Free gauge train in Kumamoto

[bikkuri bahn]

Posted this on another forum, thought some here may be interested.  Testing within the confines of the Kumamoto General Rolling Stock Depot.  There will be an official press debut on the 19th of this month.

[Ronny]

What's "Free gauge train"?

[miyakoji]

What's "Free gauge train"?

The gauge of the wheels can change between 1067mm and 1435mm, so it can run on both the shinkansen lines and the conventional lines.

 

Bikkuri, are there any "gauge change connectors" installed anywhere yet?  Both the first and second generations ran (exclusively?) on the Yosan Line, and this train appears to be on 1435mm track.  They probably should test the gauge-change capability at some point :)

[kvp]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauge_Change_Train

[miyakoji]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauge_Change_Train

That answers the question about the gauge change connector.  Around Shin-Yatsushiro, apparently.

[Ronny]

https://maps.google.it/maps?q=Yatsushiro+Station,+Kumamoto,+Giappone&hl=it&ll=32.519519,130.635&spn=0.002782,0.00478&sll=45.140773,10.022599&sspn=0.037233,0.076475&oq=Yatsushiro&hnear=Yatsushiro+Station,+Kumamoto,+Giappone&t=h&z=18

[Ronny]

So it's an alternative at "mini-shinkansen". Change the gauge of the train ales instead of the gauge of the line. In Spain it's made from standard to broad gauge. The train is like a shorter version of an E6 but with variable axles.

[bikkuri bahn]

Short test run into and out of Kumamoto Station:

 

Article with many pictures of the exterior and interior:

http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2014/04/20/007/

Edited April 20, 2014 by bikkuri bahn

[cteno4]

Interesting. Feels a little beefy in the look.

 

Seems like a micro ace natch

 

Jeff

[JR 500系]

HHmmm.... kinda looked like a re-coloured E7...

[Densha]

It looks like an E7, with the cab windows of an E3, and somehow resembles the Alstom Pendolino as well: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETR_600

[kvp]

From the front, the paint looks very similar to the one used on DB TEE BR601 trains. The bogies seem like a bit overengineered compared to the spanish designs or to the previous japanese variant. It would be interesting to see the gauge changer tracks, because considering the mechanims on this train, they might be fully passive.

[Densha]

On the wikipedia page of Shin-Yatsuhiro station this is mentioned:

Currently, the spur line is not used by any regular service, but commencing in 2014 the Gauge Change Train is scheduled to undertake a ~600,000km, 3 year reliability trial between Kumomoto and Kagoshima-Chuo Station, including gauge changing on the spur line.

 

After some googling on Japanese google I also found these pictures of the gauge changing spur (or GCT as JR Kyushu calls them):

http://iwase-akihiko.hatenablog.com/entry/20090616/1245153746

http://deadsection.image.coocan.jp/dead_sec/shinyatsushiro/shinyatsushiro.htm (menu on the left is a bit strange, but just click on the arrows to navigate and then click on the images)

Edited April 20, 2014 by Densha

[Ronny]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HHwDK10MxSQ#t=60

[kvp]

Thank you! Now i understand how it works. If i'm right then the gauge changing track is fully passive, unlike the one used on the spanish system. This means they can put them anywhere and the trains can go through them by only slowing down. If this technology really works as intended, then maybe it could be used to allow running trains between the cape and the standard gauge commuter systems too.

[miyakoji]

If this technology really works as intended, then maybe it could be used to allow running trains between the cape and the standard gauge commuter systems too.

I was thinking something similar.  If this turns out to work well, I wonder how many conventional limited express services could be replaced with extensions of shinkansen services using this equipment.

[Densha]

I doubt this will ever see the light with commuter trains because I expect this system to be expensive. But indeed I also think it's intended to replace ltd. express trains. There's a chance the section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tsuruga and the Kansai area will also be done this way.

[Sacto1985]

I was thinking something similar.  If this turns out to work well, I wonder how many conventional limited express services could be replaced with extensions of shinkansen services using this equipment.

 

There's a one place where this equipment could be used--especially if they can also "tilt" the train on curves: Kokura to Miyazaki on the JR Kyushu Nippo Main Line. One other possibility is Kanazawa to Niigata, where a potential Hokuetsu limited express train runs on the Hokuriku Shinkansen tracks from Kanazawa to Naoetsu and on zairaisen Shin'etsu Main Line from Naoetsu to Nagaoka, then rejoin the Jōetsu Shinkansen line to Niigata itself

Edited April 20, 2014 by Sacto1985

[E6系]

It looks like an E7 with a decent color scheme.

 

I really like the coupling detail.

Edited April 22, 2014 by E6系