JR Freight - what pulls what?

[Claude_Dreyfus]

I am currently deep in my research for our N Gauge layout project and one area has me a little confused. When it comes to freight operations - from about 1996 onwards - is there a rough 'rule of thumb' on which types of locomotives haul which type of freight?

 

For example:

 

Over the last 5 or so years freight operations have become so standardised in the UK that pretty much one class of locomotive - class 66 - can be found on all types of services (our main operator has a choice of 4 main line types, the other three number about 35 currently in service). Okay, so the colours vary depending on the operators, by the design is the same. These range from fast container services to heavy iron-ore trains. This standardisation means that it is by no means unusual for a 3,300 hp diesel locomotive to be hauling two or three wagons.

 

Anyway, I ramble....

 

A lot of Japanese freight looks to be containerised, and to this end I have an EF65, EF66, EF200 and EF510 for these, with an EH200 for a block oil train currently being put together. Others I am after are the EF210, and EF66-100, a couple of freight EF81s and perhaps another EF65. The question is are any of these regularly used on shorter trains, such as trip working.

 

UK and Japanese working I guess are very similar in both being mainly orientated towards bulk traffic. Would a shorter trip of say two or three wagons be hauled by say an EF81? Do certain locomotives 'never' stray from heavy block trains, therefore the sight of an EF200 hauling three wagons would be ridiculous?

 

I have pinched the following link from a post from about six months ago, which provides ample photographic evidence. Does anyone know if the traction for the shorter electric hauled trains the norm?

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/83879342@N00/

 

I do have a DVD featuring short-haul goods trains, in the hands of the ED62, so that's a start I suppose, however I understand they were fairly limited in their sphere of operation in their latter days.

[CaptOblivious]

That's an excellent question, Claude.

 

Locomotives, in Japan, are often designed for (and hence tied to) specific lines., that is locomotives are designed for terrain, not (usually) for particular kinds of freight or freight services.

 

For example, the EF64 is specifically designed for the mountainous grades of the Chuo line, whereas the EF65 is designed for cold weather and high efficiency in traversing the rather flat and often snowy Tohoku region.  The EH500 was designed as a replacement for the EF65/ED75/ED79 locomotives on the Tohoku Line (all three have to be used to haul from Tokyo to Hakodate!) Likewise, the EF200/EF210 was designed as the replacement for the EF66, both used almost exclusively on the Tokkaido line. The EF510, likewise is for the Joban Line, and the EH200 replaced EF64s on the Chuo line. So these locomotives will be tied to whatever freight is hauled on their lines.

 

So, for each locomotive, I would recommend focusing your research on determining what kind of freight (aside from containers, which are pretty universal) is hauled on each line. Then you'll have an answer to your question.

 

Just to take an example, consider the Tohoku line just north of Tokyo. The Tohoku line is a) flat b) cold and c) divided into two electrical regions (DC south of Kuroiso, AC north). Moreover, most locomotives are not allowed to pass through the Seikan tunnel connecting northing Honshu with Hokkaido (anyone know why?) except for the specialized ED79. So what locomotives might you see? Some JRF EF66's use this line, but mostly you will see the EF65-1000, EF81, and EH500 locomotives south of Kuroiso, and EF81, EH500, and ED75 north of Kuroiso. (The EF66 is a rare sight, being designed for the Tokkaido line, but I've seen photos of them at the Kuroiso dead zone.)

 

What sort of freight might you see? Certainly container cars, but also gasoline unit trains (there is a major refinery near Sendai) and grain trains (for Kirin's brewery in Sendai), for example. So, you could reasonably model any combination of those!

[Fenway Park]

The ED62s were specially adapted for the Iida Line to replace ED18 and ED19s. They were rebuilt from ED61s with a centre axle for weight distribution. The freight trains on this line were short.

 

JR Freight today is made up of block trains mainly containers. The EF64s on the Chuo Line used to haul ballast trains from a quarry if my memory is correct. There was an article in Japan Railfan. So you could use the Tomix bogie hoppers in a short working. Best of luck fitting all the detail parts.

 

There is or was a working using the blue Wamu 38000 vans on and off the Gakunen Line for paper traffic. The Gakunen line used their own electric locos and exchanged with JR. Another excuse for a trip working.

 

There are block workings of cement wagons and modern coal hoppers to and from the Chichibu Railway. Kawai make the bogie hoppers. 

[disturbman]

the EF65 is designed for cold weather and high efficiency in traversing the rather flat and often snowy Tohoku region. 

 

I know for sure that some of them, not the -1000 type, are used on Shikoku to pull freight train.

 

See here: http://ch06152.kitaguni.tv/d2009-04.html

[CaptOblivious]

Claude,

 

You might find the JR Rolling Stock Guide very handy:

http://homepage3.nifty.com/canada/index~en.html