This article is based on a visit made on Thursday, 17 November 2016.
Edit 7 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.
Previously on Sekai Ichi, I had wrapped up my overnight stay at the
Fuji Five Lakes. As the morning rose, and I finally caught a glimpse of the elusive Mount Fuji, I embarked on the journey to my next base of operations, Osaka. But on the way, I made an afternoon stopover at
Nagoya to visit the SCMaglev and Railway Park (リニア・鉄道館,
Rinia Tetsudōkan), a train museum managed by JR Central, which also owns the Tokaido Shinkansen. This museum was opened in 2011, replacing an open-air train museum also run by JR Central, the
Sakuma Rail Park, which stood east of Nagoya in Shizuoka prefecture.
The entrance hall of the museum is dominated by three locomotives that have set world speed records on test runs. On the left is the
JNR Class C62, a steam engine which reached 129 km/h (80 mph) in 1954. Next to that is the
300X prototype bullet train, which reached 443 km/h (275 mph) in 1996, a still-standing record for electric trains. And on the right is the MLX01, a prototype maglev-powered train that set a record of 581 km/h (361 mph) in 2003, only for it to be broken by future maglev prototypes, which we'll see more of later.
Beyond that is the vast main hall, where all manner of production train cars are on display for guests to look at and enter. Shinkansen models are on the left, and other electric trains are on the right. As always, click
here it in full size.
Did you know that some bullet trains used to have restaurant cars? When the Sanyo Shinkansen was completed in 1975, and trains started running continuous journeys between Tokyo and Fukuoka, dining cars like these were added to accommodate passengers on those longer trips. They were used until the mid-1990s, when faster trains had become available, and having to serve full meals was no longer necessary.
There even used to be double-decker cars on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen, too! They were used on Series 100 trains, which ran from 1985 to 2012. The upper deck of this car included a dining area. Nowadays, those cars have been retired from the Tokaido and Sanyo lines, but double-decker cars are still used on the
Joetsu Shinkansen, albeit only for extra seating capacity.
This is one of the "Doctor Yellow" (ドクターイエロー,
Dokutā Ierō) trains which are used for conducting maintenance work on Shinkansen lines. While still operating at the same high speeds as passenger trains, they have special equipment to monitor the condition of the rails below and the power lines above.
Exhibits along the left-side wall provide further insights into the workings of the Shinkansen, including its safety mechanisms which automatically slow down trains to keep them from colliding with other trains ahead, and shut them down completely when an earthquake is detected. It's systems like these which have maintained the network's impressive safety record. In over 50 years of the Shinkansen's history, there have only been two derailment incidents, and no fatalities due to accidents.
There's more to this museum than just the Shinkansen. Various electric, diesel, and steam train cars are preserved here as well. This is the lead car of a 381-series train, introduced in the 1970s for the
"Shinano" limited-express between Nagoya and Nagano. The Shinano still runs to this day, but with newer cars.
When Japan started using electric power for trains in the 1920s, they imported train cars from the USA, the UK, and other countries before they were able to build their own. This model was originally built by the American company General Electric.
Even more trains are lined up in the back, including this rather odd-looking one. This is called a Structure Gauging Train. What are all those spikes for, you may ask? Well, they are for measuring the distance between the train's hull and tunnels or other obstructions, to make sure that trains will pass by them safely.
Other exhibits are situated in rooms lining the main hall, including one dedicated to the maglev (magnetic levitation), or "linear motor" (リニアモーター,
rinia mōtā), line that JR Central is building between Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. There are displays of how the maglev system works, miniatures of the different test cars used over the years, including the latest L0-series model (shown on the bottom), and even a small theatre that simulates the experience of riding one of these trains.
Another big draw to the museum is its train-driving simulators. There are regular train-driving simulators; admission for these costs ¥100, and tickets are available from a vending machine. Admission on the Shinkansen driving simulator and train crew simulator is handled by lottery. You are given numbered tickets for both along with your museum ticket, and you can drop them into the lottery boxes in the main hall before any of the multiple drawings per day. If you are selected, pay an additional ¥500 and you can use the simulator at the allotted time. If you don't get in to those, you can always try out the conventional train-driving simulator, which I did. It was tricky; I overshot one of my stops, but otherwise I did fine.
Finally, there is the "Greatest Railway Diorama Room" (鉄道ジオラマ,
Tetsudō Jiorama), a large model railway re-creating the Tokaido Shinkansen and landmarks from cities along the line, in particular Tokyo (pictured), Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka. I believe that bridge in the left background is supposed to be part of the Yamanashi Test Track, where test runs of the maglev trains are being conducted.
The lighting in the diorama room cycles from day to night at regular intervals. Here, the "sun" sets on famous locales in the Kansai region. In the lower left is Mount Yoshino, where 30,000 cherry trees bloom in intervals from late March to early May. In the centre is the main hall of Todai-ji temple in Nara, which houses a giant bronze Buddha statue. And in the far right is the main hall of Kiyomizu-dera temple in Kyoto, standing atop its famous wooden scaffolding and surrounded by orange maple trees. I would soon see the real thing, but that's a story for another day...!
Hours: Open from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Admission ends 30 minutes before closing time. Closed on Tuesdays, and between 28 December and 1 January.
Costs: ¥1,000. The Shinkansen driving and train crew simulators cost ¥500 each per turn, if selected. The regular driving simulator costs ¥100 per turn. Audio guides cost ¥500 per visit to rent, and are available in the following languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Address: 3-2-2 Kinjōfutō, Minato-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken 〒455-0848
Access: From Nagoya Station, take the Aonami
(AN) line to Kinjofuto (AN11, 25 minutes, ¥360).
Directions: The museum is just across the street from the exit to Kinjofuto Station.
Website:
(English) (Japanese)
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