Maybe the ugliest Japanese train ever?

[Densha]

http://85917907.at.webry.info/201212/article_2.html

Some kind of test train, google translate says gas turbine. Either way, it looks really awful, especially the roof height difference. Jacobs bogies are also not often seen at Japanese trains. This is the first time I've seen a Japanese diesel with it.

[keitaro]

yeah it was a test train, it achieved the highspeeds they wanted but it was terrible on the fuel so it got chopped.

 

 

i actually like the look.

[Kabutoni]

The ugliest? I'm not too sure about that. How about the Try-Z E991 from JR East?

 

[cteno4]

To me they rach have their own charm! The first feels like mothra larva and the second looks to be from a James Bond movie in the 70s. Both beat a lot of other trains out there!

 

Jeff

Edited April 5, 2013 by cteno4

[Ochanomizu]

My opinion is Kiha 391 is a beauty.  Also, Jacobs bogie feature in the Odakyu Romance Car series.

 

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9B%BD%E9%89%84%E3%82%AD%E3%83%8F391%E7%B3%BB%E6%B0%97%E5%8B%95%E8%BB%8A

[miyakoji]

I posted about the Try-Z a while ago http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/5790-from-the-department-of-industrial-maldesign-jr-easts-e991-first-generation

 

It may look like '70s era James Bond, but it's JR East, so it's necessarily after 1987.

[bikkuri bahn]

Not really trains, but I'd like to see this downrange at a Nevada machine gun festival.

 

This

 

Actually the railcar body is fine, just want to set the FRP appendage on fire.

[westfalen]

Not really trains, but I'd like to see this downrange at a Nevada machine gun festival.

 

This

 

Actually the railcar body is fine, just want to set the FRP appendage on fire.

I rode those when I was in Japan in 2011, just to make it worse when the cars pass they bark and meow at each other.

 

At least they painted the kiha 391 in a dignified paint scheme, not something you need sunglasses to look at.

[The Next Station Is...]

Not really trains, but I'd like to see this downrange at a Nevada machine gun festival.

 

This

 

Actually the railcar body is fine, just want to set the FRP appendage on fire.

 

Thomas the Tank Engine days at preserved railways in the UK have just been put to shame by this... I always admire how serious the Japanese are with making things as weird (silly to some!) as possible.

[Densha]

Oh I know that! We do have Thomas the Tank Engine days too! xD

[marknewton]

My opinion is Kiha 391 is a beauty.  Also, Jacobs bogie feature in the Odakyu Romance Car series.

 

I'm with you on that, I think it's an interesting looking beast. I quite like the E991, too. The offset cab reminds me of similar aircraft designs with offset cockpits.

 

As well as the Odakyu cars, the Enoden, Kintetsu, Meitetsu & Fukui railways all had cars with Jacobs bogies, as well as some Nagoya trams. There were other tramways that used them as well - just can't remember offhand which ones!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

Edited April 11, 2013 by marknewton

[miyakoji]

What's the downside to the Jacobs trucks? Just maintenance situations?

[bill937ca]

What's the downside to the Jacobs trucks? Just maintenance situations?

 The upside is less weight, less wheel squeal, increased safety as a train is less likely to fold like an accordion in a derailment.  Downside is breaking up a train for maintenance is not possible and more weight per axle.

 

Enoden articulated EMUs, Tokyu 300s,  most Odakyu Romancecars use Jacobs bogies today.  In the past Keihan Electric Railway Type 60 and Tokyu Tamaden Deha200 among others used Jacobs bogies.

 

Japanese wiki:

 

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%80%A3%E6%8E%A5%E5%8F%B0%E8%BB%8A

[Kabutoni]

Enoden articulated EMUs, Tokyu 300s,  most Odakyu Romancecars use Jacobs bogies today.  In the past Keihan Electric Railway Type 60 and Tokyu Tamaden Deha200 among others used Jacobs bogies.

 

Actually, the only Odakyu trains that use Jacobs are the LSE 7000 Series (only two sets left) and the VSE 50000 Series (only two sets built).

 

The bulk of Odakyu Romance cars are the EXE 30000 Series (seven sets) and MSE 60000 Series (six sets) nowadays. They are quite uninteresting in design, livery and run on standard bogies. The last two LSE 7000 Series also don't have a long life ahead of them, since last year two of the four sets were scrapped and are the oldest rolling stock of Odakyu. I hope a worthy follow-up is planned for them, since these are the only classic signature trains remaining (the VSE just looks like the lovechild of a dustbuster that mated with an ICE IMO).

[Densha]

I hope a worthy follow-up is planned for them, since these are the only classic signature trains remaining (the VSE just looks like the lovechild of a dustbuster that mated with an ICE IMO).

Lol. Well you're right on that if you look at it like that. Still the Dutch V250 looks even more like one.

 

Also don't forget this one: http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/JR%E6%9D%B1%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%ACE331%E7%B3%BB%E9%9B%BB%E8%BB%8A (possibly the only JR train with jacobs bogies?)

And I just stumbled upon this railway in Hokkaido that uses coal cars with Jacobs bogies: http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%AA%E5%B9%B3%E6%B4%8B%E7%9F%B3%E7%82%AD%E8%B2%A9%E5%A3%B2%E8%BC%B8%E9%80%81 (also look at the American style diesel locos!)

 

But back to topic, is there any diesel train in Japan that actually had Jacobs bogies apart from the Kiha 391?

[Ochanomizu]

What's the downside to the Jacobs trucks? Just maintenance situations?

 

Hello Mr Miyakoji.

 

It is primarily the limitation of maintenance.  A single car cannot be substituted during maintenance.

 

It is also not suitable for the heavy load and longer car.  The technology is best employed when shorter cars and fixed length consists are required of other reasons such as the geography.

[Densha]

Actually now we're talking about Romancecars I got reminded of this Dutch train that was actually build years before the first Romancecar had the passenger front view:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33230154@N08/6643284483/ (the later livery when it was still in service)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/69195288@N07/8556814491/ (nowadays a museum train, next to another train type clearly based on the Japanese high-cab express trains)

[Socimi]

Not really trains, but I'd like to see this downrange at a Nevada machine gun festival.

 

This

 

Actually the railcar body is fine, just want to set the FRP appendage on fire.

 

ROFL