JNR Hamamatsu Works, Death Of the 0系0番台 (1976~1986)

[200系]

 

While searching Youtube for 0系 Shinkansen video's, I stumbled upon this recently uploaded clip taken at JNR (now JR Tōkai) Hamamatsu works.

A word of warning for those who love the 0系, contains depressing footage, I personally couldn't keep my eyes dry (I Know, I know) the music doesn't help either*.

 

And, as I don't like to start a topic without some extra background info,

 

When the Tōkaidō Shinkansen started operation in 1964, building train sets capable of continued high speed running was in it's infancy, and despite extensive testing nobody could predict the exact effect on the equipment.

In 1975 it became clear that the original 0系0番台 cars where beginning to show signs of considerable wear and tear. As the 0系 Shinkansen was the first JNR train to be pressure sealed, it's long term effect on the condition of the train wasn't known. Due to repeated pressure differences when entering and exiting tunnels, signs of metal fatigue where showing on the oldest formations. This also compromised the air tight compartments, which in turn would lead to the air leaking away. This in combination with other small failures, led to JNR's decision to retire the oldest Shinkansen cars.

As the original plan had be to retire the 0系 in favor of a new type of Shinkansen, and there wasn't any replacement at that point (although the 951形 and 961形 where being tested at that point, test findings, and further development would eventually be used on the 200系), A solution had to be found, which in the end resulted in the design and construction of the 0系1000番台 which carried a few important improvements over the 0番台, which would lead to a much longer service life (one car, 26-1030 had the longest service life of the series, 28 years).

 

With the decision to retire made, JNR was now faced with the decision about the fate of the retired cars. Re-gauging them and using them on the conventional network was out of the question, owing to the much larger loading gauge of the Shinkansen (apparently, it was really considered, quite amazing in retrospect), and continued use on the Shinkansen was no longer possible.

 

At JNR Hamamatsu works, A dismantling line was build in order to efficiently dismantle the surplus cars. After being tested with the 941形 (former class 1000形, or one of the Shinkansen prototypes) and 922形0番台 (the original Dr Yellow), it was placed into service in November 1976, just in time for the first Batch of 0番台 to be retired.

The line was equipped with automatically operated circular saws, which would separate the roof, sidewalls and floor for further processing. The facility could reduce a car to scrap in about 6 days.

 

These days, scrapping is done quite differently, and I'm not sure the 'factory line' even exists today. Judging from the quality of the footage, I guess it must have been taken in the 80's, likely the mid 80's I guess, which would indicate this where the last batches (batches 10~12, build between 1969~1972) to be replaced by the 0系2000番台. Fortunately, a few of remaining batches of 0系0番台 (batch 13~21, build between 1972~1976) would survive longer then their older brethren, many surviving up till the mid/late 90's (after life extension work though).

 

Anyway, this concludes this rather sad part of 0系 history, can't say I hope you people enjoy it, but I do hope it's at least of interest to the people here.

 

-Sander

 

*Which brings me to the music, does anyone know if this is a custom piece, of an if an existing piece was used, and if so, does anyone know which?

[miyakoji]

Wow, that's some really careful scrapping!  I've never seen this before.  Everything I've ever seen scrapped, including some 500 series cars, was done by hydraulic shears attached to an excavator.  Yes, it would have been tremendously interesting to see shinkansen rolling stock put on 1067mm trucks and used on conventional lines.  Thanks for the post!

[cteno4]

Thanks sander, great, but sad, video.

 

Jeff

[westfalen]

Liked it but sad to watch.

 

Typical Japanese things of the period though, even the scrapping line was tested beforehand to make sure it worked perfectly, look at how neat the cuts are, and the car they are scrapping is still so shiny you can see your relection in the paintwork.

[Davo Dentetsu]

Probably handier for the cut panels to be tested in as neat a way as possible to see where the improvements needed to be.

