Let me pick up where I left off in my last post. After taking photos of the Pom Poko–wrapped train, I continued enjoying the Tama Monorail Line. My next focus was the point switches of this straddle-beam monorail. Since I observed dual-gauge track point switches on the Hakone Tozan Line last month, I wanted to see monorail point switches with my own eyes as well.
My target was a point switch near Tama Center Terminal.
First, I rode in the rear car of the train and observed the point switch in one state. Please take a look at the top photo. Yes—this is the configuration for straight running. Unlike standard railways, you can see many components and pieces of equipment along the track. It looks more complex than that of the Tokyo Monorail Line, which I posted about 13 years ago.
After that, I moved to the front car and observed the point switch in another state. Please take a look at the photo below. This is the configuration for branch running. What a twisty structure it is! I could hardly believe that this point switch is made of iron and concrete. It is composed of many short rails connected by flexible joints. The way it moves is just like a snake.
For a rail fan like me, small scenes like these always feel like hidden treasures. I can’t help but stop and watch for a moment. Perhaps you can feel a bit of that excitement too? Rail fans are happy creatures, aren’t they?
