Since shelving mass-production of type Kiha37 vehicles, Japanese National Railways (JNR) had to continue to use superannuated Kiha35 vehicles used on rural services of Hachiko line. JNR remodeled Kiha35 vehicles into type Kiha38 vehicles by transplanting withdrawn DMUs bogies and building new bodies and diesel engines in order to solve these problems.
Dimensions are very similar to those of Kiha37 vehicles. Body height is
60mm higher than that of Kiha37 because of adopting the air conditioner.
3 double-leaf doors are fitted on ton each side of the body. Steps at the
doorway are incorporated because they run on the lines of which platforms
are low. They differ from type Kiha35 vehicles in having door cases in
place of adopting hanging doors. Doors are semi-automatic. Passengers can
open or close doors manually by pushing buttons.
Kiha38 vehicles feature a flat-six arrangement diesel engine, DMF13HS,
which adopt direct injection. The hydraulic transmission gear is TC2B/DF115A
which disused vehicles were equipped with. Bogies are DT22C/TR51B which
disused vehicles were equipped with.
The accommodation is bucket type longitudinal seating. The air conditioner,
AU34, is driven by the sub engine.
Although Kiha38 vehicles had been used on the rural services of the Hachiko
Line, they were transferred to the Kururi line and now used on the rural
services of the Kururi line. |
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