Background and overview
Japanese National Railways (JNR) developed 115-3000 series suburban DC electric multiple unit (EMU) trains in 1982 to displace superannuated 153 series EMU used on local services in Hiroshima and Shimonoseki regions, and to increase the number of trains. They feature to work in combination with 111 series intermediate vehicles. 6 four-car sets and 15 pairs of trailer end vehicles were delivered to Shimonoseki 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 excepting wainscot panel employing stainless, and their roof panel features hot-rolled steel. 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 two 1300mm wide double-leaf automatic sliding doors. 4 pairs of 715mm wide double-hung unit assembled side windows, the upper sash of which moves down and the lower moves up, and door case windows are fitted between the doors, and a pair of 715mm wide double-hung unit assembled windows and a door case window are fitted at either end of the body. Door operating equipments, TK8A, allowing hand operation to prevent the passenger's room from being cold in winter are fitted above the door header of the sliding doors. A destination rollsign is fitted on each side of the body. Air-conditioned sets are equipped with an air conditioner, AU75G, rated at 42000kcal/h on the centre of the roof. Class moha114-3000 vehicles are equipped with 4 forced draught ventilators, and the others are 6. On the other hand, unairconditioned end vehicles are equipped an opening with a cover plate for the preparation to be fitted with an air conditioner on the centre of the roof, and 7 forced draught ventilators on the roof. They are applied livery which is cream with blue narrow band below 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 moha115-3000. CS15F
features holding breaking and free selectable speed control. Class moha114-3000
vehicles are equipped with a brush-less motor generator, DM106, with a
power output of 190kVA and a motor driven air compressor, MH113B-C2000M,
under the floor. Class kuha115-3000 vehicles are also equipped with another
air compressor, MH80A-C1000, to work with intermediate vehicles of 111
series. Class moha114-3000 vehicles are also equipped with two current
pickups, PS16, on the roof. They adopt electromagnetic straight air brake
with the rheostatic brake.
Accommodation
They have mixture of longitudinal bench seating located beside doors and at the end of the passenger saloon and switchable transverse seating with 910mm seating pitch. They adopted baggage racks constructed by stainless pipes. The duct for air-conditioning is fitted at the centre on the ceiling. Unairconditioned vehicles are equipped with electric fans under the duct prepared for the air conditioning in the future. Class kuha115-3000 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 kuha115-3100 vehicles located at A end have no toilet.
Additional delivery
6 pairs of intermediate vehicles were additionally delivered to displace superannuated 111 series intermediate vehicles worked with 115-3000 series trailer end vehicles in 1983.
Modification and refurbishment
Japanese National Railways
Modified vehicles with an air conditioner
JNR fitted unairconditioned 115-2000 series with an air conditioner, AU75G, from 1983.
JR West
Life extension programme N30
JR West commenced life extension programme N30 on 68 115-3000 series vehicles to reduce the cost of the refurbishment programme N40 over the period from August 2004 until November 2008.
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
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
115-3000 series vehicles were delivered to Shimonoseki depot and entered local services on Sanyo and Kure lines in Hiroshima region. Some 111 series intermediate vehicles working with 115-3000 series end vehicles were displaced with newly delivered 115-3000 series intermediate vehicles and the others were displaced with air-conditioned 115-0 series intermediate vehicles in 1983.
After the splitting of JNR into privatized JR companies in 1987, their livery was changed into Hiroshima rapid colour scheme, and they were relocated to Hiroshima depot to enter the rapid service linking downtown Hiroshima and new Hiroshima airport opened in 1993. 115-0 series intermediate vehicles working with 115-3000 series end vehicles were displaced with class moha115/114-3500 vehicles. Furthermore, they were relocated to Shimonoseki depot again in 2003. JR West commenced life extension programme N30 on 115-3000 series with new livery. Subsequently they were repainted into yellow monochromatic colour in 2012. Rapid services were also discontinued at this time.
Nevertheless, 115-3000 series vehicles were withdrawn from local services of Iwakuni and eastward in 2016 since 227 series EMUs were delivered for the local services in Hiroshima area from 2014. They are now used on Sanyo line rural services between Iwakuni and Shimonoseki. |
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