KiHa 81

The KiHa 80 series was a diesel multiple unit type that operated on express services from 1960 to 2002, under Japan National Railways and later under JR Hokkaido and JR Central. Two variants were initially built: the KiHa 81 series to replace the then steam-operated ''Hatsukari'' services in 1960, and the KiHa 82 series for other services from 1961 to 1967; the KiHa 81 series sets would receive the fourth ''Blue Ribbon Award'' for outstanding design from the .

By early 1960, the new cars were scheduled to start service in December of that year. After a promotional film of the KiHa 81 series was shot between September 15–23, 1960, and a demonstration was given to the participants of the 1960 Asian Railways Conference on October 14, the sets began operating ''Hatsukari'' services as planned on December 10.

In the late 1980s, three resort trains were built based on the series: two KiHa 84 series trains (the ''Furano Express'' and ''Tomamu Sahoro Express'') and one remodeled KiHa 82 train (the ''Resort Liner''). The ''Furano Express'' would be reliveried from June to October 1987 as part of a promotion with All Nippon Airways, and win the 30th ''Blue Ribbon Award'' in the same year; the ''Tomamu Sahoro Express'' set would participate in a Shikoku event showcasing the trains of all JR Group companies in 1989.

By the time of its retirement in 2002, it had been superseded by various multiple units such as the KiHa 183, KiHa 181, and 485 series. Most cars were scrapped by 2009, but some were preserved, including a KiHa 81 lead car at the Kyoto Railway Museum, and a KiHa 82 lead car on the .

Background

After World War II, limited express services used only the Tōkaidō and San'yō Main Lines and part of the Kagoshima Main Line. This was due to several reasons, one being that demand for express services in rural areas was low due to most of the population already residing on the Tōkaidō Main Line. Another reason was due to lack of electrification in many areas - only the Tōkaidō, Takasaki and Jōetsu lines were electrified by 1956, necessitating the use of steam locomotives on most lines.

Steam locomotives were used widely in Japan during the mid-20th century, reaching a peak of 5,958 in 1946. Whilst necessary due to its significant role in transporting freight, there were disadvantages - when changing directions at terminal stations, steam locomotives would need to be shunted. Furthermore, due to the railway standards in Japan, they were considered inferior to trains with multiple motor cars (especially the electric multiple units operating between Tokyo and Osaka at the time).

History

1958–1960: Development, promotion and start of services

In early 1960, the new cars were scheduled to start service in December of that year.

On September 15, 1960, a promotional film using a KiHa 81 series set was filmed on the Kawagoe Line, which was followed by filming on the Jōban Line and the Tōhoku Main Line between 18 and 23 September. On October 14, a special train carrying the participants of that year's Asian Railways Conference made a round trip between Tokyo and Nikkō. The remaining 17 KiHa 81 series cars were inaugurated between 31 October and 18 November 1960, and started on the ''Hatsukari'' service on December 10.

1961–1972: Expansion of services, and mechanical problems

In the , the number of daily limited express services was increased from 9 to 26; to meet that demand, 7 cars would be allocated to ''Hibari'' services in April 1962.

These cars, along with a further 127 cars (15 of which were allocated to the Hakodate depot), were KiHa 82 series cars. They would be allocated to the following services:

* ''Ōzora'' (Hakodate to Asahikawa - one return working daily)
* ''Hakuchō'' (Osaka to Aomori via Ueno - one return working daily)
* ''Hibari'' (Ueno to Sendai - one return working daily)
* ''Tsubasa'' (Ueno to Akita - one return working daily)
* ''Matsukaze'' (Kyoto to Matsue - one return working daily)
* '' Kamome'' (Kyoto to Miyazaki via Nagasaki - one return working daily)
* ''Midori'' (Osaka to Hakata - one return working daily)
* ''Heiwa'' (Osaka to Hiroshima - one return working daily)
However, some mechanical problems would become apparent - on the first day of the timetable revision, one ''Matsukaze'' service departed 40 minutes late as the Kiha 82-40 car had to undertake repairs at Fukuchiyama due to axle overheating, and dining service in the KiShi 80 car was suspended due to the resulting lack of power supply. On the return trip, the KiHa 82-27 car was switched to face towards Kyoto, and the KiHa 28-7 car was assigned to the rear of the train - it would be exchanged with the KiHa 82-40 car at Toyooka.

Shuichiro Yamanouchi, the JNR district manager for Mukōmachi, would describe in his book how he used spare cars (which were intended for ''Midori'' services) for spare parts in event of any problems, and to make up for a shortage of such parts.

