Vintage scenes on the Iida Line

[bikkuri bahn]

Some nice scenes of older JNR rolling stock by youtube contributor yocchelexp. Wonderful axle-hung traction motor sound.

 

At Ina Shinmachi:

 

Another scene at Ina Shinmachi, two trains meet at the loop station, one of them is a 80 series in shonan colors:

 

Between Miyaki and Ina Shinmachi (good views of the underfloor equipment and bogies):

 

[Kabutoni]

Aaaah... The Iida line used to have all the things of beauty from the early JNR EMU era...

[Nick_Burman]

On the third film, notice that some trailers are running on "wartime" trucks. These are easily identifiable by the larger than normal gap between wheel and sideframe, designed to accommodate regauging to 1435mm.

 

Cheers NB

[miyakoji]

On the third film, notice that some trailers are running on "wartime" trucks. These are easily identifiable by the larger than normal gap between wheel and sideframe, designed to accommodate regauging to 1435mm.

 

Cheers NB

I did think it looked unusual, but I didn't think about why.  Thanks for the info.

[Kabutoni]

On the third film, notice that some trailers are running on "wartime" trucks. These are easily identifiable by the larger than normal gap between wheel and sideframe, designed to accommodate regauging to 1435mm.

 

Now, THAT is some interesting information! I didn't know there were plans to regauge JNR trains to 1,435mm! I knew there were constructions in pre-war times for a Shinkansen, but not this. Interesting.

[miyakoji]

Now, THAT is some interesting information! I didn't know there were plans to regauge JNR trains to 1,435mm! I knew there were constructions in pre-war times for a Shinkansen, but not this. Interesting.

I'm not sure, but I think they may have been built for use in 1435mm areas, particularly Korea.  Or maybe it was easier to build the truck frames like this and then just install the appropriate axles for use in Japan.  But, I don't think there was a plan to regauge JGR on a mass scale.

[bikkuri bahn]

I think those bogies are the TR43 sub-type. These have extended swing hanger assemblies and improved leaf springs compared to the previous TR36 type for emus, which probably accounts for the wider spacing.  Given that there were no emus AFAIK in operation in other areas of the Japanese empire (other than the pre-war Shingu-derived units in Korea), I doubt these were intended for 1435mm gauge conversion.  Taiwan did receive the kyakusha (passenger coach) versions of the overall TR23 family, but of course the gauge there is 1067mm.

 

*interesting trivia: the TR23 was nicknamed the "Pennsylvania type" as it was based on PRR design concepts (2C/2D types?)

Edited July 25, 2013 by bikkuri bahn

[Nick_Burman]

I think those bogies are the TR43 sub-type. These have extended swing hanger assemblies and improved leaf springs compared to the previous TR36 type for emus, which probably accounts for the wider spacing.  Given that there were no emus AFAIK in operation in other areas of the Japanese empire (other than the pre-war Shingu-derived units in Korea), I doubt these were intended for 1435mm gauge conversion.  Taiwan did receive the kyakusha (passenger coach) versions of the overall TR23 family, but of course the gauge there is 1067mm.

 

*interesting trivia: the TR23 was nicknamed the "Pennsylvania type" as it was based on PRR design concepts (2C/2D types?)

BB,

 

Short article by Akira Shirai on "gauge-convertible" equipment on the Oigawa Raiway http://www15.plala.or.jp/hidekih/kokidaisya.htm. He also mentions freight cars, which explains why a few 2-axle cars have a huge gap between wheel and bearing.

 

The Japanese took a number of 9600 locomotives to China during the pre-WWII Sino-Japanese conflict. These were regauged to 1435mm, I don't know if in China or if in Japan before departure. Anyway, they staid in China after the war and were classified KD5. Some of the locos were regauged again, this time to metre, and used on the metre-gauge Yunnan - Cochinchina railway as class KD55. The standard-gauge units were seen in use as late as 1980's as yard switchers in the Shanghai and Beijing areas. One metre-gauge loco is at the Kunming museum and another (one of the standard gauge machines) is at the Railway Museum in Beijing and there are reports of other machines dumped elsewhere.

 

Cheers NB

[Nick_Burman]

Now, THAT is some interesting information! I didn't know there were plans to regauge JNR trains to 1,435mm! I knew there were constructions in pre-war times for a Shinkansen, but not this. Interesting.

 

In the interwar period, JGR mulled conversion all the way from Tokyo to Shimonoseki. They even went to the point of getting an appropriation from the Government to study-gauge conversion techniques; however a change in the Cabinet, the war in China and WWII scuppered the plans, which were only reborn in the 1950's, this time as the origin of the Shinkansen.

 

Cheers NB