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A treasure house of railway goods, so fascinating even beginners will be captivated |
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The entrance to the Reference Materials Library and the Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum are combined. This old building, a station house structure that was moved from the JR Nijo Station, is located on the JR Sagano Line, going towards Arashiyama from Kyoto Station. The original station house structure was constructed in 1904, and it is now specified as a Kyoto City tangible cultural property.
The Reference Materials Library has a variety of displays and videos featuring the history and technical aspects of the steam locomotives. There are also 1/80 scale models of steam locomotives from both Japan and foreign countries, and a diorama showing the Umekoji Steam Locomotive base at Kyoto Station when the first steam locomotive arrived at Kyoto Station. There are also displays of the test coal boilers used by the engineers in the old days to get the best performance out of the steam locomotives, the old repair tools, and some of the engineers’ personal effects used during the heyday of the steam locomotives.
One display that deserves extra attention features a model showing a vertical cutaway view of the engineer's seat of a C11 type steam locomotive. Here you can see the operation controls close up, and even blow the train's whistle!
All the displays clearly show the character of the beginning of the modern era in Japan, from the Meiji to the Showa Periods, when steam locomotives were a part of the leading technology of the day. These displays are not just for hard core railway fans, as theyconjure up a sense of nostalgia that will be sure to appeal to any visitor. |
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A diorama of the Umekoji Steam
Locomotive district |
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The railway car used only when
the Emperor or the Empress
boarded
the train |
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