Dr. Yellow T3 Set, Exhibition Ends at Linear Railway Museum with ‘Manual’ Removal by Fans

On June 4, at the Linear Railway Museum in Nagoya City, an event was held to remove the 922 series Dr. Yellow T3 set, which ended its exhibition on May 26 to make way for the 923 series Dr. Yellow T4 set.

The T3 set is the predecessor of the currently active Dr. Yellow (T5 set), manufactured in 1979 during the Japanese National Railways era. After the JR Group’s founding, it belonged to JR West and ran on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen until 2005. After its retirement, it was lent to JR Central and had been on display since the Linear Railway Museum’s opening in March 2011. With the decision that the T4 set, which retired at the end of January, would be exhibited at the museum from June 14, the T3 exhibition ended on May 26.

The event was attended by 37 people from 32 groups of railway fans and families selected by lottery. They took commemorative photos in front of the T3 set, dined in a dining car of the 100 series Shinkansen, and then experienced the removal process with the staff. Participants placed their hands on the side of the car and pushed with their body weight towards the exit, and the approximately 59-ton car began to slowly move.

Subsequently, a vehicle handover ceremony from JR Central to JR West took place, with Linear Railway Museum Director Hitoshi Okabe handing a panel modeled after a brake valve to Yuta Aoki, Head of the Railway Culture Promotion Office, Corporate Communication Department, JR West.

▲ Linear Railway Museum Director Hitoshi Okabe (left) hands over a brake valve to JR West’s Yuta Aoki

Director Okabe addressed, “A memorable vehicle loved by many customers. Thank you, T3, for adding color to our museum for 14 years,” bidding farewell.

The T3 set is scheduled to be relocated to Train Park Hakusan in Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture, for display starting around June. Aoki called on participants, “JR West will responsibly preserve and display it from now on. While it may be lonely without the T3 set in Nagoya, it’s not too far, so please come visit the T3 set.”

The Linear Railway Museum plans to conduct a T4 set loading event on June 7 and begin public viewing on the 14th.

▲ Staff engaged in removal work