JR East To Retire E1系 Shinkansen By September 29 Timetable Revision

[200系]

I guess we can mark the 3rd Shinkansen series to be retired this year.

 

While hunting the internet for news on the remaining 200系 K Formations, I came across the following interesting/sad news:

 

On the 6th of July, JR East announced that they will retire the remaining E1系* Formations by the September 29 timetable revision.

The influx of 5 new E5系 formations will displace a similar number of E2系 J formations on Hayate services, which in turn will replace E4系 formations, removing the last E4系 formations (P1~P7) from the Tōhoku Shinkansen completely. These E4系 in turn, will be moved to the Jōetsu Shinkansen in order to retire the final E1系 formations.

 

The retirement of the E4系 from the Tōhoku Shinkansen will up the slowest train speed to at least 275km/h (270km/h for slower services?).

 

Links:

http://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2012/20120708.pdf

http://www.kitanet.ne.jp/~joyfact/shinkansensiryo-r.html

 

Personally I'm kinda sad to see the E1系 go. While they aren't the best looking Shinkansen around IMHO, they did usher in a new era for JR East, and helped to firmly distinguish their Shinkansen operations from JR Tōkai/West. I also expected them to have a bit longer before retirement, makes me glad I got to experience them up close before the end.

 

*M3~M6, M1 and M2 already having been scrapped last June (some footage of this can be found on youtube, don't recommend looking for it )

 

-Sander

[Guest ___]

My only regret is that whilst in Tokyo in 08, I didn't get any decent shots of the E1 in service. Aside fro mt ht the E1/E4 never did anything for me as so far as aesthetics go. Not that the E5/E6 are either for what it is worth. And don't get me started on the N700 either. I barely tolerate the 700-series and think the pinnacle of shinkasen designed peaked with the 500-series.

[keitaro]

i don't think i will get a chance to see the e1 next 2 months in japan i'll see what i can do maybe i can get some shots as i will be in tokyo for a bit.

[The_Ghan]

Well, fugg!  I arrive a week after retirement.

 

As I already have two complete Tomix E1 formations I wasn't planning on the inevitable "Goodbye" or "Thankyou" releases.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[keitaro]

pics of one being chopped up already :(

 

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/akihito3521/23197186.html

 

 

I wonder if they will even give the E1 a good by livery.

 

If it's this close to retirement they must be starting it soon?

[JR 500系]

Ouch ouch ouch... The screams of the E1 Max and my heart in sync... Such a pity...

[cteno4]

Ouch is right. But I guess everything eventually comes full circle.

 

I've debated modeling this sort of scene. While its a very Japanese scene, it's a painful one, but without it we would not have the evolution of the huge variety of Japanese trains we have and cherish in this hobby.

 

Jeff

[linkey]

I can see a model display of protestors near the fence line as a shinkansen is being scrapped while you would also have photographers taking shots as the shinkansen gets scrapped. I am not a real fan of the E1 but I do admire the involvement the E1 has done for JR East and how the E4 became a later version copy of the E1.

 

Yeah it is sad to see another shinkansen going to the scrap pile, wondering if they would save a leading unit to the museum as being the first Double decker E1 unit to run on the JR East Tohoku/Joetsu lines. By the time I go to Japan they might be scrapping the E2/E3's? :(

[Densha]

Why?? After the E1 is retired there's only shiny painted Shinkansen remaining. Now I can probably forget seeing or riding a pre-E2 series Shinkansen.

[Guest ___]

At te rate I'm going, they'll be scrapping the E5 by the time I make it back.

[JR 500系]

And by time i go to Japan again, they'll probably be running E10 and 900 series perhaps?

[bikkuri bahn]

At te rate I'm going, they'll be scrapping the E5 by the time I make it back.

 

Haha, indeed.  Anytime you see a train, station or equipment detail that's kinda old, better enjoy the moment, it may be gone the next year, especially in the Tokyo area. Kansai likes to keep their old stuff running longer, but I'm girding for the inevitable changes there too.  Recently there have been more features and books (a sure sign some rolling stock is endangered)  on the 103 series, so those will likely be history in 2 or 3 years.

