113/115 Front/Face Design - What other trains have it?

[serotta1972]

So far I'm aware of the following:

113, 115, 165, 169, 415, 457, 475, 313 is similar but modern.

 

Do any other trains precede the 113 with the same or similar front?

 

The Series 5500 Meitetsu looks similar.

 

Is there a name for this particular front / face design?

 

As another member mentioned about finding a Japanese style train he likes - I too have found mine.

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

[bikkuri bahn]

The 153 series is the original design. It was called the "Tokai style".

[katoftw]

You could say Kiha 40, 47 and 48s have the same front also.

[Welshbloke]

On a related note, I was looking for videos of 115 Series sets recently and noticed something very sweet about them. They have little covers over the air horn outlets which open when the horn is sounded!

[SuRoNeFu 25-501]

On a related note, I was looking for videos of 115 Series sets recently and noticed something very sweet about them. They have little covers over the air horn outlets which open when the horn is sounded!

The horn cover is used as part of JNR's intention for the 115 series trains. Those trains were firstly intended to be deployed on cold region, so it is a normal reason why the horn is shielded with horn cover. Note that the cover itself is mechanically connected to the horn pedal located on the driver cab's floor, so when the horn pedal is pressed by the driver's foot, it would open on the same time when the horn starts to sound.

 

 

So far I'm aware of the following:

113, 115, 165, 169, 415, 457, 475, 313 is similar but modern.

 

Do any other trains precede the 113 with the same or similar front?

As said by bikkuri bahn, the 153 series, which is colloquially called by Japanese people as "Tokai-type EMU" (東海型電車) was the pioneer of this very popular front-end design. But however, there are some differences on the first version of front-end design:

 

1. Headlight - first batch of 153 series driving cars uses incandescent headlight (which is notoriously having very large light casing), while later batches uses shield beam headlight. Many of express-type EMUs like 165 series, as well as suburban EMUs like 113 series that uses incandescent headlight on its first batch driving cars, before switched to shield beam headlight on the later batch

2. Driving cab - first batch driving cars were equipped with the low-positioned driver panel (低運転台), but it was changed to high-positioned driver panel (高運転台), as part of the safety measurement related to the accidents at grade crossings that applied by JNR in the early 1960s.

 

Cheers,

 

Arya.

[Sacto1985]

If the information from Japanese Wikipedia is correct, the 153 Series EMU's front face design is based on the layout of the Meitetsu 5200 Series commuter EMU, which entered service a little earlier than the 153 Series in JNR service. The JR Hokkaido commuter EMU's operating out of Sapporo use a similar layout for its front face.

 

(EDIT: I believe the 東海型電車 moniker came from the fact the JNR 153 Series EMU (and the Meitetsu 5200 Series commuter EMU that inspired it) were both originally built by Nagoya-based Nippon Sharyo.)

Edited October 26, 2015 by Sacto1985

[miyakoji]

The 711 also had this appearance.

[Sacto1985]

The 711 also had this appearance.

 

True, but what I find interesting is that the later JR Hokkaido EMU's (721, 731, 733 and 735) all kept the same front face configuration, if not the same shape.

[serotta1972]

Tokai-type EMU Trains:

153, 155, 165, 169, 113, 115, 415, 457, 475, 711

 

DMU Trains:

Kiha 40 series

 

Modern EMU:

313, Aichi Loop Line 2000 Series, 373?, 383?

[Welshbloke]

The horn cover is used as part of JNR's intention for the 115 series trains. Those trains were firstly intended to be deployed on cold region, so it is a normal reason why the horn is shielded with horn cover. Note that the cover itself is mechanically connected to the horn pedal located on the driver cab's floor, so when the horn pedal is pressed by the driver's foot, it would open on the same time when the horn starts to sound.

 

Cheers,

 

Arya.

 

I'd just noticed something twitching on the cab front when the horn sounded, and after a few videos I found one clear enough to see what was going on. Very neat!

 

Also a good demonstration of the difference in speed between light and sound. In some of the longer-distance shots there was a noticeable delay between seeing the flaps open and hearing the horn.

 

Didn't know that about the headlights, it explains why my new Kato 165 Series (low roof version) has much bigger lights than the 115-1000 Series cars I have.

[serotta1972]

Thank you gentlemen for the great information about the Tokai type trains. I now will have some focus and will continue to gather more information. Arya, thanks for the comprehensive information.

[miyakoji]

I don't see how the KIHAs are being grouped with the Tokai-style EMUs. Yes the KIHAs (40, 47, 48, 28/58, 67, other minor series) have a similar front end, but it's not like the 115 et al.

Edited October 25, 2015 by miyakoji

[kvp]

The style is very similar. Light, horn position and central door window sizes may differ, but the lines are very much the same, including the use of bulging sides.

 

Imho there are general styles/patterns among japanese trains, from the classic american interurban front of the early wooden cars, to the nice rounded classic japanese (tokai) style seen here. Other styles are the minimalist front of the 101/103 series (first seen before on some 42 series rebuilds and on the eh10) and its modernised variant of the 205 series and the older semi flat wind splitter front popular before and mentioned in another thread. Personally i like them all, but imho the most characteristically japanese is this one.

