Background and overview
JR West developed class kiha121 double-cab rural diesel multiple unit (DMU)
in 2003, because single-car DMU had to be delivered at completement due
to carry out the speeding-up work of San-in line between Tottori and Yonago.
9 vehicles were delivered to Goto depot.
Car body
They have 2800mm wide body with bead-less skin, incorporating light weight stainless steel construction and feature the improved 26mm thick floor construction which consists of deck plates, floor fillings, and floor coverings to improve noise and vibration insulation. Because of this, the slope is introduced at the doorway. Bodies are unpainted and have the blue and red waistline band running the length of each car below the windows. The cab section having a gangway is gabled and two plane windscreens having a cluster of a rectangle-shaped sealed beam headlight and a rectangle-shaped LED trail light behind them are fitted on both sides of the gangway door. The front of the cab section is painted black with red narrow horizontal stripes on the gangway door and red triangular accents below the windscreens. They are equipped with two 1000mm wide stepped single leaf automatic sliding doors which can be operated manually by pushing the buttons fitted beside the door. The window arrangement is changed. They also have six 1100 mm wide laminated fixed windows and two 500mm wide windows between the doors and a 1000mm wide fixed window at the end for protection against flying object. A hinged door and a 330mm wide drop window for train crew is fitted at the cab. A LED destination display is fitted on each side of the body. Air conditioners, WAU707A, employing R407C refrigerant, is installed on the roof. A close contact coupler is employed.
Bogies
Powered bogies are WDT60A incorporating 2-axle drive, and trailer bogies
are WTR244A, featuring bolster-less secondary air suspension, corn-shaped
multilayered rubber spring journal supporting system, and the single link
draw gear. The ceramic injection device and the wheel tread cleaner are
prepared to be fitted. Powered bogies adopt 2-axle drive. Powered bogies
employ the single tread brake rigging and trailer bogies employ both the
single tread brake rigging and the disk brake rigging.
Traction unit and ancillary equipments
They are powered by a four-cycle straight-six diesel prime mover, SA6D140-H-1,
with a power output of 450PS employing the turbo charger powered by the
flow of exhaust gas and the intercooler. Their hydraulic transmission gear
classified into DW21 features a three-member one-stage torque converter,
multi-plate wet clutch, and four-staged direct coupled range. A radiator
and heat exhaust fan unit are miniaturized to be fitted under the floor
to increase seating capacity. They aim to reduce manufacturing costs and
ease maintenance by standardizing equipments with JR West's EMU trains
in particular the 223 series by employing electrified and standardized
equipments to realize beltless. An engine driven generator, WDM111, is
powered by a prime mover via a Constant Speed unit supply three-phase 440V
to the air conditioner and the electric heating. This 440VAC is also stepped
down to 100VAC or rectified to 100VDC to supply to the control circuit
and the auxiliary equipments A engine driven air compressor, WCW800, is
connected to a prime mover with gears. Class kiha121 vehicles adopt the
transmission control unit, TICS (Train Information Control System), which
runs on PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) to reduce trains lines and
relays. The brake system is changed into the electric command pneumatic
brake with jake braking. If the jake braking is no longer able to provide
the specified braking force, the pneumatic braking supplements it. All
vehicles are equipped with ATS-SW onboard signaling system beneath the
floor.
Accommodation
Seating is arranged as a mixture of longitudinal bench seating located
beside doors and transverse seating bays with 1600mm seating pitch. The
frame of the armrest and windows employ wood material to obtain warm space.
Prefabricated panels preassembled with the luggage rack and the hand straps
were employed. Straps were installed throughout the passenger saloon. A
door chime is fitted in the door header of each sliding door. They are
equipped with a universal access toilet located behind the cab section.
The ticket machine, which put the ticket indicating the boarding station,
is located beside doorways at the end of their body. The fare chart seven
segment display and the fare box are located behind the driver's cab. As
for the device of the driving cab, a two-handle master controller is adopted
same as EMU trains.
Operations
Class kiha121 vehicles entered the Sanin line between Toyooka and Masuda,
the Hakubi line between Shoyama and Houki-Daisen, and the Inbi line between
Tottori and Chizu to be used on "Tottori liner" rapid services
and rural services in 2003. They are now used on the Sanin line between
Toyooka and Masuda, the Hakubi line between Shoyama and Houki-Daisen, and
the Inbi line between Tottori and Chizu along with class kiha126 vehicles. |
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