Vintage gem: Kiha 80 (Hatsukari type) documentary- 1960

[bikkuri bahn]

Excellent little (full color!) documentary on the development of JNR's first DMU ltd. express type. Pt 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnQCACRYt18&feature=related

 

Part One sets the stage, with emus replacing steam on the main lines and diesel locomotives on non-electrified routes, while with local routes, an explanation of the problems of mechanical gear transmission on early diesel railcars, experiments with electric motor final drives, and finally the solution in the hydraulic torque converter transmission- with an excellent explanation of how it works.  

 

Pt 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FLy0X5dhb0&feature=related

 

Part Two explains the adoption of reliable torque converter 'missions leads to the use of DMUs on semi-express and express services.  Use of standardized parts on engines (DMH17 type) and transmissions simplifies maintenance, as well as focuses development of versions suitable for long distance services. Focus is then on the development of the kiha 80 type, with knowhow from building the 151 series EMU applied. Interesting factory scenes- including the one with double pane glass fitting where you can see a Eidan 500 type (Marunouchi Line) on a neighboring track.  Finally many shots of the kiha 80 trainset in operation on the Hatsukari service between Ueno and Aomori, as well as interior appointments. The JNR limited express colors are just beautiful when on a spotless new trainset.

 

*Just full of atmosphere, especially enjoyable are the station scenes out on the line, often with a steam-hauled train on a siding, and you can see the track layout of a typical small town station in the countryside.

 

*Another point- obviously a PR type film, so full of optimism, but in reality, like all new train types, the kiha 80 had many teething troubles, with the Hatsukari service early on being crowned with monikers like Hatsukari ni gakkari (disappointed in Hatsukari), Hatsukari okurete bakkari (Hatsukari always late), and Hatsukari koshoushite bakkari (Hatsukari always breaking down).

[Martijn Meerts]

I wish there were still regular trains like these. Unfortunately it's all about the speed and getting somewhere fast (which of course has its advantages as well at times ;))

 

Now I feel like finding prices for the Orient Express again =)

[Jes]

One of the highlights of 20th century train design! I really enjoyed this film, thanks!

[bikkuri bahn]

One of the highlights of 20th century train design! I really enjoyed this film, thanks!

 

Yes, the kiha 80 type, along with the 151 series, were symbols of the new JNR, and along with the Series 0 Shinkansen, symbols of a modernized Japan that emerged from total destruction only 15 years previously.  The kiha 80 was displayed at an international railway conference (Asia Railways Conference) which was held in Japan in 1960:

http://rail.hobidas.com/blog/natori09/archives/2007/06/post-553.html

 

Here are some more pamphlet shots from the conference, click for close-ups.  Note also the picture of the kumoya 22001, which predates the super rail cargo M250 by a considerable number of years:

http://rail.hobidas.com/blog/natori09/archives/2007/06/post-554.html

[cteno4]

Bikkuri bahn,

 

thanks very much for posting, quite nice atmostphere! the 151 has such a wonderful period design, when folks used french curves to design things! nice to have a clean and simple documentary that looks at the story and images, not thing flying all over in cgi.

 

wish it had subtitles! nice thing about youtube now is you cant do time synched digital subtitles, much easier than laying them in the old way!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[miyakoji]

great find, bikkuri.  Also out there is "An Engineer's Assistant," which was a JNR promotional video.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5fZMxR-Tf0

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5x6jqruI4Q

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gtu7s6hYHs

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul66c64UNOY

[westfalen]

Bikkuri bahn,

 

thanks very much for posting, quite nice atmostphere! the 151 has such a wonderful period design, when folks used french curves to design things! nice to have a clean and simple documentary that looks at the story and images, not thing flying all over in cgi.

 

wish it had subtitles! nice thing about youtube now is you cant do time synched digital subtitles, much easier than laying them in the old way!

 

cheers

 

jeff

I thought it odd that the film's titles and captions on drawings were English, I wonder if it was made for foreign screening and a version with English narration is lurking forgotten in some dusty film vault somewhere.

[cteno4]

It did have the History channel icon (H} in the corner that made me curious as well that it once might have had an english track with the english screen titles like you say.

 

cheers

 

jeff

Bikkuri bahn,

 

thanks very much for posting, quite nice atmostphere! the 151 has such a wonderful period design, when folks used french curves to design things! nice to have a clean and simple documentary that looks at the story and images, not thing flying all over in cgi.

 

wish it had subtitles! nice thing about youtube now is you cant do time synched digital subtitles, much easier than laying them in the old way!

 

cheers

 

jeff

I thought it odd that the film's titles and captions on drawings were English, I wonder if it was made for foreign screening and a version with English narration is lurking forgotten in some dusty film vault somewhere.

[Kabutoni]

It did have the History channel icon (H} in the corner that made me curious as well that it once might have had an english track with the english screen titles like you say.

 

I don't think that has anything to do with it. The History Channel was probably not around back then in Japan. Maybe it was for preparing to export the product abroad.

[cteno4]

I don't think that has anything to do with it. The History Channel was probably not around back then in Japan. Maybe it was for preparing to export the product abroad.

 

no it was not around when it was produced, but they have recycled content, especially when they were staring out. they also did some ed content as well for a while when everyone thought there would be education cable tv in the schools all the time, that went over like a lead balloon!

 

wondered if maybe they did translate to try to export to a western channel at one point.