[SuRoNeFu 25-501]

If the information from Japanese Wikipedia is correct, the 153 Series EMU's front face design is based on the layout of the Meitetsu 5200 Series commuter EMU, which entered service a little earlier than the 153 Series in JNR service. The JR Hokkaido commuter EMU's operating out of Sapporo use a similar layout for its front face.

 

(EDIT: I believe the 東海型電車 moniker came from the fact the JNR 153 Series EMU (and the Meitetsu 5200 Series commuter EMU that inspired it) were both originally built by Nagoya-based Nippon Sharyo.)

153 series trains were firstly used on the daytime (semi?-) express service named "Tokai" (東海号), which is the official reason why 153 series trains were called as "東海型電車"...

 

 

I'd just noticed something twitching on the cab front when the horn sounded, and after a few videos I found one clear enough to see what was going on. Very neat!

Not only the suburban trains like 113 and 115 series, limited-express EMUs like 485 series, 583 series, 183 series, and others are equipped with similar mechanically-powered horn cover, as those trains were also operated on both warm and cold region by the JNR (and later by JR Group)...

Edited October 26, 2015 by SuRoNeFu 25-501

[Welshbloke]

On the subject of the 153 Series.

 

I know there were high and low cab versions of the KuHa 153, and I know why they lifted the cab.

 

What I don't know is whether the two types ran together, or if they tended to be operated from separate depots? Would you have seen a low cab at one end and a high cab at the other?

 

Were low cab units eventually converted with high cabs?

 

All I have to go on is this diagram from the Kato 10-883 set, and not being able to read Japanese beyond the car designations is a bit limiting. I have a dummy MoHa 152/153 pair on order (the old 4017/4020) which will eventually find their way into a 153 Series set, but quite what formation it has will depend on what crosses my path!

[SuRoNeFu 25-501]

It seems that both the low and high cab KuHa 153 cars are operated on separate sets (primarily classified by what year the trainsets were delivered from the factory). AFAIK, low cab KuHa 153 would always married with the same ones (low cab) in a trainset. This also happens with the high-cab ones.

 

It is likely that none of the low cabs are converted to high cabs, because it would be too costly to rebuilding the low cabs into high cabs (and it was better to spend the cost on purchasing new high cab KuHa 153, rather than rebuilding the low cab ones)...

 

CMIIW

[kvp]

I would like to add that normal bulb and sealead headlight conversions did happen, so many large lamp cars became small lamp ones.

[SuRoNeFu 25-501]

I would like to add that normal bulb and sealead headlight conversions did happen, so many large lamp cars became small lamp ones.

That's true. This is happened on some of first batch 113 and 115 series driving cars (with incandescent headlight) that received shield beam light conversions, which causes the headlight to have very odd appearance. Some Japanese railfans called them "チクビーム" (well, this term is actually slightly dirty, so I won't explain the reason why they used this term to refer those odd-headlight cars)...

 

One of the example is this one:

 

[Kabutoni]

Some Japanese railfans called them "チクビーム" (well, this term is actually slightly dirty, so I won't explain the reason why they used this term to refer those odd-headlight cars)...

Another day, another little piece of great knowledge :D

[Welshbloke]

I'm guessing it's similar to German enthusiasts who named the pre-production batch of Br.216s "Lollo". Like a certain actress of the era they had a protruding rounded front...

 

Yep, thought they probably wouldn't have rebuilt the KuHa 153s but wasn't entirely sure. Kato's site seems to imply that KuHa 103s were rebuilt with higher cabs when ATC was fitted, for example.

[Sacto1985]

I wonder why they came with this front end design that was first used on the JNR 153 Series EMU. Was this because they wanted to maintain good forward visibility but still be able to connect multiple trainsets together on an as-needed basis?

Edited October 30, 2015 by Sacto1985

[bikkuri bahn]

Yes, incorporation of a gangway allowed intermediate making/breaking of trainsets, while allowing unimpeded access throughout the train formation by the guard/conductor, which was important especially for outer suburban/long distance services. There was some sacrifice in roominess in the driving cabin compared to the 80 series, however.

[SuRoNeFu 25-501]

I wonder why they came with this front end design that was first used on the JNR 153 Series EMU. Was this because they wanted to maintain good forward visibility but still be able to connect multiple trainsets together on an as-needed basis?

The usage of gangwayed driving cars allowed the company to extend the formation without need to reforming the whole formation. Even this is used on EMUs that primarily operated on trains operated with more than one destinations...

[kvp]

Also comes very handy when operating in narrow tunnels as in case of trouble, people can leave the train through the front doors or in case of connected sets, move between the sets.

 

ps: Here is a picture from 1953 from a hungarian built train following design trends pupular back then. The japanese innovation and characteristic uniqueness comes from the nicely curved windshields which made visibility much better and imho defines the style.

[Sacto1985]

An interesting tidbit: the JR West 207, 221, 223, 225, and 321 Series EMU have a front face configuration akin to what was pioneered by the 153 Series EMU, but it appears they were not designed to connect between trains by a gangway (the front center door is probably an emergency exit door). The 227 Series EMU that operate out of Hiroshima are designed to connect by a gangway.