Otaru City Museum: Electric Locomotive "ED76-509" displays Facility

This displays facility tells the story of the remarkable achievements of the electric locomotive "ED76-509," which navigated through the heavy snows of Hokkaido and facilitated the movement of goods and people.
The ED76 electric locomotive, which played an active role in the early days of electrification of the Japanese National Railways in Hokkaido, had to be dismantled for removal and disposal because its parts contained polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which raised concerns about the environmental impact of the material. As dismantling was planned, in order to preserve this valuable cultural heritage for future generations, a partial preservation of the locomotive's front section and the construction of displays facility were undertaken.
While similar head displays are common in railway museums across Japan, this facility aims to allow visitors to experience the "power" of the locomotive that cannot be fully conveyed by the head alone, by recreating the lost body portion in full size using outdoor-ready graphic panels. Through the shape, color, and size of the ED76, we convey to visitors the great achievements and value that the locomotive brought to Hokkaido.

The challenge was to develop displays facilities to convey the historical value of the electric locomotive "ED76-509," of which only the front section was preserved, to future generations.

We designed and constructed an exhibition facility that powerfully conveys to visitors the historical value of the "ED76-509" locomotive, which supported logistics and the movement of people in Hokkaido, a region known for its heavy snowfall, by construction the dismantled body section (excluding the front section) with life-size displays panels.