M250 Super Rail Cargo - Loading/Unloading?

[The Next Station Is...]

Hello everyone - I have a request!

 

I'm looking to make a diorama piece for my M250 Super Rail Cargo and have been looking for references. Unfortunately, whilst I've found photos of the M250 in yards and other freight trains being loaded/unloaded, I haven't found any photos or video of the M250 itself being loaded/unloaded.

 

If anybody knows of or has any good photos/video then I'd be really grateful if you could link me to them or post them!

[kvp]

About a year ago i've found a few poor quality photos on the net where it was loaded with a container loder.

the page: http://rail.hobidas.com/blog/natori09/archives/2005/07/502309.html

it looks similar to this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iD6w31cvW0

(afaik both of its yards have only these container loaders for loading/unloading)

[cteno4]

There was a site way back that had something of pictures and an artists conception of the eventual system, but cant find that link now. it was set up to be a very rapid affair, with incoming containers going off to one side and being replaced directly after with the outbound containers(i think by multiple fork lifts). train then leaves very quickly for another run and containers are dealt with on the platforms at that point. Idea was for this to be a very rapid shuttle container train that stayed in configuration and had minimal time in the container yard fiddling with things.

 

jeff

[The Next Station Is...]

Thanks very much for the replies - it's fascinating seeing the unloading process in action, that's definitely what I'd like to capture in part in my planned diorama.

 

I'm glad to see the type of 'top lifters' used; I've now tracked down the appropriate model on Hobby Search - http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10182087

 

I'm also planning on using the Sagawara truck from the Tomytec Truck Collection 4 in the scene.

 

Of course, these will be a little hard to find so I've added them to my ever-growing wish list for my next visit to Japan!

[bikkuri bahn]

At Ajikawaguchi Freight Terminal (the Osaka terminus for the Super Rail Cargo service):

[stevenh]

Here's a shot from the level crossing near Ajikawaguchi

http://modelrail.otenko.com/photo-album?itemid=5651

 

...I can't actually embed it as this forum thinks I'm not allowed to.

[Sacto1985]

Speaking of which, are there any plans to run the M250 trainset on runs besides just between Tokyo and Osaka? I think they could run as far west as Hakata if the clearances in the Kanmon Tunnel allow it.

[Nick_Burman]

Speaking of which, are there any plans to run the M250 trainset on runs besides just between Tokyo and Osaka? I think they could run as far west as Hakata if the clearances in the Kanmon Tunnel allow it.

 

As far as common knowledge goes, no. The M250 might be a JRF project but it was essentially financed by Sagawa (logistics company - that's why you'll only see Sagawa containers on it) for the Tokyo - Osaka corridor, so it will stay there.

 

Cheers NB

[The Next Station Is...]

Bikkuri and Stevenh - thank you very much for your replies, the video and photo will be really helpful! I'm amazed at how quickly that container could be loaded and unloaded.

 

I have noticed the unusual double track, single post catenary - a quick trawl of Hobby Search hasn't returned anything similar so I guess I'll just have to compromise.

 

 

With regard to the future of the M250 - it was brought into service for a very specific purpose and despite it being 10 years since it's introduction, it's (probably) Japan's only freight EMU and still on the same route which possibly means that it's destiny is quite limited. I'd be interested to see any reports or information on why the freight EMU concept has had such limited application.

[kvp]

 

 I'd be interested to see any reports or information on why the freight EMU concept has had such limited application.

Freight emu-s are good when you need high acceleration to keep up with passanger traffic or when the dynamic load on the rails from a single locomotive would be too high. The M250 has 4 motor units, that's 8 bogies with 16 axles in a fixed set. A classical bo-bo+bo-bo freight locomotive has 2 motor units with 4 bogies and 8 axles. When you need more, you can couple two locomotives together to get the same or even more power than the M250 has. Locomotives with a variable length train are more flexible when the amount of cargo is not constant. For unit trains with constant car numbers and low speeds, the locomotive pulled version is cheaper since cheap freight cars can be used. The M250 is good when you want to move together with passanger trains and have a constant load. The sagawa containers are a constant load, since they have to be moved back and forth even when they are almost empty. (because container pairs belong to different centers so they can't mix and split the packages during loading/unloading and there is no time for it either) This is a very rare use case and allows a very rare train to be used. But it can be replaced anytime with two connected 8 axle locomotives on each end and a rake of high speed flatcars between them. The added cargo capacity of the 4 motor units is not really worth that much.

 

Another good use case for cargo emus is the previous concept tested in the 1960s. JNR modified two old passanger emu cars to carry containers. This had the added benefit that the longer the train got, the more power it had and since each unit had a cab, it could be split at any 2 car boundary. However the concept never really got anywhere beyond the two test wehicles, because maintaining an emu is not worth it if high speed and high acceleration is not required and freight trains rarely need that, because most freight can wait a little longer. Since Sagawa is in the fast freight business, they had a good business case for a cargo emu. The fact, that it never went beyond the initial route may mean that there is no real need for a service like this outside the current Tokyo-Osaka route.

 

On the other hand, lately i've seen a few JRF videos with Bo-Bo+Bo-Bo++Bo-Bo+Bo-Bo power, pulling container trains at high speed.

 

A bit off topic, but in europe there is a freight emu initiative. There are two concepts. One of them uses the French la poste tgv emu with small air cargo containers to link major airports within Europe (and south England around the hs1). The other uses standard containers with an on board container loader to serve low traffic stations by running on mostly high speed passanger and even suburban lines. This is very similar to the original 1960ies japanese concept where carrying a forklift onboard to load domestic containers was also possible.

[stevenh]

There's one here in Australia: DB's Cargo Sprinter: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CargoSprinter

[katoftw]

I have noticed the unusual double track, single post catenary - a quick trawl of Hobby Search hasn't returned anything similar so I guess I'll just have to compromise.

Pretty common for any EMU freight yard with 2 lines.

 

I just put the catenary poles bases for both lines in the middle between the lines, so both catenary poles are facing outwards.

 

Normally they'd be on the outside facing inwards.  Doing it the opposite allows the lift operator more space and safety to not hit the catenary poles.

Edited March 19, 2014 by katoftw

[cteno4]

There was also an extra efficiency in distributing the traction units at the speeds used so better economy, if memory serves me right.

 

Jeff