JR Sleeper question

[scott]

In photos and videos like this one:

 

 

...I've seen night trains with seats that look like wide benches facing toward each other--one on each side of the aisle. But (so far) I've only ever seen one person sitting on the bench. Are these some sort of fold-out seat/beds? If the train is full, how many would be sitting on each "bench"?

[bikkuri bahn]

The 583 series are convertible between box seating and open berths.  They were quite versatile, and were used both for daytime limited expresses and night trains.  Usually they were configured in one mode (either seats or berths) the whole length of the journey.  Only in services longer than 1000km in length were conversions done en route.  In sleeper mode, an A type car has two berths per space, while the B types have three berths.  Last winter, I rode a top level(third) B berth on the night express Kitaguni- a very interesting experience, but not recommended for the claustrophobic or big boned.  As far as seating capacity in daytime, I believe each box seat space can hold up to four people.  I remember as an elementary school student taking a daytime ltd. express to Sendai (pre-Tohoku shinkansen-maybe the Hatsukari??) in a 583 type, and I think that was the configuration.

 

583 interior daytime mode:

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB:JNR583seat.JPG

 

partially extended seating in preparation for making berths:

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB:JReast583seat.JPG

 

triple level open berths (I wonder if the colors are intended to repel potential passengers...):

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB:Train_ja583_Sleeping_car01.jpg

[serenityFan]

wow, so on the top level (third) berth, do you actually sleep on the overhead luggage rack? (i'm trying to compare the daytime picture vs the nighttime picture) 

[Guest ___]

Brings new meaning to the term steerage.

[scott]

Thanks, Bikkuri--that's interesting stuff.

 

Is the third picture the same type of car as the first two, or are the first two the two-berth type?

[bikkuri bahn]

wow, so on the top level (third) berth, do you actually sleep on the overhead luggage rack? (i'm trying to compare the daytime picture vs the nighttime picture)  

 

Yes, I think the top bunk is lowered onto the luggage rack.  There is relatively little vertical space in each berth(68cm for middle and top berths), though length is decent at 190cm.

 

As for Scott's question, I can't be 100% sure, but I think they are the same.

 

Here is a web site with lots of interior pictures:

http://www62.tok2.com/home/tsubame787/seat_583.html