Sotetsu’s would-be scrap is going to be someone else’s treasure.
Sometimes, when a train is being taken out of service in Japan, the rail operator will sell of parts of it as memorabilia. For rail fans, owning even something simple like a hand strap or destination plate can serve as a keepsake of a special trip they took on the train, or be a symbol of their local pride if it comes from the train they commuted on every morning.
But Sotetsu, also known as Sagami Railway Company, had something a little more substantial on offer recently. The company, which operates three train lines in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, put out an announcement asking if anyone would be interested in purchasing an automated station ticket gate.
Actually, they were offering two Omron PG-R series ticket gates, since each panel is designed to be able to accept tickets and cashless payment taps by itself. However, Sotetsu cautioned prospective buyers that they would need to purchase both gate to recreate the sort of two-sided aisle that passengers pass through on their way into or out of a station.
As you can see from the above photo with one of the panels pulled off, these are rather sophisticated machines, and they don’t come cheap, so Sotetsu priced them at 200,000 yen (US$1,335) each, or 400,000 for the set. They also added a set of wheels to the bottom of each unit, so that the owner can more easily reposition them in their home or wherever else they plan to keep them, if need be.
Despite the price, Sotetsu received multiple offers to buy the gates during the application period from November 14 to 24. At least seven people have said they’re willing to pony up the cash for at least one of the gates, and so now the purchaser, or purchaser, will be chosen by a random lottery. Sadly, we didn’t find out about the sale until it was too late to apply, but with Sotetsu’s ticket gate renovation plans scheduled to continue until the spring of 2027, this probably won’t be the last decommissioned set that’ll be going on sale.
Source: Sotetsu via Abema News via Hachima Kiko
Images: Sotetsu
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