Chic museum offers hands-on experience with trains and buses

KAWASAKI: Located underneath the Tokyu Denentoshi Line’s elevated track at its Miyazakidai Station, the Train & Bus Museum in Kawasaki is a thrilling place for rail fans.

Four kinds of simulators allow visitors to feel like a real train driver, ranging from one for kids to full-fledged equipment based on software for real crew members.

The 8090-series’ simulator – at 300 yen (RM11.70) per use – features a real master controller and speedometer used in a Tokyu 8090-series train. Visitors can choose from different types of train service, such as a local train or special express, as well as routes such as the Shibuya-Jiyugaoka leg on the Toyoko Line and the Nagatsuta-Azamino leg on the Denentoshi Line.

The scenery visible from the driver’s cab and in-train announcements are also accurately replicated.

Aimed at advanced-level visitors, the expert mode simulator re-creates morning rush-hour operations without audio guidance. Users must deftly adjust the train’s speed so it will arrive on time. A train may shoot past a station if the brakes are not applied at the right time.

The kids’ simulator section for children is easy to handle. Visitors can drive a 5000-series train painted with their favourite colour in computer graphics. They also can design a paper craft and purchase it for 200 yen

The wooden building that formerly served as Takatsu Station stands out. The building was moved to the museum when it opened near the station in 1982.

The building still looks the same, even after the museum’s relocation to its current site in 2003 due to the quadrupling of rail tracks near the station. The pillars of the building – constructed in 1927 – have turned brown and look well-seasoned. Retro trains and buses dating to the Showa era (1926-1989) are also on display at the museum, bringing a nostalgic feeling.

Kyoko Nakanishi, a 33-yearold woman from Yokohama, came with her three-year-old son. “There are various kinds of trains, and my child never gets bored. My parents’ generation feels nostalgic about the station buildings and train cars. Next time I want to bring my parents,” Nakanishi said. — Yomiuri Shimbun

(Clockwise from top left) The Hino RB10, a route bus often seen from 1965 to 1974, is among the exhibits at the Train & Bus Museum. • A boy holds a master controller at the kids’ simulator at the Train & Bus Museum in Kawasaki. The driver’s cab is...