A nostalgic line up of steam locos, electric trains and shinkansens

53 trains to see - from steam locomotives to shinkansens!

Opened in April 2016 as a museum dedicated to the trains of Japan, the Kyoto Railway Museum is a new incarnation of the Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum. And, as before, the highlights are the 53 trains and carriages preserved and displayed in the main building and the fan-shaped (roundhouse) steam locomotive shed. These varied trains underpinned Japan’s industries and transportation across the years.

The museum boasts Japan’s iconic D51 steam loco, the D52 steam loco that could pull the biggest amount of freight and the 1800 steam loco imported from the UK for incline work as well as other modern trains like the 500 series shinkansen that achieved a speed of 300km/h, a world record at the time. All of these can be seen at close quarters.

The museum also is well equipped with operational systems, such as rides on a carriage pulled by a steam loco and driving simulator, so everyone ? from train fans to families - can have fun trying out railway life.