Hokuetsu Express 681 and 683 on Tokaido Line

[EF65 1100]

The signature crimson coloured 681-2000 and 683-8000 that once belonged to Hokuetsu Express were seen in the Tokaido area, on Shirasagi.

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_PWyEMe7P0

 

I will miss them for sure...

Edited April 10, 2015 by EF65 1100

[bikkuri bahn]

The second and third videos are interesting in that they are non-revenue runs for the purpose of turning the trainsets using the Hoppou Freight Line in Osaka, to get the green car on the front for trains bound for Kanazawa (they previously had the green car on the front end in the Osaka direction). 

[HantuBlauLOL]

Snow rabbits, I've seen some of them back then in 2007.. Are those trains going to be retired?

[Sacto1985]

I don't think the 681 and 683 trainsets will be retired at least for ten years. Remember, the route of Thunderbird (now Osaka to Kanazawa) and Shirasagi (from Nagoya to Kanazawa via Maibara) still undergoes the change in overhead power voltage between 1,500 V DC (Tsuruga Station and further west on the Hokuriku Main Line) and 20,000 V AC (just east of Tsuruga Station on the Hokuriku Main Line to Kanazawa). Given that the Hokuriku Shinkansen won't reach Tsuruga until at least 2025, they'll put the ex-Hokuetsu Express trainsets to good use. Hopefully, since the 681 and 683's will get major rebuild work over the next few years, one thing they'll add is in-train announcements in both Japanese and English.

[NuclearErick]

1 thing did happen after the oppening of Hokuriku Shinkansen here near Nagoya and i dont know why...

 

the Shirasagi Nagoya - Kanazawa shrink 3 cars

 

was 9 cars now is only 6

 

 

 

dbz586601 channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnUZcShJnZXgbsyaidNl-tQ

[HantuBlauLOL]

So those are no longer belongs to Hokuetsu Express?

[miyakoji]

The second and third videos are interesting in that they are non-revenue runs for the purpose of turning the trainsets using the Hoppou Freight Line in Osaka, to get the green car on the front for trains bound for Kanazawa (they previously had the green car on the front end in the Osaka direction). 

 

There's a wye below the southwest corner of Shin-Osaka, is that how it was done?  When I first read your post, I thought maybe they ran them all the way around the loop .

[katoftw]

1 thing did happen after the oppening of Hokuriku Shinkansen here near Nagoya and i dont know why...

 

the Shirasagi Nagoya - Kanazawa shrink 3 cars

 

was 9 cars now is only 6

 

 

 

dbz586601 channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnUZcShJnZXgbsyaidNl-tQ

um?  one of the videos you linked as 9 cars.

[bikkuri bahn]

Some Shirasagi services currently have 9 cars between Kanazawa and Maibara, three cars are detached at Maibara before the train reverses to run on the Tokaido Line to Nagoya.  I rode one of these 9 car services late last month.  The reason given for standardizing on 6 car trains (formerly it was 5 or 8 car consists) is to provide consistency for smoother boarding of passengers transferring off the Hokuriku Shinkansen at Kanazawa.

Edited April 11, 2015 by bikkuri bahn

[EF65 1100]

With the March timetable change, Shirasagi now exclusively uses Kanazawa's 681 series (and the ex-Hakuetsu Express 683-8000). The preparation can be seen in the later Hakutaka videos before the change where the JR West's 681 sets already had the orange line added to the side of cars. I think I saw a video on youtube taken on April 4 that has the ex-Hokuetsu Express 681-2000 re-painted to JR West colour... Can't find the video at the moment.

Edited April 11, 2015 by EF65 1100

[NuclearErick]

um?  one of the videos you linked as 9 cars.

 

Yes the Top is before and below is now

 

Some Shirasagi services currently have 9 cars between Kanazawa and Maibara, three cars are detached at Maibara before the train reverses to run on the Tokaido Line to Nagoya.  I rode one of these 9 car services late last month.  The reason given for standardizing on 6 car trains (formerly it was 5 or 8 car consists) is to provide consistency for smoother boarding of passengers transferring off the Hokuriku Shinkansen at Kanazawa.

 

estrange... because until now i never saw a Shirasagi with 6 cars always was 9 here or im confusing thinking some services still have 9 cars not all services