I visited Higashi-Nagasaki on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line last week for a personal errand. After finishing my meeting, I happened to come across a rare train—Dr. Multi—at Higashi-Nagasaki Station on my way home.
Let’s take a quick look at Dr. Multi. It is Seibu Railway’s inspection car, designed to examine overhead wires and track conditions. Built in 2006 by Plasser & Theurer in Austria, its model number is EM120, serial number 164. The car measures 17.25 meters in length and weighs 54,000 kilograms.
Inspection cars may remind you of JR Central’s Dr. Yellow, JR East’s East i and East i-E, Tokyu’s TOQi, Keio’s DAX, Odakyu’s Techno-inspector, and so on. All of these are operated as EMUs (electric multiple units). Dr. Multi, on the other hand, is a single diesel railcar. Although it is equipped with a pantograph, it is used only for inspecting overhead wires—not for drawing power. In this sense, it is similar to JR East’s East i-D, isn’t it?
When I spotted Dr. Multi at the station, its diesel engine was roaring as it shuttled back and forth on a siding in the station yard. Several railway engineers were having serious discussions while checking the equipment. Seibu does not publish timetables for work trains, but I suppose that the actual inspection runs will be conducted in the middle of the night after the last passenger train.
“Dr. Multi, have a good rest! Starting at midnight, you’ll be busy with inspections. I’m counting on you to do a great job. Good luck with your midnight work.”
