Hello, testing, testing, one, two...

[Nick_Burman]

 

 

 

It seems that JRF is testing a new limestone hopper...probably fitted with high-speed trucks. If this is true then it is good news as it is one flow which won't go under or be turned to containers...

 

Intersting that for testing purposes JRF does just like model railroaders...back and forth, back and forth...

 

Cheers NB

[bikkuri bahn]

The bogies are the TR213E type.  The housings cover a damper in addition to the coil spring. The hoki 2000-1 and the bogies are Nippon Sharyo products.

 

[The_Ghan]

That limestone's gonna really enjoy the ride ... all the way to the crushing plant ... 

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[yakumo381]

I photographed this new hoki 2000-1 in a siding at Inazawa last month (8 June).

 

The wheels do not have the yellow paint as in the last video so they may be trying out different tyres as well.

[The_Ghan]

Nick,

 

I didn't even watch video 3 until you brought the subject up.  I think its a different hopper.  There are additional white paint details above the bogie.  Unfortunately, when you zoom out the catenery guard on the bridge blocks out the running number.

 

That is one very carefully engineered bogie.  Very lightweight for a limestone hopper, I think.

 

Notice that the axle on the yellow wheel has been sealed?  I wonder if they are experimenting with ways of reducing maintenance there.

 

I notice also that the yellow wheel has a hole drilled.  When I zoom in to a frame around the 8" mark and adjust the contrast I can make out the sleeper through the aperture.  On a more technical note, I just showed this video to a structural engineer who happens to be in my office ... he seems to think they might be testing out a different grade of steel or different annealing process and expects that they will run the thing around for weeks and then compare the wear on the wheels.  He also totally discards my suggestion about the sealed axle, believing the seal is temporary protection while other elements of the wheel are explored and tested.

 

Separate question: why are those sleepers so far apart?  It looks to me like every second one is missing.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Nick_Burman]

Nick,

 

I didn't even watch video 3 until you brought the subject up.  I think its a different hopper.  There are additional white paint details above the bogie.  Unfortunately, when you zoom out the catenery guard on the bridge blocks out the running number.

 

That is one very carefully engineered bogie.  Very lightweight for a limestone hopper, I think.

 

Notice that the axle on the yellow wheel has been sealed?  I wonder if they are experimenting with ways of reducing maintenance there.

 

I notice also that the yellow wheel has a hole drilled.  When I zoom in to a frame around the 8" mark and adjust the contrast I can make out the sleeper through the aperture.  On a more technical note, I just showed this video to a structural engineer who happens to be in my office ... he seems to think they might be testing out a different grade of steel or different annealing process and expects that they will run the thing around for weeks and then compare the wear on the wheels.  He also totally discards my suggestion about the sealed axle, believing the seal is temporary protection while other elements of the wheel are explored and tested.

 

Separate question: why are those sleepers so far apart?  It looks to me like every second one is missing.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

 

 

Ghan,

 

I think this is an instrumented wheelset. The wheels have strain gauges and transponders fitted which are wired (somehow) to the recording car coupled behind. This way the test engineers can keep track of the dynamic behaviour of the wheel while in motion.

 

Cheers NB

[miyakoji]

Ghan,

 

I think this is an instrumented wheelset. The wheels have strain gauges and transponders fitted which are wired (somehow) to the recording car coupled behind. This way the test engineers can keep track of the dynamic behaviour of the wheel while in motion.

 

Cheers NB

Yeah, that's what it is.  Fairly recently I think we've seen it on Tokyo-area shitetsu rolling stock when testing some new interlining operations.  I think it was Tokyu 5000 series...

[The_Ghan]

Very cool .... do they test loaded / unloaded?

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Guest JRF-1935]

 

 

 

It seems that JRF is testing a new limestone hopper...probably fitted with high-speed trucks. If this is true then it is good news as it is one flow which won't go under or be turned to containers...

 

Intersting that for testing purposes JRF does just like model railroaders...back and forth, back and forth...

 

Cheers NB

Great Vids Nick - Thanks!  Don't know much about how the Japanese test their trucks, but is there a possibility that due to the different location in the train consist that they may be testing braking capabilities also?

Rich C

[Nick_Burman]

Ghan,

 

I think this is an instrumented wheelset. The wheels have strain gauges and transponders fitted which are wired (somehow) to the recording car coupled behind. This way the test engineers can keep track of the dynamic behaviour of the wheel while in motion.

 

Cheers NB

Yeah, that's what it is.  Fairly recently I think we've seen it on Tokyo-area shitetsu rolling stock when testing some new interlining operations.  I think it was Tokyu 5000 series...

 

Indeed, Tokyu used instrumented wheelsets to check train behaviour for the future Tokyu - Fukutoshin Line - Tobu through running. Tokyo Metro requires this procedure on all through running rolling stock after a nasty derailment a few years ago due to a misbehaving wheelset. The funny thing is that on the Tokyu trials spoked wheelsets were used - can you imagine spoked (and painted yellow) wheelsets under a 21st century MU set? There were some pictures of the trainset employed on the trials some time ago on Skyscrapercity.

 

Cheers NB

[miyakoji]

Off-topic relative to these hopper cars, but here's the Tokyu 5050 series 4000 subseries being tested on Tobu's Tojo Line.

 

http://railf.jp/news/2012/07/05/093000.html

 

If I see some images showing the special wheelset, I'll post.

[Nick_Burman]

Great Vids Nick - Thanks!  Don't know much about how the Japanese test their trucks, but is there a possibility that due to the different location in the train consist that they may be testing braking capabilities also?

Rich C

 

 

Rich, more likely they are testing the behaviour of the car in different positions on the train. A car or coach will behave in different ways according to its position on a train and this must be verified before the equipment is released for service. A good example of such differential behaviour can be found on the OBB's (Austrian Railways) "Rolling Highway" (Rollende Landstrasse or RoLa) intermodal cars - when running partly loaded a RoLa train always has two or three highway trucks loaded onto the tail cars to stop any tendency of the train from "whip lashing" round curves. The cars up front don't exhibit this tendency (more so when loaded), being close to the locomotive and getting most of the tractive effort from it.

 

Cheers NB

[Guest JRF-1935]

Great Vids Nick - Thanks!  Don't know much about how the Japanese test their trucks, but is there a possibility that due to the different location in the train consist that they may be testing braking capabilities also?

Rich C

 

 

Rich, more likely they are testing the behaviour of the car in different positions on the train. A car or coach will behave in different ways according to its position on a train and this must be verified before the equipment is released for service. A good example of such differential behaviour can be found on the OBB's (Austrian Railways) "Rolling Highway" (Rollende Landstrasse or RoLa) intermodal cars - when running partly loaded a RoLa train always has two or three highway trucks loaded onto the tail cars to stop any tendency of the train from "whip lashing" round curves. The cars up front don't exhibit this tendency (more so when loaded), being close to the locomotive and getting most of the tractive effort from it.

 

Cheers NB

Thanks Nick

Great Info !

Rich C