 45 minutes to reach the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park, at the southern end of the Aonami line in Nagoya’s harbor area. 

About a block from the station we entered a huge hangar-like building with the familiar JR logo on the front.

I immediately felt reassured that this would not be a cheesy operation like the Momotaro museum. And it wasn’t! We were only planning to spend an hour or two here, but we ended up spending four hours exploring this exciting place.

First, there is the main room, full of historic steam locomotives, early models of the electric shinkansen, later models of the shinkansen, and the futuristic  superconducting magnetic levitating trains. There were 39 rolling stock displays in all. You could see them, touch them, board them, and go upstairs for an eagle-eye view. You could even look at the undercarriages.

Here are some of the historic steam engines:

This is the Class C62 Steam Locomotive. During a test in 1954, it set the world speed record of 129 km/h (about 80 mph) for a steam locomotive on narrow gauge.

This steam engine once carried the Emperor

I’m not sure what this is about. I think the Japanese characters say “Trolley Family.”

Some classic electric trains:

Look at the transom windows

The stylized green four-leaf clover identifies an early first-class car, with 2x2 seating (rather than 2x3), carpeting, and footrests.

The shinkansen is also called “the bullet train.” Shinkansen means “new main line.” The idea was that the shinkansen would become the main mode of transportation between Tokyo and cities to the south, such as Kyoto, Osaka, and Nagoya. Shinkansen refers to the network of rail lines, as well as to the trains themselves.

By comparing the differences between several generations of shinkansen, we got a good feel for all the R & D work that brought about advances in high-speed rail technology over the years. 

The Series 0 Shinkansen (third from the right, above), manufactured in 1986, reached a maximum speed of 220 km/hr (136 mph). 

I believe this is the “300X,” an experimental shinkansen

The Series N700S Shinkansen is the version currently in use. It can travel at 320 km/h (200 mph). It rides so smoothly you don’t realize you are moving unless you look out the window,

“A Day in the Life of the Railway” - The Diorama

One room is devoted to the best diorama ever. The diorama includes familiar landscapes from Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, and Osaka, and lots of moving trains, flashing lights, interesting groups of people, and so much more. And the detail is spectacular! There are about 70 trains, made from 450 cars, running through the diorama. It also includes 500 buildings, landmarks such as Tokyo Station, Tokyo SKYTREE, Yokohmam’s Chinatown, Takayama and Shirakawa-go in the Japan Alps, Kyoto, and, OF COURSE, Mt. Fuji. Runners participating in the Hakone Ekiden Marathon and prehistoric people building pit dwellings are among the 25,000 human figures. 

A cruise ship in Tokyo Harbor

The trains go in and out of tunnels!

Did you spot Nagoya’s Spiral Building?
I’m a little worried about those cars on the elevated highway in the foreground.

What makes the diorama extra-special is the sophisticated lighting that cycles through a 24-hour period of daylight and nightscapes in 20 minutes. You could easily spend 45 minutes in the diorama room picking out all the fun details and watching the sun rise over the railway,

Doctor Yellow - The Lucky Train

It is considered good luck to see Doctor Yellow.

Does this count as seeing Doctor Yellow?

Doctor Yellow is a diagnostic train of about 8 cars, and is incredibly popular in Japan.

Doctor Yellow completes a survey of the entire Tokaido and San’yo system about every ten days. It performs precise measurements of tracks and electrical wires and flags any areas that need to be repaired. The inside of the train has banks of computers, consoles, and measuring equipment. There are some seats for the technical staff, but Doctor Yellow does not carry passengers.

The Simulator

For a small additional fee, you could experience a simulator for either the regular train or the shinkansen. Ken chose the regular train and opted for the intermediate skill level. He said it was challenging. He had to stop at several stations. At the same time, I was driving the shinkansen. I felt I should select the beginner level, but that level was really for someone who had never driven anything. It was way too easy. I only had to stop at the end. But it was fun anyway.

The number in the green circle is the speed limit.
The number in the rectangle is the actual speed.

My train is hurtling past Mt. Fuji

A certificate of completion appeared on the screen

The Museum Café

What kind of food would we find at the railway museum? Why, of course, nothing but eki-ben - the bento box lunches sold at railroad stations.

Back in Nagoya

Extremely cute, gigantic stuffed dogs on a balcony

Nagoya at night, from our hotel room. So many buildings had helicopter landing pads and red aviation lights.

We did not spend enough time in Nagoya. There is a lot to see here and in the surrounding area. Maybe next time . . .

Today’s lovely fabric is Kamakura Gold, from the Tokyo Train Ride Collection, by Sarah Watts for Cotton + Steel.