Thursday 3 October 2019

2019 Summer Memories: Popular Museum and Train

Set W31 of the EMU JR West 683 series, the limited express "Thunderbird"

After enjoying the historical garden, namely Kenrokuen, the last day of our summer trip had come. Contrary to the previous day, we visited a contemporary art museum in Kanazawa City.

The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, is located near Kenrokuen Garden. The museum was designed by Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa in 2004. My favorite exhibition is "The Swimming Pool" created by Leandro Erlich, who was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1973. This exhibition looks just like a small swimming pool, but you will find people in the pool, if you approach the water surface. They are not mannequins, but real visitors. There is a trick in the pool, but it is going to be a surprise!

The time for departure had come. We got on "Thunderbird", and headed to Kyoto. Thunderbird is a limited express train operated between Kanazawa (or Wakuraonsen) and Osaka, using the Hokuriku main line, the Kosei line and the Tokaido main line. Our vehicle was set W31 of the EMU JR West 683 series. Set W31 was launched in 2001 to replace an old express train, the 485 series. It belongs to Kyoto Branch Office of the JR West Suita Depot, and operated as the limited express train, Thunderbird, Noto-kagaribi (Noto-bonfire) and the others. It is an AC-DC dual system train with a maximum speed of 130 km per hour. 255 kW induction motors with an IGBT-VVVF inverter control (variable frequency drive) system are equipped on the train.

"The Swimming Pool" created by Leandro Erlich