[Sacto1985]

Haha, indeed.  Anytime you see a train, station or equipment detail that's kinda old, better enjoy the moment, it may be gone the next year, especially in the Tokyo area. Kansai likes to keep their old stuff running longer, but I'm girding for the inevitable changes there too.  Recently there have been more features and books (a sure sign some rolling stock is endangered)  on the 103 series, so those will likely be history in 2 or 3 years.

 

If I remember correctly, Tobu Railways' 8000-series trains built between 1963 and 1983 for Tobu routes northeast of Tokyo are still in service, though of course they've been rebuilt multiple times (I saw a very recent YouTube video of a Tobu 8000-series train on the Noda Line taken on May 26, 2012 and it still sounds good even now):

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeTti3ksV74

 

But getting back on topic, given the heavy wear and tear of trainsets in high-speed Shinkansen service--not to mention the impending arrival of the E6 series Shinkansen trainsets for Akita and possibly Yamagata Shinkansen route service, no wonder they're starting to phase out the E1 trainsets. It doesn't help the E1's cause that the top speed of the E1 trainset is only 240 km/h (149 mph), well below even the old 200 Series with its 275 km/h top speed on the Tohoku Shinkansen lines.

[200系]

Haha' date=' indeed.  Anytime you see a train, station or equipment detail that's kinda old, better enjoy the moment, it may be gone the next year, especially in the Tokyo area. Kansai likes to keep their old stuff running longer, but I'm girding for the inevitable changes there too.  Recently there have been more features and books (a sure sign some rolling stock is endangered)  on the 103 series, so those will likely be history in 2 or 3 years.[/quote']

 

Cannot agree more with this! I'm still kicking myself for failing to get up close to a 113系, when JR east was still running them around Chiba/Narita in 2011 (got to see them quite a few of them from the NEX, but still...).

 

In Shinkansen terms, get your E1系0番台, E3系0番台 and E4系 fill as long as you can, for JR West/Tōkai I'd keep an eye on the remaining 500系 V formations and early 700系 formations.

 

It doesn't help the E1's cause that the top speed of the E1 trainset is only 240 km/h (149 mph)' date='[/quote']

 

On Tōhoku Shinkansen absolutely, not so much for the Jōetsu Shinkansen where they are running now. They are after all replaced by E4系 formations with the same maximum speed. No they are replaced, as the press release mentions, because they are wearing out fast, and because they are less flexible then their E4系 sisters (12 cars vs 8) in operation.

 

well below even the old 200 Series with its 275 km/h top speed on the Tohoku Shinkansen lines.

 

Not true. Only four 200系 formations (F90~93) where modified by JR east in order to be able to run at 275km/h. They where used on the Jōetsu Shinkansen, and reached the 275km/h speed limit between Jomo-Kogen and Urasa in one direction only. The 275km/h capability was deactivated in 1999, with (ironically) the move of the entire E1系 to the Jōetsu Shinkansen.

With exception of the E and G formations (both consisting entirely of 200系0番台*), which had a maximum of "only" 210km/h, all other formations had a maximum speed of 240km/h.

So the remaining 200系 K formations are all capable of 240km/h max. Which is exactly the reason why they are spending their last months on the Jōetsu Shinkansen, as oposed to the Tōhoku

Shinkansen.

 

-Sander

 

* the 0番台 cars placed into F/H/K formations where all modified for 240km/h, F91 (one of the 275km/h formations) even consisted entirely of 0番台 cars (Former E23/24/26/29 and E31 formation cars)

[jappomania]

sigh!... :crybaby2:

E1 was my first Shinkansen in N scale more than 10 years ago...

 

ciao MAX!  (don't happen every day that you have a train with your name)

 

p.s. Ghan, I don't think this time we need to planning pre-order for a special Sayonara set, it's the smallest fleet and not so beloved like the rest of Shinkansen type (also 400 has been scrapped without particular special run/livery, only one sticker on the nose)

 

 

ciao

Massimo

[Densha]

It's kind of depressing, but it would be interesting to start a topic on (soon to be) scrapped trains? Or is there already one? Of course I don't have the knowledge, so any volunteers? ;)

[Guest ___]

At te rate I'm going, they'll be scrapping the E5 by the time I make it back.