Between 1964 and 1972, these services would start using the KiHa 82 series sets:

* ''Ōtori'' (Hakodate to Abashiri and Kushiro - one return working daily)
* '' Hokuto'' (Hakodate to Sapporo and Asahikawa - one return working daily)
* ''Hokkai'' (Hakodate to Asahikawa - one return working daily)

In September 1968, after the entirety of the Tohoku Main Line was electrified, with the section between Ueno and Sendai being duplicated, the KiHa 81 series sets would be replaced by 583 series trains on ''Hatsukari'' services.

1972–1987: Pre-JNR privatization, and gradual replacement

''Kuroshio, Hida'' and ''Nanki'' services

In the October 1, 1976 timetable revision, 12 surplus cars (which were used on ''Oki'' services) were transferred from Mukaikamachi Depot, and two ''Hida'' return workings using KiHa 82 series cars were added between Nagoya and Takayama.

In the October 2, 1978 timetable revision, 36 surplus cars were transferred from Wakayama Locomotive Works, as ''Kuroshio'' trains were replaced by 381 series trains due to the electrification of Shingu Station on the Kise Main Line. Three ''Nanki'' return workings ran between Nagoya and Kii-Katsuura, which was a non-electrified section. The number of ''Hida'' services was increased by one to four. In 1982, nine surplus cars were transferred from Mukōmachi, and five old cars were scrapped, and on November 15 of the same year, the timetable was revised to include six-car trains.

In the March 14, 1985 timetable revision, the ''Hida'' services were changed from one round trip to/from Kanazawa to one round trip to/from Hida-Furukawa, and the ''Nanki'' services were shortened to four-car sets. At the time of privatization on April 1, 1987, 50 cars were transferred to the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tokai), which continued to operate four ''Hida'' round trips and five ''Nanki'' round trips.

Services in Hokkaido (''Ōzora'', ''Hokuto'', ''Ōtori'' and ''Hokkai'')

In the October 1, 1981 timetable revision, the number of ''Ōzora'' return workings using KiHa 80 series sets would be reduced to one, and the number of cars on ''Ōtori'' services would be reduced by one. Three ''Hokuto'' return workings (along with one ''Ōzora'' service) were transferred to the .

In the March 14, 1985 timetable revision, the position of the KiShi 80 and KiRo 80 cars would be reversed on ''Ōtori'' services, whilst two ''Ōzora'' services to Obihiro were added (one operated in conjunction with ''Hokkai'' services) and the one remaining ''Hokuto'' service using the KiHa 80 series would become a seasonal-only train. In the November 1, 1986 timetable revision (the last before the privatization of JNR), all services in Hokkaido using KiHa 80 series sets were either replaced by KiHa 183 series sets, or removed from regular service.

1987–2002: ''Joyful Trains'', final services and retirement

JR Hokkaido

After the privatization of JNR, 15 cars would be allocated to the then newly formed JR Hokkaido:

Of these cars, KiHa 82-109 would be converted to KiHa 80-501 for the ''Furano Express''; KiHa 80-160 and KiHa 80-166 would be converted to KiHa 84 series cars, along with the KiHa 82-86 car being converted into a KiHa 83 series car, to make up the ''Tomamu Sahoro Express''. Due to the aging of the modified cars, operation of the ''Furano Express'' was terminated in 1998. The ''Tomamu Sahoro Express'' was converted to the Mount Lake livery in 1999, but the operation was terminated in the summer season of 2002. Both trains would be scrapped in 2004 (with the exception of KiShi 80-501, which would last until 2007).''''

The remaining cars - unmodified KiHa 82-102/108 and KiHa 80-144/152/161 cars - were used in a 5-car formation on various services. Several farewell services were run, starting September 25, 1992 with a service from Sapporo to Hakodate (via the Hakodate Main Line), on September 26, 1992, with another Hakodate to Sapporo service (this time via the Muroran Main Line and Chitose Line), and on September 27–28, 1992 with a farewell Sapporo round trip service (via Kushiro and Abashiri); the set would be withdrawn on October 2, 1992.

JR Central

From 1987 until 1994, KiHa 80 series sets would be used for the ''Suzuka F1'' temporary service that ran directly from Nagoya to Suzuka Circuit Inō on the Ise Line during the Japanese Grand Prix, and to transport spectators to night games held at the Nagoya Stadium via the Nagoya Port Line.

