Since the opening of Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum in 1972, it had been dubbed SL’s mecca. Then, it was remodeled into the Kyoto Railway Museum in 2016. Under their fundamental concept, “the hub of railway culture that progresses with its community,” you can learn railway history, safety and technology through amazing hands-on experience.
On the 1st floor, 53 railway cars, including the SL inherited from Umekoji SL Museum, are on display, along with C62 style SL that pulled super-express trains during the National Railways era, the first Shinkansen, 0-model, and 500-model Shinkansen that recorded 300km/h in operation and renewed the Guinness Book record.
On the 2nd floor of the Main Hall, there is a large railway diorama, 30m-wide and 10m-long. An engineer runs the 1/80-scale railway model. The townscape and rail yard are precisely recreated, where you can enjoy watching the model run and learn about the railway operating system. On this floor, there are corners for trying out ATS that engineers use in their training and ATC, the safety mechanism.
Make sure to see the fan-shaped service shed outdoors. This unique Roundhouse Platform displays a total of 20 SLs in motion, which excites all visitors. Everyone’s favorite since the time of the Umekoji era has been riding on the SL “Steam”, which is still running to this day. The ticket has an assigned time. Check your schedule and purchase ahead of time.
Highlights
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Total of 53 real train cars from SL to Shinkansen.
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Realistic railway diorama shows how the railway operates.
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Operation simulator used in the actual engineer training.
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Fan-shaped service shed hosts 20 SLs in all.
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Riding on the SL “Steam” has been everyone’s favorite.
