Tokaido Shinkansen 1989~1990 (0 Series focus)

[200系]

After the breakup of JR in 1987, operations on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen went trough a short period of substantial changes. For years the 0 Series (trough 3 different sub-types and innumerous batches) had dominated the western Shinkansen. The period between 1988 and ~1992 would change this however. Starting in late 1988, 100 series production would start in earnest, with the delivery, to JR Tokai, of 100 series formation G1 ,delivery of which which would continue next 3~4 years (G1~G50).1989 saw the delivery of the first 100 Series V formations ("Grand Hikari V1~V9) for JR west and in 1990 the first 300 series protoype would be delivered to JR tokai, production ofcourse would start in 1992 all the way down till 1997.

 

The influx of new equipement, and changes in operation during this transitional period, would result in a lot of changes for the remaining 0 series formations. Most obvious of this is that this period marks the start of the (slow) replacement cycle for the entire 0 Series (as opposed to the retirement of certain batches before). However this period would also mark, in my opinion, a seccond golden period for the 0 Series. You had the formation of new sets (JR West, R Formations), Life extension/upgrades across the sub-types (JRWest 3000/5000/7000 Sub-Types) as well as reformed formations (JR Tokai Y/YK Sets). Notable as well, is that even after the last 100 Series formation was delivered, the 0 Series formations remained the dominant Series on the western Shinkansen. It was only once the delivery of 300 Series formations reached sufficient numbers, that the number of 0 Series formations started to dwindle, untill they could be retired from the Tokaido Shinkansen in September 1999 (with a bit of help from the 500 Series of course).

 

Anyway, I thought I'd share a few Youtube clips, I've been sitting on for a while (shot by Youtube user NaoNakagawa) of the Tokaido Shinkansen in 1989 (focus is on the 0 Series).

 

But before I'd post these clips, I'd wanted to provide some context for the year they where shot in 1989 (or Heisei 1, if i'm not mistaken. As this was also the period Emperor Akihito took over after the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito )

 

In 1989 the 0 Series fleet consisted of the following formations:

 

Hikari: H  formations (Mixed 0/1000/2000 Sub-types)                         16 cars

         Nh formations (Mixed 0/1000/2000 Sub-types)                         16 cars

          N  formations (1000 Sub-Types)                                               16 cars

         Sk formations (Mixed 1000/2000/3000/5000/7000 Sub-types) 12 cars

 

Displacement: JR Tokai: ~47 formations

                      JR West: ~30 formations (N/Nh/H)

                      JR West:     3 formations (Sk 'West Hikari')

 

Kodama: S  formations* (0/1000/2000 Sub-types)                      12 cars

             Sk formations* (0/1000/2000 Sub-types)                      12 cars

              R formations**(0/1000/2000/5000 Sub-Types)             6 cars

 

Displacement: JR Tokai: ~41 formations (S/Sk)

                      JR West:  8 formations (R with type 37)

                      JR West:  13 formations (R without type 37)

                      JR West:  1 formation (R with type 35 (R24))

 

*JR Tokai S/Sk formations would be re-catogorized into Y/Yk formations in 1990, by which time they where also lenghtened to 16 cars.

** original R formations, the later ones (which retired in 2008) where reformed Sk formations (West Hikari).

 

Sub-Types (番台):

 

  0番台 : Original Sub-types, picture windows, emergency escape hatches on car side and original windscreen (side Windows type21/22)

1000番台: Seccond Sub-Types, build as a replacement for the earliest batches, as well as expansion for the fleet. Small side windows (630mm), emergency escape hatches and original cab-side window config.

2000番台: Final Sub-Types, build as replacements for the last of the original batches, build after the introduction of the 200 series Shinkansen. slightly larger side windows (720mm), 200 Series Style cab-Side windows (sliding) and the elimination of the emergency hatch on car sides.

 

3000/5000/7000番台: JR west life extension of Sub-Types 0/1000/2000番台 respectively.

 

 

 

I hope People enjoy this, Would have loved to make this write-up a bit more substantial (especially the Sub-type discription), but as it's after 2am at my place, it's time I guess it's time to put my keyboard down.

 

-Sander

 

I realized I forgot to include some production dates for the various sub-types.

 

0番台          1964-1970  12 car formations  (individual cars retired between 1978 and ~1986)

 

0番台          1970-1976  16 car formations + extra cars for the original 12 car formations  (retired between ~1990 and 1998 on the Tokaido Shinkansen, last JR West cars retired in 2000 (reserve set NH32 (type 36) and set Q2 (Type21/22)

 

1000番台    1976-1981  16 car formations and replacements for (individual) early 0番台 cars (retired between ~1990 and 1999 on the Tokaido Shinkansen, Last 1000番台 car retired in 2005 (R10 formation) Q3 formation however (full 1000番台) survived as an instruction formation up untill early 2009, and could (and did) move under it's own power up untill that date (which would make it the last 0 Series Shinkansen to move under it's own power).

 

2000番台   1981-1986   Replacement cars for older 0番台 batches. (retired between ~1990 and 1999 on the Tokaido Shinkansen, the last 2000番台 formations (the famous R formations) retired on 14-12-2008 as the final 0 Series in service.)

[miyakoji]

Great post, 200系.  I never really thought about how long they built 0 series variants, and how many there were.  English wiki says a total of 3216 cars were built.  The series was built for well over 20 years!

