I visited Higashi-Nagasaki on the Seibu-Ikebukuro line last week, as something came up. After finishing my meeting, I came across a rare train, “Dr. Multi”, at Higashi-Nagasaki station on my way home.
Let's take a quick look at Dr. Multi. It's an inspection car of Seibu Railway. Targets of the inspection are overhead wires and railway tracks. It was built in 2006 by Plasser & Theurer in Austria. The serial number is 164 of the EM120. It is 17.25 meters long, and weighs 54,000 kilograms. Inspection cars may remind you of JR Central’s Dr. Yellow, JR East’s East i, East i-E, Tokyu’s TOQi, Keio’s DAX, Odakyu’s Techno-inspector and so on. They are all operated as EMUs (Electric Multiple-Units). On the other hand, Dr. Multi is a single diesel rail-car. A pantograph is equipped, but it’s for inspection of the overhead wires, not for picking up electricity of the train. It’s like JR East’s East i-D, isn't it?
When I saw Dr. Multi at the station, it was roaring the diesel engine, and going back and forth on a sidetrack of the station yard. Several railway engineers were discussing seriously and checking equipment. Seibu doesn't release timetables of work trains, but I suppose that the inspection will be conducted in the middle of the night after the last train. Dr. Multi, get a good rest! Starting in the midnight, you'll be busy for inspection. I’m counting on you to do a great job. Good luck with your midnight work.
