Background and overview
Japanese National Railways (JNR) developed 115-2000 series suburban DC electric multiple unit (EMU) trains in 1978 which omit the protection against snow and coldness from 115-1000 series in order to displace superannuated moha80 series EMU used in warm Hiroshima and Shimonoseki regions, unlike Okayama. 8 six-car sets consisting of 4 powered vehicles and 2 trailer vehicles, and 13 four-car sets consisting of 2 powered vehicles and 2 trailer vehicles were delivered and allocated to Hiroshima depot.
Car body
They have 2900mm wide body. Their body design incorporates lightweight
shaped steel and pressed forming beam to realize a lightweight body. Their
skin features cold-rolled steel, and their roof panel features hot-rolled
steel. The floor features lightweight painted vehicle floorboards for fireproof.
Their cab end is gangwayed, having a gangway door and curved surface windscreens
on the front. A destination roll sign is fitted above the gangway door.
Two headlights employing sealed beam light bulbs are fitted each side of
the gangway and two taillights are fitted below the headlights. Unit assembled
cab section is not employed but that constructed with main body together
to strengthen the protection against collision impact. They are equipped
with three 1300mm wide double-leaf automatic sliding doors. 1075mm wide
double-hung unit assembled side windows, both the upper and lower sashes
of which move up, and door case windows are fitted between the doors, and
1075mm wide double-hung unit assembled windows and a door case window are
fitted at the end of the body. The window of the toilet was changed in
oval shape. Door operating equipments, TK8A, allowing hand operation to
prevent the passenger's room from being cold in winter are fitted on the
door header of the sliding doors. A destination rollsign is prepared to
fit on each side of the body. They are equipped with an air conditioner,
AU75C, rated at 42000kcal/h on the centre of the roof. Class moha114-2000
vehicles are equipped with 5 forced draught ventilators, and the others
are 6. Their livery is green with orange wide band around side windows.
Bogies
Motored bogies are DT21B, and trailer bogies are TR62A, employing swing hanger construction, coil springs as bolster spring, and pedestal type journal supporting system. The parallel cardan drive with hollow shaft is applied for the power transmission device. The gear ratio is 4.82. Motored bogies employ the double tread brake rigging and trailer bogies employ the disk brake rigging.
Traction unit and ancillary equipments
Eight series-wound brushed DC traction motors, MT54D, with a power output
of 120kW are controlled by the armature-resistance traction control system,
CS15F, fitted to powered intermediate vehicles, class moha115-2000. CS15F
features holding breaking and free selectable speed control. Class moha114-2000
vehicles are equipped with a motor generator, MH135-DM92, with a power
output of 160kVA and a motor driven air compressor, MH113B-C2000M, under
the floor. Class moha114-2000 vehicles are also equipped with a current
pickup, PS16, on the roof. They adopt electromagnetic straight air brake
with the rheostatic brake.
Accommodation
They have mixture of longitudinal bench seating and 85mm wider transverse seating bays than 115-300 series with 1490mm seating pitch. Longitudinal bench seating is located at beside doors. The backrest of transverse seating bay has a square shaped hand-grab and straps are fitted above the longitudinal seating. Class kuha115-2000 vehicles located at B end are equipped with a unit assembled Japanese style toilet constructed by fibre-reinforced plastic located at the rear of the body. Class kuha115-2100 vehicles located at A end have no toilet.
Additional delivery
New variant vehicles, the powered end vehicle, class kumoha115-2000, and powered intermediate vehicle, class moha114-2600, are involved for vehicles built in 1981 to displace superannuated Moha62 series EMU used on Minobu line. New variant powered intermediate vehicle, class moha114-2600 employ a current pickup, PS23A, designed for tunnels having small cross section and feature the low roof section where the current pickup is fitted to widen the upper clearance for current pickup, since a cross section of tunnels on the Minobu line is small. 4-car sets consisting of 2 powered vehicles and 2 trailer vehicles, and 3-car sets consisting of 2 powered vehicles and 1 trailer vehicle were delivered. 4-car sets have a class kuha115-2100 vehicle coupled at the front of a class kumoha115-2000 vehicle. All vehicles built at this time are equipped an opening with a cover plate for the preparation to be fitted with an air conditioner, AU75C, on the centre of the roof. Class moha114-2600 vehicles are 6 forced draught ventilators, and end vehicles are 5 and a box-shaped ventilator. They are applied livery which is red with cream narrow band below side windows.