 

jeff

[bikkuri bahn]

Yes, I wondered about that "H" logo too.  It is totally within the realm of possibility that an English narration version exists.  JNR produced an English language brochure for the kiha 80 (a vintage copy is currently listed on Yahoo auctions, at a starting bid of 8000 yen- ouch!), as well as the 20 series sleepers used on the Asakaze services.  I think JNR was really trying to promote its modernization at the time, and one of the things it did was to provide information in English, perhaps more as an appeal to domestic (look! kokutetsu has become international!) rather than international audiences.  Whether the promotion worked or not is not an issue, as the real accomplishments stand out- only 4 years later Japan had the first dedicated high speed rail system in the world in operation.

 

nice to have a clean and simple documentary that looks at the story and images, not thing flying all over in cgi.

 

Yes, I love these documentaries from the fifties/early sixties era- same goes for U.S. educational documentaries- some people mock them for being too posed or even camp by modern standards or sensibilities, but I find their earnestness and unadorned nature refreshing in this age of bling bling shallowness and affected cynicism.  I also like how they don't dumb down the content and actually explain mechanisms- is it no wonder more children back then held an interest in science and engineering than now?  I have to admit I have an element of nostalgia in liking these documentaries- back as an elementary school student in the seventies, my teachers would often show these films on the days before holidays began- it also helped that lots of the films had shots of 1950's diesel streamliners, fire engines, Mack trucks, and early jets- wonderful stuff for a boy like me.

[cteno4]

You hit the nail on the head, the last decade or so has been a real decline in the amount of content and willingness to not treat the viewer as an ADD idiot that has to have cgi every 3 seconds or they will twitch and change channels... i cry when scripts show up for PBS stuff these days, its pathetic how little content is in them and it has to be all about some artificial drama put into the documentary like having the scientists get into a fist fight or solve a murder mystery and they think this is a story!

 

its a downward spiral. its the worst with kids programming these days as execs who make these decisions have the idea that kids require consistent and immense levels of stimulation in these programs and content is not stimulating! I have this discussion/argument with them all the time, basically they by producing only this kind of content it makes it the norm that this is what is right and good. so sad to watch happen...

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Bernard]

Wow, talk about timing and content in film making! I just finished 3 different documentaries and only one I was pleased with.....why did I like only one, because that was the one that led the viewer to think for themselves and discover new ideas. I was taught a long time ago to treat the audience as intelligent especially in the case of documentaries, keeping in mind that the ultimate result would have a viewer react with, "Gee, I didn't know that...I want to learn more."

[brill27mcb]

One of the highlights of 20th century train design! I really enjoyed this film, thanks!

 

Yes, the kiha 80 type, along with the 151 series, were symbols of the new JNR, and along with the Series 0 Shinkansen, symbols of a modernized Japan that emerged from total destruction only 15 years previously...

Here's a link to our N-gauge Kato 151-series video. Since this forum software seems to only allow an embedded Youtube video and not a plain URL link to Youtube, I have copied the video's accompanying text below -- an interesting train!

 

 

The Japanese National Railway Series 151 "Kodama" ran as a limited express on the narrow-gauge Tokaido main line between Tokyo and Osaka from 1958 to 1964. With its futuristic 1950s styling, it represented the ultimate definition of high-speed trains in Japan, until the standard-gauge Shinkansen "bullet train" line was built and opened for service in 1964. A special Series 151 train set the Japanese and world narrow-gauge high speed record of 163 km/h (101 mph) on July 31, 1959. The model is a Kato N-gauge 10-530 + 10-531 12-car train. The real Series 151 train could split into 8 and 4 car sets, with each set having an engineer's cab (with windshield) where they coupled together. The model, shown on an East Penn Traction Club improv layout of N-scale trolley, mainline and viaduct line, couples the two sets together in the yard and then makes some spirited run-bys. The EPTC N group operates model trolleys and trains from around the world.

 

Rich K.

[cteno4]

Wow, talk about timing and content in film making! I just finished 3 different documentaries and only one I was pleased with.....why did I like only one, because that was the one that led the viewer to think for themselves and discover new ideas. I was taught a long time ago to treat the audience as intelligent especially in the case of documentaries, keeping in mind that the ultimate result would have a viewer react with, "Gee, I didn't know that...I want to learn more."

 

That type of thinking is really old school these days! now you treat the audience like they have no brain, no ability to think on their own, or that they will want to know more, and the attention span of a gnat (well maybe thats being mean to a gnat). Curiosity is the best thing to tap into with the audience but now they think the audience has none. hence look at our tv programming across the board. either 'reality' or contests or sensational or totally brainless. 'smart' shows are definitely out and unfortunately the main education players like pbs and nat geo (well fox in nat geo fur that is) is leading the way. its shameful with discovery and history type channels can come up with some decent educational programming now and then on the slim budgets they have and the demand for sensationalism their marketing folks are screaming for.

 

i just turned down a job for the web side of a documentary from an old client as i knew the doc would be devoid of content and the website was to be all social networking and when i asked about content on the website (hey what is the www for but if to go find more content on a subject of the doc you just saw!!!) i got silence...

 

educational multimedia actually grew out of documentaries in the 80s. the first were laserdiscs that were assembled with the background content docs (the sort of reference book that is written on a doc subject before the script for the storyboards and script to draw from) along with all the 90% of the footage that is good but ends up on the cutting room floor as it was too detailed for the main show, side stories, etc. this stuff is perfect to create the addon to a doc as the doc would get folks curious then they could explore deeper where they wanted into the other materials. worked wonderfully in schools and such and would have worked well in the home with the web when it eventually came along. but then it slowly morphed into the addon doc content being a game and a few curriculum pieces w/o much, if any support, maybe some links to various content elements elsewhere (but little segway and often not the right vane), and a game, you have to have a game! now its down to just some social networking as if you cause gets into face book then poof you can show 40,000 cause members, but they are not any more informed and you cant (usually) get this group to do anything other than put a 'right on' onto your wall...

 

ok i have digressed enough here!