Otaru Synthesis Museum

Located close to Otaru on the Hakodate Main Line, it houses a collection of historical rolling stock which were unique to Hokkaido. The above photo is of the South Entrance to the museum

The Otaru Synthesis Museum is one of few transport museums in Hokkaido. This museum is located at the end of the former Tenmiya Freight Line which closed in 1985. The museum was opened with the present name in 2007 and combines the collections of the former Otaru Transport Museum and Otaru Science Centre. It is located 2 kms north east from Otaru Railway Station on the Hakodate Main Line, which is the terminus of the frequent electric service from Sapporo.

The Museum Web Page has only Japanese Text.

All photo's below taken 28/05/2014 by Alex Morley

C12 6 JNR 2-6-2T built in 1933	C12 6 JNR 2-6-2T built in 1933	ED75 501 Prototype built for Hakodate Main Line electrification, the ED76 500s were chosen instead
KiHa27 11 built 1961	Museum Map	DD 16 17
DD 13 611	Snowploughs 1567 built 1950 & 270 built 1944	1923 built Snowblower 601
Roundhouse & Turntable	DD14 323 and DD15 37 with a variety of snow clearing equipiment	ED76 509, C55 50 and KiHa82 1. The buildings just to the left of ED76 509’s train contain the car collection
ED 76 509, a Hokkaido specific sub class with longer bodies for larger water and fuel tanks for the steam heating generator	No 6 Shizuoka, a 1884 built H.K.Porter 2-6-0 from the first batch of locos for the Horonai Railway	Model of the coal loading pier that was located just to the east of the museum
Diorama of the first train over Irifune Viaduct	No 6 Shizuoka	Type I1 First class coach built in 1892 by Hokkaido Tanko Tetsudo Kaisha
C55 50	DE10 503	Post WWII coaching stock behind ED76 509
Ki Ha 82 1 DMU 'Hokkai'	Steam Loco 3, a 1909 H.K.Porter similar to No 6 Shizuoka, brought from a private line in the USA, prepares for a journey	Aboard the short demonstration line
Passenger cars used on the steam trip	DMUs on display, KiHa56 23 at the front	DMU KiHaYuNi25 1 receiving a fresh coat of paint
DE 10 503 & DD51 615	35 years of (slight) progress in snowplough design, 752 on the left a 1980 example compared to 718 from 1944	DD51 615, a case of the missing 5s
Interior of Dining Car KiShi 80 34	Steam Loco 3 running around train	Steam Loco 3 returning