JR East E651 renewal

[miyakoji]

This video was put up by tobu2181 a week ago, so I'm not sure if really qualifies as news, but none of you beat me to it . This is the former set K109 based at Katsuta, the first to be refurbished and renumbered as 1000 subseries; previously, all 651 series cars were 0 or 100 subseries. I assume that as it will be running on Akagi, Kusatsu, and Minakami services, some 185 series sets must be destined for Nagano Depot (that is, the scrap line). :( I haven't read how many E651 sets will be refurbished.

 

 

Original set K104 on test run north of Tokyo:

 

[Sacto1985]

Alas, the 185's are heading towards retirement and scrapping because they were built in the early 1980's and are physically starting to get old. Expect a bunch of 185's to be retired over the next several years.

[Kabutoni]

Despite the minor changes to the outside, that little red stripe under the windows looks really swanky.

[yakumo381]

Alas, the 185's are heading towards retirement and scrapping because they were built in the early 1980's and are physically starting to get old. Expect a bunch of 185's to be retired over the next several years.

 

They are already on the dismantling line - see this blog:

 

http://ameblo.jp/numaevo/entry-11635017218.html

[miyakoji]

Set K107, refurbished and on its way to Omiya.  One interesting bit in this news item pertains to the AC/DC functionality, apparently it's been locked out or otherwise disabled.  Although rolling stock numbered 600 would usually be dual-voltage, these are now effectively DC-only cars.

 

http://railf.jp/news/2013/11/14/180000.html

[nartak]

This is the photo I took at Omiya railyard, near Higashi-Omiya station about 2 weeks ago...

Sorry, it is too dark but you can see the yellow-orange colored line under the window.

 

 

[Densha]

It looks way better than the new livery of the E653. The E651 renewal livery looks much more simplistic and I like that.

[JR 500系]

It looks way better than the new livery of the E653. The E651 renewal livery looks much more simplistic and I like that.

 

Yap me think so too... The E651 has a much simple AND nicer look as compared with the E653... The front LED screen is just beautiful~~