My photo and videos 1970s～2000s

[JR East]

When I was in Düsseldorf something in 2013 /14 one BR103 used to ride every day in this beautiful livery. My cellphone was not reactive enough to shoot it. 

[shiniji]

The BR103 was used again for several years as the IC79 with a suitable car set in the old IC paintwork as on the one from 2010 (search for IC79 via google). The whole thing with vehicles from the museum stock for the weekends 🙂

[Modellbahn JP]

I encountered Kumoni 83 when I traveled at Shimonoseki to took photos in 1979.

[disturbman]

What’s the brown car behind? It also seems to have two cabs.

[200系]

@Modellbahn JP,

 

I've been wanting to thank you for the amazing pictures you've, graciously, shared with us so far. Personally I've always considered the late Shōwa period as one of the most interesting period in Japanese railway history, and as a big fan of the old type national railway/getaden I've been really enjoying your contributions.

 

@disturbman

 

Perhaps it isn't my place to answer your question, so I'll apologize in advance, but here goes anyway.

 

 

The 4 side doors, triple stage windows, and the shape of the roof makes it easily recognizable as a former 72/73 series car, or to go a step further, it is actually a former MoHa 63 type (63 series) car.

 

Taking this into account, in all likelihood we are looking at a KuMoYa 90 type car. These were, surplus, former 73 series (as the car in question was a former 63 series MoHa 63 type car (the shape of the roof gives this away, new built 72 series cars had a less rounded roof shape, similar to the KuMoNi 83 type car she is coupled to) she would be (unofficially) classified as part of the 73 series, new built cars were part of the 72 series) part of a group of surplus, former 63 series, MoHa 72 type cars to be converted to towing vehicles between 1966 and 1979.

 

Interestingly enough, the only surviving MoHa 63 type car, MoHa 63638 located at the Linear Railway Museum in Nagoya, was actually one of the cars remodeled into a KuMoYa 90 type car (KuMoYa 90005). She was transferred to JR Tōkai after the split, and remained in service until 1994. She was converted back into her original, as of 1947, state (including the original interior) by making use of parts and materials from other old type electric units and passenger cars which JR Tōkai dismantled after the closure of the Sakuma Rail Park in 2009.

Edited September 11, 2021 by 200系

[disturbman]

@200系 thanks, very informative as always. I thought it might have been a 72/73 series car but was not sure. Surely, this is a KuMoHa rather than a KuMoYa? KuMoYa are service trains, this looks like a normal passenger car.

[Modellbahn JP]

@200系

Yes, that's right!

It was Kumoya 90

 

@disturbman

4 hours ago, disturbman said:

KuMoYa are service trains, this looks like a normal passenger car.

Yes, it looks like a normal passenger EMU.

Kumoya 90 was a service EMU to assist to run with post office EMU or out of service one etc.

So it wasn't needed to customize dramaticaly.

Edited September 12, 2021 by Modellbahn JP

[Modellbahn JP]

JNR Series 485 EMU collection

 

Exp. "Hakutaka" at Kedosawa bridge in 1976

 

Exp. "Aizu" at Kawaguchi in 1976

 

Exp. "Nichirin" at Yahata in 1976

[200系]

@disturbman As always, it's my pleasure as well, I'm always glad to be of assistance. I really love writing (and researching) about subjects like these, so if people are enjoying the information I'm able to provide than that makes me happy as well. Besides, it gives me the opportunity to geek out over Japanese railway related subjects, and hopefully share part of my own enthusiasm with this community, hopefully heightening interest in these subjects as well.

 

 

As for the topic at hand, I get where you're coming from, especially with the different carbodies of the later KuMoYa 143 and 145 types. However, in this case it is actually a KuMoYa type as opposed to a KuMoHa type.

 

Within the 1959 vehicle regulations, the vehicle classification system introduced after the new performance trains (The first National Railroad cars to be equipped with a cardan drive system and electromagnetic direct brake systems (SMEE/HSC-D/SELD type brake systems, though the National Railways went mainly with SELD iirc) i.e.  MoHa 90 -> 101 series, MoHa 20 -> 151 series and up) and still used by the different JR companies today, the (kata)kana ヤ (Ya) was reserved for working vehicles with a function which hadn't been otherwise specified already (シ/ユ/ニ/エ and ル (Shi, Yu, Ni, E and Ru), this included towing vehicles like the KuMoYa 90 types.