Modification and refurbishment
JR Central
After the splitting of former JNR into the new privatized JR companies in 1987, all 115-2000 series vehicles received by JR Central were unairconditioned. For this reason, JR Central additionally fitted 39 these unairconditioned vehicles with two new developed air conditioners, C-AU711A rated at 18000kcal/h on the roof over the period from December 1988 until July 1990.
JR West
Refurbishment programme N40
JR West commenced refurbishment programme on fifty-two 115-2000 series vehicles to bring the accommodation and ancillary equipments at the similar level to the contemporary rolling stocks over the period from January 1999 until October 2001.
Car body
Corroded body skin was refurbished, and the rain gutter was integrated with the body skin. Ventilators on the roof were removed. Door operating equipments were changed into the direct driven type, WTK113, and the buttons beside the door were additionally fitted to open or close the door manually by pushing them. For draft prevention, side windows located between sliding doors were changed into the aluminum made double sash unit assembled window, the upper sash of which moves down and lower fixed, and windows located at the end of the body were changed into the fixed window. The method to equip door case windows and the windscreen with the windowpane was changed into gluing.
Accommodation
Prefabricated panels were employed for the ceiling construction to flat the ceiling and the fluorescent lights fitted on the ceiling were covered. Straps were fitted throughout their body. Seating accommodation was changed into 2+2 abreast switchable transverse seating with 910mm seating pitch excepting the end of the end vehicles. The overhead luggage racks were changed into constructed with pipes having the decorative cover at the edge. The covers fitted on the floor for the inspection of the traction motor were filled with the plates. Doors located at both ends of the vehicle were changed into self-closing.
Life extension programme N30
JR West commenced life extension programme N30 on 48 115-2000 series vehicles to reduce the cost of the refurbishment programme N40 over the period from June 2002 until September 2009.
Car body
Corroded body skin was refurbished ventilators on the roof were removed. The buttons beside the door were additionally fitted to open or close the door manually by pushing them. Side windows, double leaf sliding doors, and the door operating equipments were not refurbished. The method to equip door case windows and the windscreen with the windowpane was changed into gluing.
Accommodation
Straps were fitted throughout their body. Seating accommodation was changed into 2+2 abreast switchable transverse seating with 910mm seating pitch excepting the end of the end vehicles. The overhead luggage racks were changed into constructed with pipes having the decorative cover at the edge. The covers fitted on the floor for the inspection of the traction motor were filled with the plates. Doors located at both ends of the vehicle were changed into self-closing.
Operations
Sanyo and Kure lines in Hiroshima region
115-2000 series vehicles were delivered to Hiroshima depot and entered local services on Sanyo and Kure lines in Hiroshima region. At first, there were two types of train sets, 4-car sets, and 6-car sets. However, 6-car train sets were divided into 2 sets and an additional trailer end vehicle of 115-0 series was coupled with divided trains sets to make 6-car sets into 4-car sets in 1984. After the splitting of JNR into privatized JR companies in 1987, some superannuated kuha115 vehicles were displaced with kuha115-1000/-1100 vehicles. Nevertheless, 115-2000 series vehicles were gradually displaced with 227 series EMU from 2014 and eventually all 115-2000 series vehicles were completely withdrawn in 2018.
Minobu and Gotemba lines in Numazu region
115-2000 series were delivered to Numazu depot to enter rural services on Minobu line in 1981. They were shared with Gotemba line rural services mainly operated by 115-0 series in 1985. However, they were gradually replaced with 313-3000 series EMU and completely withdrawn in 2008. |
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