Kyoto Railway Museum, Railway museum in Shimogyō-ku, Japan.
Kyoto Railway Museum is a railway museum in Shimogyō-ku with three floors displaying more than 50 trains including steam locomotives, electric trains, and shinkansen models. The collection spans the evolution of Japan's railway system across multiple generations.
The museum first opened in 1972 as the Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum and was transformed into Kyoto Railway Museum in 2016 following extensive renovations. This shift marked the transition from a specialized steam locomotive facility to a comprehensive railway history institution.
The roundhouse built in 1914 stands as a designated Important Cultural Property and holds Japan's largest collection of steam locomotives in one place. Visitors can observe these machines in their original setting and understand how railway workers once operated them.
The museum offers train operation simulations and visitors can watch maintenance work through viewing windows or book an additional steam locomotive ride. Plan to spend at least two to three hours exploring all three floors and the various exhibition areas.
The museum houses Japan's largest railway diorama where miniature trains travel across detailed landscapes controlled by a single specialized operator. This elaborate miniature display demonstrates real railway system complexity in small-scale form.
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