 

Haha, indeed.  Anytime you see a train, station or equipment detail that's kinda old, better enjoy the moment, it may be gone the next year, especially in the Tokyo area. Kansai likes to keep their old stuff running longer, but I'm girding for the inevitable changes there too.  Recently there have been more features and books (a sure sign some rolling stock is endangered)  on the 103 series, so those will likely be history in 2 or 3 years.

 

So true. I remember when I REALLY got in to doing the serious photography and was trackside at Brunswick Md w/ a Nikon F4s and some monster glass back in 92 or 93. We had all these MARC trains in MARC silver F7's and some RDC's, with a few ex-BN E8's still in green. Lord forbid, CSX still ran GP30's (un-slugged) Half the fleet still wore Chessie or Seaboard System liveries. Even encountered  GP30 still in B&O. And lord knows how I cringed and wouldn't shoot them. Now if a new stealth gray C40-8 or better still a brand new YN3 wide cab came by,  I was all over that. Same goes for a new red-nosed M-K widecab, I'd hit that like a teen at a high-school kegger.

 

Today's a different story. I prefer to ignore the new shiny stuff and go for the old stuff that won't be around much longer.

[keitaro]

sigh!... :crybaby2:

E1 was my first Shinkansen in N scale more than 10 years ago...

 

ciao MAX!  (don't happen every day that you have a train with your name)

 

p.s. Ghan, I don't think this time we need to planning pre-order for a special Sayonara set, it's the smallest fleet and not so beloved like the rest of Shinkansen type (also 400 has been scrapped without particular special run/livery, only one sticker on the nose)

 

 

ciao

Massimo

 

wasn't that because the 400 was a fail!

[Densha]

wasn't that because the 400 was a fail!

Was it? Why?

[ToniBabelony]

Ah the E1... I'm not sure I've been on one, but if so, no memories of it. It could well have been a E4. It's too bad, since the design was a pretty solid one. Looked better than the E4, but still pretty boring to me (me who kind of likes boring design).

[cteno4]

I found both the E1 and E4 designs take on a lot more beauty and impressiveness when you see them in person. their size is impressive and when they move their mass is very flowing for being so large. The E4 really grows as its nose slowly comes in and the rest looms. they really make single decker shinkansens look tiny! double decker commuters here in the states dont have the lightness with the mass that the E1 and E4 have. ever since seeing them in person I really have loved them.

 

jeff

[disturbman]

What about the lightness of a TGV Duplex going at 320kph (or the one that broke the speed world record)? 

[cteno4]

Not seen the TGV in person, but its lines dont quite do it for me from pictures and models. feels a bit too much like a modern car design. something about the curves just are not quite there. this detail is what has impressed me so much about japanese trains in that they pay very, very subtle attention to all the little curves to get them just so. just my opinion.

 

jeff

[disturbman]

I know what you mean and I quite agree though I remember that the new design of the Duplex locs was quite impressive at first. But he didn't grew old very well and I think that SNCF's livery doesn't pay it compliment. Of all the double deckers, only the E4's design does something to me. And for the TGV, only the original or Atlantic design are and stayed a classic. But only in their orange or the new Thalys livery. The SNCF's regular blue-gray livery is a eye sore and I'm not sure the new one will be better.

[cteno4]

Yes i agree the original tgv was the best. you are right in that the livery and paint scheme can have a big effect in the final look with the physical design and is also something that can change a lot with scale and perspective.

 

When martjin and I were up at the PA rr museum and up close and personal with a gg1 it was amazing to see how carefully the pin striping was done on it to follow the curves just right. you can tell someone really paid attention to this little 1/2" pin stripe on this huge machine, but it made a world of difference in giving it such an elegant lines to make this monster feel sleek and elegant!

 

jeff