gavino200 Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 So far, all my Japanese trains are passenger trains. I want to aim for more consistency and add some Japanese freight trains. I've seen a lot of freight car sets that look great. However, I don't know anything about Japanese freight locos. I've seen pictures of electric locos with pantographs pulling freight trains, but they don't look either very modern or powerful. What are some of the more common locos, currently hauling freight in Japan? What are some of the coolest looking? Most powerful? Link to comment
railsquid Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Pulling up the reference book ("The super big encyclopedia of trains for children of all ages" which belongs to my son) I see among the modern freight locos are the EH200, EH500, EF210, EF510 and Mc250. Don't know much about them myself, but I do have a Kato EH200 which is an articulated Bo-Bo-Bo-Bo unit which is very nice and designed to pull oil trains up gradients, so presumably not so weak. Overall however I prefer the older locomotives... Kato EH200 by Rail Squid, on Flickr No doubt someone more knowledgeable will be along in a minute. 2 Link to comment
keiichi77 Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 In Hokkaido the DF200 modern diesel is common. DE10 diesel locomotives are still used for switching/light duties/maintenance trains. EF64, EF65, EF66 are the older electric designs but still in regular use and like Railsquid I prefer the look of the older units. Railsquid mentions the more modern Electric locomotives. There is also the modern looking EF200 but these are being removed from service to become razor blades. Japanese freight trains rarely exceed 20-24 cars and usually only have one locomotive, however some of the heavy gas trains on lines with high grades usually have 2 locomotives. 1 Link to comment
velotrain Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 I'm quite fond of the EH200 myself, and may be mistaken, but believe they're permanently coupled rather than articulated. 2 Link to comment
kvp Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Most modern designs are married pairs of bo-bo locpmotives. Earlier the 3 bogie bo-bo-bo design was the most popular that (together with the distinctive cab shapes) gave japanese locomotives their unique look. Link to comment
westfalen Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 (edited) Size can be deceiving. The EH200 pictured above is rated at 6,060HP for example, the Japanese are after all experts at fitting things into small spaces. When all else fails go to Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Japan_Freight_Railway_Company Edited January 6, 2017 by westfalen 1 Link to comment
gavino200 Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) Pulling up the reference book ("The super big encyclopedia of trains for children of all ages" which belongs to my son) I see among the modern freight locos are the EH200, EH500, EF210, EF510 and Mc250. Don't know much about them myself, but I do have a Kato EH200 which is an articulated Bo-Bo-Bo-Bo unit which is very nice and designed to pull oil trains up gradients, so presumably not so weak. Overall however I prefer the older locomotives... Kato EH200 by Rail Squid, on Flickr I No doubt someone more knowledgeable will be along in a minute. Thanks. I actually like the look of that engine. What's the book you're talking about. Might be something we could use. Oh, and what does Bo-Bo-Bo-Bo mean? Edited January 7, 2017 by gavino200 Link to comment
gavino200 Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 Most modern designs are married pairs of bo-bo locpmotives. Earlier the 3 bogie bo-bo-bo design was the most popular that (together with the distinctive cab shapes) gave japanese locomotives their unique look. Bo-bo is an engine with two bogies, right? Link to comment
Yavianice Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Bo-bo is an engine with two bogies, right? Yes. Like you, I only have passenger trains (KATO Shinkansens), and only have a TOMIX EF210 for hauling my pair of cleaning cars. But to add some more 'cargo' to the lonely locomotive, I just ordered the TOMIX EF210 + 2 container wagons set, and I already have a KATO koki set that I quite like. Though if I had the money I would probably buy the KATO M250 set, which I think is quite cool. Unfortunately that set is 'sold out' for its original price in my country.... Link to comment
katoftw Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Ef510 ef210 eh200 eh500 ďď51 de10 ef81 1 Link to comment
Ewan.in.gz Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Bo-bo is an engine with two bogies, right? Yes, bo-bo is two bogies with 2 axles each. Co-co is 2 bogies with 3 axles each. In Japanese locomotive class numbering, the first letter indicates if it is electric or diesel, and the second letter means the number of axles. So DE-10 is a diesel loco with 5 axles and an EH-500 is an electric loco with 8 axles. Link to comment
gavino200 Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 Yes. Like you, I only have passenger trains (KATO Shinkansens), and only have a TOMIX EF210 for hauling my pair of cleaning cars. But to add some more 'cargo' to the lonely locomotive, I just ordered the TOMIX EF210 + 2 container wagons set, and I already have a KATO koki set that I quite like. Though if I had the money I would probably buy the KATO M250 set, which I think is quite cool. Unfortunately that set is 'sold out' for its original price in my country.... Wow. I've never seen an engine like that. Super strange! Link to comment
gavino200 Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 Yes, bo-bo is two bogies with 2 axles each. Co-co is 2 bogies with 3 axles each. In Japanese locomotive class numbering, the first letter indicates if it is electric or diesel, and the second letter means the number of axles. So DE-10 is a diesel loco with 5 axles and an EH-500 is an electric loco with 8 axles. Thanks. That makes a lot of sense. Is there any logic to the axle letter chosen. H for Hachi? What makes E = 5? Link to comment
railsquid Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Thanks. That makes a lot of sense. Is there any logic to the axle letter chosen. H for Hachi? What makes E = 5?The alphabetical sequence, eg E is the 5th letter. BTW I didn't know what they stood for before either... Learn something new every day... 2 Link to comment
