“見ると幸せになる”新幹線 ドクターイエロー 今月引退の車両はJR東海「リニア・鉄道館」で保存・展示が決定
線路の歪みや電気関係の設備を点検するために走行し、「新幹線のお医者さん」とも呼ばれるドクターイエロー。およそ10日に1度走行し、その時間は時刻表に載っていないため、「見ると幸せになる」と言われています。 ドクターイエローは、JR東海とJR西日本が1編成ずつ所有しますが、老朽化などを理由に、JR東海は今月、JR西日本は2027年以降を目途に運用を終え、引退後は通常の新幹線に専用の機器を設置し、乗客がいる状態で設備点検を行います。
私の家は新幹線が見える場所にあるのですが、ドクターイエローはそれほど見たことがありません。ごくまれに昼に家にいるときに遭遇することがありますが、だいたい下りは昼に、上りは夕方に走るため運が良ければ見れます。2か月前ぐらいに家の中から見えましたが、そんなドクターイエローが引退ということで少し残念です。
どんなものにも引退があります。50歳を超えて1週間ぐらい経ちましたが、いつ自分の引退が訪れるのか。父親が75歳でまだIT屋をやっている姿を見ると25年はできるかも？とは思いますが、そこまで体力、気力が続くかどうか。ドクターイエローのように惜しまれつつ引退を迎えられたら幸いです。
The “Doctor Yellow,” which is said to bring happiness to those who see it, will be preserved and displayed at JR Tokai’s “Linear Railway Museum” after its retirement this month.
The Doctor Yellow is a Shinkansen that runs to inspect track irregularities and electrical equipment, often referred to as the “doctor of Shinkansen.” It operates about once every ten days, and its schedule is not listed in the timetable, so it is said that “seeing it brings happiness.” Both JR Tokai and JR West each own one set of these trains, but due to aging and other reasons, JR Tokai will retire theirs this month, and JR West will stop its operations by 2027. After retirement, the equipment used for inspections will be installed on regular Shinkansen trains, and they will carry out equipment checks while passengers are aboard.
My house is located in a place where I can see the Shinkansen, but I haven’t seen the Doctor Yellow that often. Occasionally, when I’m at home during the day, I get to see it, but usually, the downbound trains run during the day and the upbound ones in the evening, so I can only see it if I’m lucky. I saw it about two months ago from inside my house, but now that it’s retiring, I feel a little sad about it.
Everything has its retirement. It’s been over a week since I turned 50, and I wonder when my own retirement will come. Seeing my father, who is 75 and still working in IT, makes me think that maybe I can continue for another 25 years, but I’m not sure if I’ll have the physical and mental strength to do so. I would be happy if I could retire like Doctor Yellow, with people feeling sorry to see me go.
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