"Onsen" for shinkansen, snow melting device at Okama station

[Yavianice]

 

At JR Okama station, a device has been installed to melt the snow from the undercarriage of the E6 before it connects with the E5 in Morioka, presumably to avoid damage by falling ice blocks to trains once it goes on the high speed line to Sendai and beyond. (People cannot alight at JR Okama with the Shinkansen).

 

Kind of wonder how they set this in their timetable though. It's unclear to me how long the train ends up sitting there.

[cteno4]

You can almost hear the E6 give a long relaxing sigh... something interesting to model, few e-cigarettes...

 

jeff

[Jimbo]

steam??

[Socimi]

4 hours ago, Jimbo said:

steam??

 

Hot water.

[Sacto1985]

I believe the temperature of the hot water is relatively low--probably at most 40° C. (104° F.).

[katoftw]

Would still be enough to melt ice and produce vapour.

[Suica]

9 hours ago, Sacto1985 said:

I believe the temperature of the hot water is relatively low--probably at most 40° C. (104° F.).

 

It's around 60°C according to this article.

[katoftw]

So just normal hot water device temps then. Same as home systems.

[cteno4]

Makes sense not to shock components too badly with very hot temps and do it a bit longer. Probably better heat transfer efficiencies not having a higher difference in temperatures.
jeff 

[bikkuri bahn]

 

Quote

Kind of wonder how they set this in their timetable though. It's unclear to me how long the train ends up sitting there.

It (the Tazawako Line) is a very low service frequency line (one local train every one to two hours, plus the Akita Shinkansen), so there is a lot of slack in the schedule, easy to fit any extended stops.