velotrain Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Note that the letter system only accounts for driving axles. For example, the DD51 has a 5th unpowered axle in the middle of the chassis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JNR_Class_DD51 1 Link to comment
railsquid Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 I'm quite fond of the EH200 myself, and may be mistaken, but believe they're permanently coupled rather than articulated. Yup, wrong choice of technical terms on my part. Link to comment
Suica Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 For example, the DD51 has a 5th unpowered axle in the middle of the chassis. You mean bogie. It has two unpowered axles in total. Also when it comes to modern freight locos, let's not forget the new multi-voltage EH800 for use through the Seikan tunnel. Link to comment
railsquid Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Also when it comes to modern freight locos, let's not forget the new multi-voltage EH800 for use through the Seikan tunnel. Ah, that's what it is, saw one in the shop today. 1 Link to comment
velotrain Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Yup - saw the B-2-B and for some reason was interpreting using North American convention. Link to comment
kvp Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Wow. I've never seen an engine like that. Super strange! The M250 is a freight multiple unit. Two single container motor cars on both ends, sandwitching a rake of double container flatcars. There were earlier attempts at freight emus in Japan, but turns out, that they are not really needed as the added flexibility of a loco hauled train is better and an 8 axle, 4 bogie locomotive has the same number of axles, so two of them could provide the same traction force as the 4 M250 motor cars with higher speed or power. There were some top and tail test services through the seikan too, testing the same arrangement what the M250 provides on the DC Tokkaido line. Link to comment
scotspensioner Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Not having been to Japan myself,I've used YouTube to give me an understanding of all things Japanese railways! It's led to me having an ef210 on a rake of koki 106 container flats and an eh200 on a set of eneos tank cars which looks beautiful and can be seen on you tube on the Chip line in reality These two locos can be switched. I've also got an ed75 which I run with a Kato 10-809 pack as an earlier train. Most recently I've bought a De10 for a shunting engine but I don't have a big layout. I thinkthese can all be seen in the Tokyo Area I hope this is of use Link to comment
Das Steinkopf Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) If you are modelling a particular area you may need to do some research into the locomotives that run in that region, JRF has a fairly diverse fleet of locomotives but is starting to become rationalised with the introduction of the EF210, EH200, EH500 and DF200 series locomotives. Many of the older classes such as the EF65-2000 and ED79's are progressively being scrapped as new locomotives come online, or that it's getting uneconomical to maintain numerically small classes such as the EF67 and EF200's. To give you an idea of the current fleet and where they are used I made a list of them below. Also of note the classification system is first letter describes the power source, D=Diesel, E=Electric and H=Hybrid, the second letter denotes the number of powered axles, D=4, E=5, F=6 and H=8. There are a number of sub variants of classes that I have not listed as their duties were rather limited to short sections of line such as the Seikan Tunnel and Kanmon Tunnel, or banking duties performed by the EF67-100 and their replacement the EF210-300 on the Senohachi section of the Sanyo Mainline. Also some further notes regarding the M250, only two trains run at a time, one travelling overnight from Tokyo to Ajikawaguchi in Osaka and the other doing the return trip to Tokyo, there were three full sets of power cars built but only two trains run at any time as the remaining unit is used as a spare and to permit maintenance cycles. DIESEL DF200: Originally Hokkaido and now being trialled in Aichi working Kansai Mainline to replace DD51's DD51-800 & DD51-1000: Originally widespread now only small numbers of less than two dozen in Aichi on fuel trains. DE10-1000 & DE10-1500: Fairly widespread and mainly employed as a shunter and some freight services, also deployed for permanent way trains such as hauling ballast or rail trains. HD300: A rather small but growing class used mainly as a shunter in some of the larger freight yards in cities, these are designed as a low emissions replacement for the DE10 and DE11 subclass, I have seen them in Tokyo and as far afield as Minami Matsumoto, the HD300-500 sub variant is designed for cold climate use in Hokkaido. ELECTRIC 1500v DC Types EF200: Sanyo Mainline progressively being scrapped and replaced by EF210 variants EF210-0: Sanyo Mainline EF210-100: Sanyo Mainline & Tokaido Mainline, services becoming more widespread as class numbers grow. EF66-0 and EF66-100: Tokaido Mainline & Sanyo Mainline, progressively being scrapped and replaced with EF210-100. EF65-1000: Tokaido Mainline & Sanyo Mainline EF65-2000: Tokaido Mainline & Sanyo Mainline, progressively being scrapped and replaced with EF210-100's EF64-1000: Chuo Mainline, Joetsu Line & Hakubi Line. EH200: Chuo Mainline, Joetsu Line & Shinonoi Line. Dual Voltage 1500v DC & 20kv AC Types EF81-600: Kosei Line & Hokuriku Mainline EF510-0 & EF510-500: Joban Line, Hokuriku Mainline & Kosei Line EH500: Hokkaido, Tohoku Mainline and Kyushu from Hiroshima via the Kanmon Tunnel 20kv AC ED76-0 & ED76-1000: Kyushu 20kv/25kv AC EH800: Kaikyo Line running freight services from Honshu to Hokkaido via the Seikan Tunnel. Edited January 7, 2017 by Das Steinkopf 5 Link to comment
katoftw Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 According to my 3yo, the DF200s also pull Annie and Clarabel along. I guess when Thomas is in for maintainence at the steamworks? 2 Link to comment
Das Steinkopf Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 According to my 3yo, the DF200s also pull Annie and Clarabel along. I guess when Thomas is in for maintainence at the steamworks? Bust my buffers! Link to comment
railsquid Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Thanks. I actually like the look of that engine. What's the book you're talking about. Might be something we could use. This one: http://books.rakuten.co.jp/rb/6410791/ 1 Link to comment
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