 

ハ (Ha) On the other hand was specifically intended for vehicles which could be boarded without any special surcharges (i.e. the additional 1st class -> 2nd class -> Green Car up charge). So, given that the KuMoYa 90 types were intended to be towing/accompanying vehicles (to tow other rolling stock to/from maintenance centers etc.) and weren't meant to be used in passenger service in the first place, they were classified as KuMoYa types as opposed to KuMoHa.

 

Interestingly, the last two active MoHa 40 type cars, KuMoHa 40054 and KuMoHa 40074, were also used as towing vehicles (as well as the transportation of staff) towards the end of their service lives, and they retained their KuMoHa classifications. However, this was likely because they didn't have to receive any modifications in order to be able to do so, the early MoHa 40 type cars still had half cabs on either end of the cars, as was the standard Japanese practice (1) until the late 1930's, and with the old type multiple units being designed around the single car concept (2) these cars could operate as single units without the need for any modifications.

 

Further (visual) additions:

 

http://kokuden.net/mc53/sub.htm/sub-Jigyo/sub-jigyo-90/sub-jigyo-90.htm

 

-> A great blog in general for anyone with an interest in the Old Type National Railroad EMU types, excellent pictures of the individual cars and any subtle differences.

 

 

-> One of RVDRV's many youtube video's taken in the 1980's and 1990's around Nagoya, and various other places in Japan (I highly recommend watching his other videos (as well as the entirety of this video), for anyone interested in said time period you can find a number of amazing gems on his channel). At ~1:50 you can see KuMoYa 90005 departing with three 165 series cars in tow. the video captures the , beautiful, growling sound of the nose suspension drive quite clearly.

 

 

 

-> JR West KuMoYa 90014 on the back of a train towed by KuMoYa 145-106, transporting two 103 series MoHa 102/103 pairs (2)

 

Notes:

 

(1) Though the design of the electrical multiple unit in Japan, unlike it had happened with steam and later electric locomotives, was for the most part an indigenous affair, and something the Japanese railroad industry mastered rather quickly, there were still a lot of American influences in the design and development of the Japanese EMU, even up until the 1960's in some cases. Though this influence could be mainly seen in the control systems (GE and Westinghouse), traction motors/drive systems (Sprague, Brill (trucks), GE and Westinghouse (for Westinghouse the WN drive, introduced to Japan in 1953 with the Eidan 300 type cars, deserves a special mention here)) and braking systems (Westinghouse (HSC and SMEE) and GE) etc., there were also some influences in the vehicle designs themselves*, the half cab is one of those features.

 

The development of the electric Interurban during the 1890's and early 1900's would play a significant role in the design (as well as the concept themselves) of a number of the large major private railways (Hanshin, Hankyū, Keihan, Meitetsu and to a lesser extend Keikyū, etc.), and especially in the design of their early rolling stock. Interestingly enough, the National Railways initially gravitated towards German equipment for their early EMU designs, but later switched towards American technology during the 1920's.

 

(2) Single cars, in this context, refers to a system where all motor cars are self contained units, i.e. a MoHa XX contained all the necessary equipment, both main and auxiliary, needed to operate the car, SaHa and KuHa type cars only contained the systems needed for their own operations, like the braking system (air reservoirs), lighting etc. The new performance trains actually switched to the MM' principle, in which two motor cars share the main and auxiliary equipment, effectively forming a single unit (a (semi)married pair)

 

 

[disturbman]

Thank you both, I think my confusion was further compounded by the MicroAce KuMoYa 90 which models an heavily refurbished and very similar to later KuMoYa prototypes, like the KuMoYa 145. In particular, they do not spot any “usable” side windows.

Edited September 12, 2021 by disturbman

[ianlaw]

3 hours ago, 200系 said:

Further (visual) additions:

 

http://kokuden.net/mc53/sub.htm/sub-Jigyo/sub-jigyo-90/sub-jigyo-90.htm

 

-> A great blog in general for anyone with an interest in the Old Type National Railroad EMU types, excellent pictures of the individual cars and any subtle differences.

 

 

Great resource for the period I'm modelling! Thanks for sharing!

