I’m not a native English speaker, so I often come across unfamiliar words. The latest example was “serendipity.” It’s not a common word, but I wanted to remember it through a real experience. As I mentioned in my last post, I recently visited the vast Shirley poppy field in Saitama Prefecture. When I saw this vermilion-colored field, it reminded me of Tobu Railway’s vermilion-colored train—set 8577 of the 8000 series EMU (hereafter 8577F), which I introduced in 2016. Two hours later, I stopped by the Railway Museum in the same prefecture and unexpectedly came across 8577F. What a coincidence! This is truly serendipity, isn’t it?
Why was the Tobu train on display at the Railway Museum, which is owned by JR East? Here’s the story: in 2023, the Railway Museum formed a partnership with the Tobu Museum in Tokyo. The two museums now collaborate to promote railway culture. As part of this effort, the Railway Museum temporarily exhibited Tobu Railway’s 8577F in its outdoor yard. According to the museum, 8577F was displayed for only one month.
Another question is: how was 8577F transported to the Railway Museum? The answer is as follows. The tracks of Tobu Railway and JR East are connected at Kurihashi Station yard. Moreover, JR East’s line is linked to the tracks at the Railway Museum, so 8577F was hauled from Tobu Railway to the museum by locomotives. Long time no see, 8577F! How have you been?
