Best railroad museum?
Trains are fascinating to me, and we love traveling on them, especially compared to air travel. The views of the passing landscape whether you sizzle or merely chug by adds a dimension that is missing from jetting along at 35,000 feet. Gearing up for train travel seems a far easier task than heading to the airport and it’s chaos of crowds, long security lines, high fares, delays, and stressed out travelers. The conditions of todays airports seems to bring out the worst in some people, which you don’t really see at train stations or even onboard. Train service in Japan and elsewhere is a modern, convenient, efficient, and budget friendly way to travel. I get hints of nostalgia when I am riding the rails, which leads me to this attractive train museum outside downtown Kyoto.
Surrounded by Museums:
Museums are a by-product of travel most places you go, and we have seen more than our fair share. Art and cultural museums seem to be the most common, but there are some odd and rare ones out there as well. Kyiv, Ukraine had not only a jellyfish museum (aquarium), but also a toilet museum which was certainly unique. Amsterdam had a (closed now) purse and handbag museum with incredible displays of not only bags, but steamer trunks and luggage. And bless Thailand for all of their unique and crazy museums, like the ceramics museum that has duplicates of all of the Thai Royal Family’s pieces. The Gaudi House Museum in Barcelona, the Franz Kafka Museum in Prague, and the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum in Kanchanaburi, Thailand are others that we found to be exceptional.
Yet this museum had a different vibe altogether, or so it felt to me. Ironically, we had missed our train that morning for a tour. (The train was on time. We were late.) We decided to double back a station to the train museum we had seen as we were riding past, so as not to completely waste our morning on that side of the city.
Impressive Complex
The Kyoto Railway Museum, located in the former capital of Japan, is one of the country’s most comprehensive and fascinating railway museums. It opened in 2016, and it showcases Japan’s long history of train travel, from early steam locomotives to modern Shinkansen bullet trains. You can explore more than 50 real train cars, interactive exhibits on railway technology, and a massive roundhouse that preserves historic steam engines. The interactive displays helped me understand some of the mysteries and mechanics of how trains work. This museum also offers hands-on experiences, such as operating train simulators and walking along a preserved section of track, making it both educational and engaging. There is also a massive diorama train setup that hosts all of the trains that the’ve run over the years with a show every thirty minutes or so. Think a basement train setup on steroids. With its blend of history, innovation, and cultural importance, the Kyoto Railway Museum captures Japan’s deep connection with rail travel.
Thomas the Train and Kid Friendly
Japan is wildly proud of their trains, and I take my hat off to the design team that developed this museum, and how they have explained so many of the mysteries of not only the evolution of the train and its components, but also of the complex direction and handling of those trains on multiple rail systems. Many of the displays are hands on and simplify much of the physics and mechanical mysteries beyond ‘that it works but I don’t know how’? They also have a large section on ‘Thomas the Train’, which I knew about, but wasn’t very familiar with as a kid. That said, it did bring out my curious inner child.
At the End of the Line:
I grew up at the foot of the historic ‘Saluda Grade’ in North Carolina, the steepest railway grade in the US. I put pennies on the track as a kid of course. RR enthusiasts came from around the world during my youth, so I do get it. Travel suggestions sometimes are overblown or hyped, but this museum is not only entertaining, it’s highly educational. That said, it’s not only for train or railroad buffs either. Any curious traveler, willing to have the child in them exposed, will be satisfied as well. If you have even the slightest interest in transportation, this is a great place is for you and the family. So please enjoy your travels wherever they may lead you…Remember to pack lightly and…. Leave slowly but come back quickly.