What the postman brought

"Take a Lookie here!" as Rev. Mugo would say and see what the postman brought me today. It seems that I've been lucky in the Central Japan Railway ticket draw and I have a ticket for the MAGLEV 'Linear Express' for the 24th August. I'm on the 10:15 train.

I never thought that I stood the slightest chance of winning one of these rides. The public are only invited on three days this year and all the 1500 seats are allocated by lottery. But there you go - I actually got one! So next month I'll be one of the few people around to have travelled at 300 mph by rail, even if it is of a rather unusual kind. That sort of speed even puts Mallard in the shade eh?

The test track is over in Yamanashi Prefecture some miles south of the Chuo Line and about half way between Tokyo and Kofu. Most of it is underground, it only surfaces at a few points as it crosses mountain valleys.

Well, watch this space! Some time towards the end of August yuo can see the photographs on "Railway Roundabout"!