By 1994, 22 cars were still in service. Some of these cars were used on special farewell services - the ''Memorial Hida'' event train on October 25 of the same year, the ''Gotemba Line 60th Anniversary'' temporary rapid train between Shizuoka and Gotemba on November 27, and on December 11, the ''Hida'' special train on the Takayama Main Line. On January 21, 1995, its final service - the ''Memorial Nanki'' - was operated. The nine regular cars and three ''Resort Liner'' cars that were registered at that time were scrapped during the same year, with the exception of the KiHa 82-73/105 and KiHa 80-60/99 cars.

Manufactured cars

KiHa 81 series

In 1960, two nine-car sets (along with eight extra cars) of what would be known as the KiHa 81 series were manufactured. These trains were also named the ''Hatsukari'' after the services on which they were introduced. In 1961, these sets received the fourth ''Blue Ribbon Award'' from the .

Between 1968 and 1970, six of these cars (three KiRo 80 and three KiSaShi 80 cars) were refurbished into 900-series cars.

KiHa 82 series

At the end of 1960, JNR started work on a redesign of the KiHa 81 series, with a focus on fixing the set's flaws and finding possible improvements. The KiHa 82 series, which included newly designed lead and intermediate cars, was manufactured after 1961.

''Joyful Trains''

In the 1980s, a number of ''Joyful Trains'' were built, which included the ''Furano Express,'' the ''Tomamu Sahoro Express'' and the ''Resort Liner.''

''Furano Express'' (KiHa 84 series)

Due to the popularity of the ''Alpha Continental Express'', which was a modified KiHa 56 series car that entered service in 1985, the Furano area, which was attracting attention as a tourist destination, demanded a set that offered high-quality service and improved ride comfort and speed. The set won the 30th ''Blue Ribbon Award'' in 1987.

From June to October 1987, as part of a collaboration with All Nippon Airways, the front destination board was changed to ANA, the train was reliveried with a band that had two shades of blue (which was similar to that on ANA aircraft), and the train's name was changed to the ''ANA Big Sneaker Train''.

The KiHa 184-11 car was added to make the set a 5-car formation in January 1990. Modifications included a new control circuit, new hood height, and new exterior paint color. The car was removed from the formation later that year and restored to its usual configuration, and would eventually be scrapped in March 1994 due to damage sustained in an accident on an '' Ōzora'' service in February that year. The set was withdrawn after the ''Last Run Furano'' service on November 1, 1998, and scrapped on September 27, 2004.

''Tomamu Sahoro Express'' (KiHa 84-100 series)

Three cars (KiHa 84–101, KiHa 83-101 and KiHa 83–102) were completed on December 10, 1987, and in 1988, two further cars (KiHa 83-102 and KiShi 80-501) were added to the set, and it was converted to a five car formation. It began operating as a three-car set between Sapporo and Tomamu on December 27, 1987, immediately after its completion. In some seasons, it was operated as the ''Lavender Express'' to complement the ''Furano Express''.

As part of an 1989 event in Shikoku called the ''Joyful Train Gathering of Six JR Companies'', the train ran between Takamatsu and Matsuyama (where it was put on temporary display) on November 4, and on November 5, it ran between Matsuyama and Tadotsu. It returned to Hokkaido via the Tokaido and Tohoku Main Lines from November 6 to 10 under locomotive power from Tadotsu.

In 1999, the train was converted from a ''Seasun'' to the ''Mount Lake Onuma'' service, named after the Ōnuma Quasi-National Park's titular lake, and again to the ''Night Cruise Ryobi'', which travelled via the former Esashi Line. It was restored to the ''Tomamu Sahoro Express'' paint scheme after these services ended in August 2002, and was used on weekend services from September 14 to October 14 of the same year. After that, the cars were withdrawn, and were eventually scrapped in 2004 (with the exception of KiShi 80-501, which would be scrapped in 2007).

''Resort Liner'' (KiRo 82-800 series)

This 3-car train was completed on July 29, 1988, and began commercial operation on August 16, 1988. Unlike the other joyful trains based on this series, they were to be used for special trains and group trains that were scheduled on a case-by-case basis. In addition, some of the trains were operated in conjunction with express trains of the KiHa 58 and KiHa 65 series. For this reason, the jumper couplers for the control circuits were replaced. The cars would eventually be scrapped in 1995.

Preserved cars

; KiHa 81-3
: It was formerly preserved and exhibited at the Modern Transportation Museum in Osaka, before being moved to the Kyoto Railway Museum upon the former's closure in April 2014.

; KiHa 82-101
: It has been stored on the .

Notes

General

References

{{JR Central EMU

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Japanese National Railways
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Train-related introductions in 1960