The National Transport Museum in Ueno in Tokyo is worth a visit, you can "drive" a retired power bogie from a subway car they have on blocks there and watch the rheostats or whatever those things are progressively click into place as the speed increases. Or you can drive the Shinkansen simulator. They also have a good collection of (static) steam engines, full sized (cape gauge, though) and model. One model engine there is a 5" gauge GN atlantic built by the "LBSC" of Japan, Seiichi Watanabe. He built dozens of live steamers over the decades, almost all UK outline, and this 5" incher was built just after WWII and named the "Flying Jiro" after his older brother who was killed in the war. I knew Watanabe-san when I lived there and belonged to the local ME club that actually meets at the museum once a month. Kozo Hiraoka of Shay fame is also a member and used to attend regularly. Tokyo also has several streetcar/tram lines that still run which are worth a ride, the Arakawa-sen from Waseda Station to Minowabashi Station, and also (my favorite) the Setagaya-sen from Sangenjaya station to to Shimotakaido station. There are two live steam lines I know of near Tokyo, one in Chichibu and the other in Shizuoka. The Chichibu line is interesting as the engine they use is actually owned and operated by the main JR Railway Co. and is scheduled into their regular weekend operations. One site I found is http://homepage.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/Oliver.L.Mayer/japan/verkehr/ steam.htm Also, west of Tokyo is the hotspring resort town of Hakkone where they have a traction train (the "Tozan Tetsudo" or "mountain climbing railway") that claws its way via switchbacks up the side of the mountain there, twisting and turning through the woods, over streams, etc. You can reserve a hotel room at any tourist info center, but tell them you want it to be on a "Tozan Tetsudo" stop. Staying at a traditional Japanese hotel or "Ryokan" is worth the price- be sure to request a hotel with an outside bath or "rotenburo". Take the Odakyo express train to Hakkone, about an hour from Shinjuku station. in central Tokyo and change for the Tozan tetsudo at Hakkone. As the Odakyu train approaches Odawara and Hakkone, watch as the track changes to dual gauge (cape and standard), including pointwork. This is also very doable as a day trip from central Tokyo. Or just hang out in a major station like Shinjuku or Tokyo during rush hour and be amazed. Have fun! Bede McCormack Brooklyn, NY On Jun 28, 2006, at 2:12 PM, The Sheppard Residence wrote: > All, > > On Friday evening I am off to Taiwan (Taipei), Japan (Tokyo) and S. > Korea (Seoul) with a weekend in Taiwan and one weekend in Tokyo. > > So what is there to do and see? > > Any miniature (or full size) steam railways worth seeing, railway > museums, interesting rides.... > > All (clean) suggestions appreciated, but within the next 36 hours > please > as I will not be able to pick up any e-mails when I am over there. > > Cheers > > Peter > > > MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. > > To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, > modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the > subject line. > MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.