[Modellbahn JP]

JNR Series 153 EMU Shin-Kaisoku(Rapid service) "Blue Liner" collection

 

At Maiko in 1975

 

At suma in 1975

 

At Yamashina in 1976

 

 

[Modellbahn JP]

I visited Usui-Touge in 1976.

I'll share photos over some days.

 

JNR Series 189 EMU Exp. "Asama"

 

JNR Series 489 EMU Exp. "Hakusan" 

 

JNR Series 169 EMU Exp."Shinsyu"

[maihama eki]

Your photos are outstanding. You have a good eye for being in just the right location, the right lighting, taking the photo at just the right second - all of this with 1970s camera and film technology, and prints or slides that have been well preserved for ~45 years.

 

Thank you for sharing.

[Kamome]

Your latest topic is particularly appealing so am looking forward to more from the Shinetsu line. I lived in Gunma some years ago but that section of the line had already been closed and the Nagano shinkansen line had been up and running for a few years. I hadn't known about the use of EF63 banking locomotives in that section until many years later. Can't wait to see more.

[JR East]

1 hour ago, maihama eki said:

Your photos are outstanding. You have a good eye for being in just the right location, the right lighting, taking the photo at just the right second - all of this with 1970s camera and film technology, and prints or slides that have been well preserved for ~45 years.

 

Thank you for sharing.

 

As photographer, I agree. Esp. the last one (JNR Series 169 EMU Exp."Shinsyu"). One remark about the camera of the 70's, as usual the camera doesn't really make the photographer (as long as it's not a pure low low quality & price). Basic rules have not changed. What has change a lot with digital is the immediat result and the easy way to go extrem limits (low light, long exposure, etc ....). 

 

What is here quite interesting is the long lasting prints & slides. I've notice that, depending on brands (Kodak, Agfa, Fujifilm etc ...) and conditions of shooting (mountain high altitude + high UV, std conditions etc ...), with the same condition of storage (dark, dry a non dusty place) the preservation is deeply affected (eg my slides turned to blue for the ones shot in high UV condition in 1975). 

[Modellbahn JP]

Usui touge(valley) collection part 2

 

EF63×2 and Exp. "Shinsyu"

 

EF63×2 and (maybe)Exp. "Asama"

 

EF63×2 and (maybe)Exp. "Hakusan"

 

The sign at the most steep sloop

Edited September 16, 2021 by Modellbahn JP

[Kiha66]

Thanks for sharing!  I really love the Usui Pass line, its such an interesting area!

[Kamome]

Awesome.  It must have been a great place to watch operations. Those locos seemed incredibly busy moving expresses, local trains, sleepers and mail trains up and down the pass. The logistics and crew required must have been a strain on profits, keeping locomotives maintained and staff rested etc.. but what an absolutely fascinating place.

 

I have 6x EF63s in N gauge along with an Kiha 82, EF62, 189 Asama in JNR colours. I think I really need a 169 Myoko and a 489 Hakusan too.

 

I am really enjoying your photos. Many thanks as always.

[Modellbahn JP]

7 hours ago, Kamome said:

I think I really need a 169 Myoko and a 489 Hakusan too.

 

I'm looking forward to your order ha ha!

[Modellbahn JP]

Usui touge collection part 3

 

EF63×2 and Series 169 EMU Exp."Shinsyu" 

 

EF63×2 

 

Usui No.3 Bridge

 

Memorial sign of the first place where Abt system was built in Japan.

Edited September 18, 2021 by Modellbahn JP

[Modellbahn JP]

Usui Touge collection part 3(end)

 

 

Class 10000 Electric locomotive (it was the first one with Abt system)

 

The office of Kumanotaira signal station.

 

The sign of Usui pass(碓氷峠)

[Modellbahn JP]

JNR Series 58 and 28 DMU Collection part 1

 

Kiha 67 At Shimonoseki in 1979

 

Kiha 58 At Maiko in 1975

 

Kiha 58 At Yamashina in 1976

Edited September 20, 2021 by Modellbahn JP

[disturbman]

5 hours ago, Modellbahn JP said:

At Shimonoseki in 1979

What's the last car? It's a bit hard to see but I don't have the impression it is a KiHa 58, 28 or 65. A 55 maybe?

[Modellbahn JP]

@disturbman

Maybe, it was Kiha 65..