[The_Ghan]

Great post, 200系.  I never really thought about how long they built 0 series variants, and how many there were.  English wiki says a total of 3216 cars were built.  The series was built for well over 20 years!

 

Doing the math and assuming the "perfect mix" of cars, that equates to 201 consists !!! ... that's a lot of 0 series.

 

200系, thanks for telling this story.  It is probably available in Japanese texts but for those of us who can't read Japanese this kind of information is like gold.  My first shinkansen ride was a 0 series from Tokyo to Hiroshima in 1984.  I will never forget that day.  I could not believe the train was travelling at 200km/h and had to go to the dining car and check the display they had on the wall in those days.  I remember sneaking a look in a green car and seeing a handful of sumo, each taking up a double seat.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[bikkuri bahn]

Many rolling stock types enjoyed long production runs during the JNR era.  Perhaps pouring money into unprofitable rural lines, building the Joetsu Shinkansen, and labor troubles consumed too many resources to bother with new designs.

 

My first ride on the shinkansen must have been sometime in the late 70's (1979?).  Tokyo to Nagoya on the Hikari.  Back then, the shinkansen was otherworldly to a kid- something rarely, if ever ridden.  Railfans were recovering from the end of steam, and at that time, the "boom" was the Blue Train services.  IIRC, the numerous daytime ltd. expresses and their routes pre-Tohoku shinkansen, including the frequent, fixed interval "L tokkyu", captured the imagination of boys more than the shinkansen did.

[westfalen]

On my first trip to Japan in 1990 the 0's were still commonplace with the upstart 100's on the top Hikari runs (Nozomi?? never heard of it then and Japan railpass users could get on any train that came along) and were the mental image my mind had always conjured up of Japan's railways. I've since learned there is and was much, much more to Japanese railways but they were impressive to a first time visitor flashing past at track speed with the then copper pantograph shoes arcing in the evening light.

 

The 0 series had a long production run but I wonder what was the longest any car was in service, in 1990 there were already early examples in museums.

[200系]

Thanks everyone for the postive responses, great to know it was appreciated!

 

The 0 series had a long production run but I wonder what was the longest any car was in service' date=' in 1990 there were already early examples in museums.[/quote']

 

It's a bit murky, as individual cars tended to get around different formations during their lifetime. Then there is also the issue of the first batches of 0系0番台* having a shorter lifespan (due to the lack of data of continued high speed operations, those cars wore out faster) then the later batches.

 

In general the first batches (1964~1972) had a lifespan of only about 14 years, while the batches build between 1972~1976 (both the complete sets, and the extra cars build to extend the original 12 car sets to 16 cars) had a lifespan of between 20 and 24 years (the last 0番台 retired in 2000 at age 24). the 1000番台 and 2000番台 both had lifespan of between 15 and 24 years, with an average of about 20 years of service. The longest serving 0系 cars however, have reached a maximum 25 years (2 of the R formations had cars build in 1983 in them when they retired in december 2008), it has to be said though, that the final years of 0系 service on the Sanyo Shinkansen where much more benign then the grueling hauls they had on the Tokaido Shinkansen back when they where 16 cars long, so that possibly helped to extend their life as well. Same goes for the 200系 K sets.

 

Many rolling stock types enjoyed long production runs during the JNR era.  Perhaps pouring money into unprofitable rural lines' date=' building the Joetsu Shinkansen, and labor troubles consumed too many resources to bother with new designs.[/quote']

 

And to be fair, I think 0系 production would have ended with the last 1000番台 running of the production line, if the original 0番台 batches didn't wear down so fast. At the time of the 0系2000番台's introduction the 0系 was already obsolete, JNR had introduced the 200系 a few years prior which had a lot of improvements compared to the 0系 design (Aluminium boddy, more streamlined nose*, improved propulsion (thystor) more powerfull traction motors and build for higher speeds**) and while JNR did incorporate some of the 200系 inspired features (cab side windows, passenger windows and some interior changes) technology whise it was already an aged design. I do however love the 0系2000番台 as much as the rest of the 0系, but it always struck me as odd given the time period it was build.

 

Railfans were recovering from the end of steam, and at that time, the "boom" was the Blue Train services.  IIRC, the numerous daytime ltd. expresses and their routes pre-Tohoku shinkansen, including the frequent, fixed interval "L tokkyu", captured the imagination of boys more than the shinkansen did.

 

That's the image I always got as well, the majority of Japanese 0系 Images/Video etc are all taken from ~1988 and after, images taken before that period are usually either taken by a foreigner, or taken by the press. And to be fair, even if you enjoy the 0系 and it's diversity of sub-types, before the introduction of the 100系 the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen must have been pretty boring for a railfan.

 

 

* Even though their life was short, set H2 (of which type 21-2 is now at the Saitama Railway museum) retired in 1978 with 6,142,913.5 km on the counter!

** While at first look the 200系 looks to be an adaption of the 0系 design, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact only the nose cone and headlights are similar.

[The_Ghan]

It's topics like these that make JNS so worthwhile.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Martijn Meerts]

Gotta love the 0 series :)

[Kamiyacho]

But before I'd post these clips, I'd wanted to provide some context for the year they where shot in 1989 (or Heisei 1, if i'm not mistaken. As this was also the period Emperor Akihito took over after the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito )

 

I was living in Tokyo then and will never forget standing at the side of the road as the funeral procession came past.

[Densha]

That's some really interesting article, gotta save it up for an more extensive read some time.