[200系]

Glad to know it is appreciated, I was struggling a bit whether to share this video, considering the content and the effect it had on me, but in the end I decided it might be an interesting (though not enjoyable) insight into a sad part of the history of the Shinkansen.

 

Everything I've ever seen scrapped' date=' including some 500 series cars, was done by hydraulic shears attached to an excavator.[/quote']

Probably handier for the cut panels to be tested in as neat a way as possible to see where the improvements needed to be.

 

I think we need to look at this from the perspective of the period' date=' as well as the scale of the operation.

When this dismantling line was placed into service in 1976, most trains where scrapped with a blowtorch, which is a very time consuming and labor intensive way to scrap a train.

Now this is no problem of course when you are talking about a few cars/locomotives etc, however I calculated the amount of 0番台 cars tagged for replacement by newer 1000番台 and eventually 2000番台 cars, which where batches 1~12:

 

-40 sixteen car formations

-47 twelve car formations

 

Which would amount to 87 formations, or 1204 cars to be retired over a 10 year period (1976 first 1000番台 delivery, 1986 last 2000番台 delivery).

Now taking the value of 6 days per car at face value (as shown in the clip, there seem to be more then 1 car being 'processed' at a single time), it would still take 19.8 years to dispose of these cars. So I think this was simply the most efficient way to handle so many cars.

 

It's worth to keep in mind that the 0系 is also the most numerous Shinkansen series ever build, and in turn the 0系0番台 was the most numerous of the 3 sub-types (22 of the total of 38 batches where of the 0番台, a total of 2288 cars (if my calculations are right) out of a total of 3216 cars). This in turn has the unfortunate side effect, that the 0系 is also the series with the biggest amount of cars scrapped.

 

Now, I feel depressed by my own topic

 

Yes' date=' it would have been tremendously interesting to see shinkansen rolling stock put on 1067mm trucks and used on conventional lines.[/quote']

 

Yes it certainly would have been, the large width of 0系 would've made it look extremely awkward on 1067mm gauge though .

 

I imagine a scene like this:

 

 

[JNR Mishima station 8/8/1976. Apart from the 25kv catenary, 1435mm track and car markers it looks much more like a 'standard' JNR platform

of that era then any of the other 'cookie-cutter' Shinkansen stations. picture courtesy of: http://www1.ttcn.ne.jp/tabiji/omoide.htm]

 

Typical Japanese things of the period though' date=' even the scrapping line was tested beforehand to make sure it worked perfectly[/quote']

 

certainly, looks relatively efficient and clean (for that time) too, in comparison to the rest of the world.

Still it's a sad thing to know that nothing of the 1000形 was spared this treatment, quite a bit of history was lost there.

 

Wow' date=' that's some really careful scrapping![/quote']

 

It certainly is, feels almost like a reverse assembly line. In fact when I came across this clip I didn't really have an idea what I was watching until the stripped down 21形/22形 was shown, otherwise I probably wouldn't have watched it in the first place.

 

Now to end on a more positive note,

 

In contrast to what happened with the 1000形 test train, JNR (fortunately) realized the importance of the first Shinkansen (when the first batches where scrapped they weren't even classified as 0系 yet), and a number of cars where preserved, of which ~13 are left today (some, unfortunately having been scrapped at a later date). Ironically one of them, 21形86番台 (part of batch 12, build in 1971) is preserved at the Hamamatsu maintenance facility, the place where she received her periodic maintenance and where her sisters went to die. The scrap line at Hamamatsu was also used to cut of the nose section of 21形25番台, which was placed in front of the Tōkyō transportation museum (now at the Saitama Railway Museum together with the fully restored 21形2番台 (the only 0系 ever owned by JR East IRCC).

 

Cheers!

[Davo Dentetsu]

There is a more positive note about all this however.  Had they just let the originals continue, they probably would have lost a lot of their positive reputation nationally and around the world.  So in a way, the scrapping and new 0 builds really did keep them on the train map.  We will never forget the 0 thanks to it's own successful longevity on the rails...