Background and overview
In 1977, Japanese National Railways (JNR) developed class kiha40-100 single-car diesel multiple unit (DMU) in order to replace superannuated class kiha12 vehicles used in Hokkaido region. Class kiha40-100 vehicles have heavy protection against snow and coldness in winter. At the splitting of JNR into the privatized JR companies, JR Hokkaido received all vehicles of class kiha40-100 in 1987.
Car body
Bodies constructed by weatherproof high-tension steel have 20809mm long
and 2930mm wide body having 1.6mm thick skin and 1.2mm thick roof. Their
gangwayed cab ends are constructed with 4.5mm thick plate and employed
raised driver's cab for the protection against obstacles at the level crossing.
Expansible sealing rubber is applied for a gangway door to prevent cold
air from entering through the gap between a gangway door and door frame.
A destination rollsign is fitted above the gangway and two headlights employing
the sealed beam light bulb are fitted each side of the front rollsign.
They are equipped with two 1,000mm wide stepped single leaf semi-automatic
sliding doors employing the door operating equipment, TK105, fitted above
the door header of the door and double-paned windows between the doors
for the protection against heavy coldness in winter. Forced draught ventilators
and two FRP water tanks fitted inside the steel cover are fitted on the
roof. They are also equipped with two heat exchangers rated at 15,000kcal/h
under their floor to supply heated air to passenger room by electric fan.
Their bodies are painted in vermilion.
Bogies
They are equipped with a powered bogie, DT44, and a trailer bogie, TR227, featuring indirect mounted airbags for the secondary suspension, pedestal type journal supporting system employing rubber covered spring, a large diameter centre pivot, and sealed roller bearings. Brake rigging is the single tread brake powered by the body mounted brake cylinder.
Traction unit and ancillary equipments
Class kiha40-100 vehicles are powered by a diesel prime mover, DMF15HSA, with a power output of 220PS, employing the individual cylinder head and the supercharger, TB15, to achieve higher power output. Their hydraulic transmission gear is DW10, which is made several improvements on DW9 employed for kiha66 series DMU, incorporating oil filling and draining type three-member single-stage torque converter and multi-plate wet clutch. They are equipped with an air compressor, CW750D, powered by a prime mover. Their brake system is the automatic electromagnetic (CLE) air brake.
Accommodation
Seating is arranged as mixture of longitudinal bench seating and 4-seat transverse seating bays with 1470mm seating pitch. Electric fans are fitted under the ceiling. They are vestibuled and equipped with a Japanese style toilet at the end of the vehicles.
Additional delivery
Kiha40 117 onward built in 1979 differ from former class kiha40-100 in
having improved bogies, DT44A/TR227A, substituting cylindrical guide journal
box supporting system for pedestal type journal supporting system. Two
4-seat transverse seating bays were changed into 2-seat transverse seating
caused by enlarged toilet. Thus, their window arrangement is also changed.
250 vehicles were built over the period from 1977 until 1982.
Modification
Class kiha400-1000
Nine kiha400-1000 vehicles were converted from kiha40-100 vehicles in order
to displace locomotive-hauled passenger coaches used on "Souya"
and "Tempoku" express services linking Sapporo and Wakkanai in
1988. Their prime mover was changed into DMF13HZ with a power output of
330PS, employing the supercharger and the intercooler, and their hydraulic
transmission gear was changed into N-DW14B featuring two-stage direct coupled
range. An air conditioner, AU400, rated at 18,000kcal/h was also fitted
on their roof. A diesel generator supplying electricity for an air conditioner
was fitted across the aisle from a Japanese style toilet. A washroom was
located next to a Japanese style toilet additionally. All seats are 2+2
abreast adjustable reclining with 900mm seating pitch. The air conditioning
duct is fitted above the ceiling and the outlets of cool air are slit shape.
Fluorescent lights with a cover were fitted beside the ac outlet. Their
livery was silver gray with and dark gray skirting. Red and green accents
were also applied.
Kiha400-1000 vehicles were converted into class kiha40-330 or class kiha400-500
again and vehicles classified kiha400-1000 were withdrawn.
Class kiha40-700
JR Hokkaido began to equip kiha40-100 vehicles with the ticket machines to issue the ticket indicating the boarding station at the doorways, the fare boxes near the driver's seats and fare displays behind cabs for the conductor-less operation in 1990 and classified them into -700 subclass. All of remaining kiha40-100 vehicles were converted.
Class kiha40-300
JR Hokkaido modified four kiha40-700 vehicles to provide additional capacity for Sassho line ordinary services and classified them into -300 subclass in 1996. Their prime mover was changed into N-DMF13HZB with a power output of 330PS and their hydraulic transmission gear was changed into N-DW14D. Passenger accommodation was changed into mixture of longitudinal bench seating and 2+1 abreast transverse seating bays. The vestibule of the doorway was also discontinued and their single leaf sliding doors were changed into semi-automatic door which can be operated manually by pushing the buttons fitted beside the door. A chemical holding tank was also applied for a toilet. A prime mover driven air conditioner, N-AU26, rated at 20,600kcal/h was fitted on their roof.
Class kiha40-350
JR Hokkaido modified ten kiha40-700 vehicles to displace superannuated
class kiha130 used on Hidaka line rural services and classified them into
-350 subclass in 1998. Their prime mover was changed into N-DMF13HZB with
a power output of 330PS and their hydraulic transmission gear was changed
into N-DW14D. Their livery is white with blue wide band around side windows,
blue narrow band skirting, and pink narrow accent below blue ide band.
Class kiha40-400
JR Hokkaido modified two kiha40-700 vehicles to introduce conductor-less operation and to displace superannuated class53-500 used on the rural services of the Sassho line between Ishikari-Tobetsu and Shin-Totsukawa and classified them into -400 subclass in 1996. They are equipped with a powerful prime mover, N-DMF13HZD, with a power output of 450PS and a. hydraulic transmission gear, N-DW14C, to receive high power output of N-DMF13HZD for single-car operation under heavy snowfall (the vehicle needs high traction power to remove snow from railroad tracks). Their powered bogie was introduced 2-axle drive and was classified into N-DT44B.
Class kiha40-1700
JR Hokkaido began to replace a prime mover and a hydraulic transmission
of remaining Kiha40-700 vehicles with N-DMF13HI with a power output of
330PS and N-DW40 in 2003. Their body was also refurbished with body repair
and replacement electric fans fitted under their ceiling into electric
blowers.
Operations
Class kiha40-100 had been used on rural services on unelectrified lines in Hokkaido region. However, they have got superannuated and are gradually withdrawn by starting to be replaced with class H100 in 2020. |
|
| Technical Data |
| Items |
Data |
| Service
speed, etc. |
Service
speed: 95km/h |
| Length |
21300mm |
| Width |
2903mm |
| Height |
4055mm |
| Bogie |
DT44, DT44A (motored) TR227, TR227A (trailer) |
| Traction
engine |
DMF15HSA (220PS)/DMF13HZ (330PS)/DMF13HZB (330PS)/DMF13HZD (450PS) |
| Transmission |
DW10/N-DW14B/N-DW14D/N-DW40 |
| Air conditioner |
AU400 (18,000kcal/h)/N-AU26 (28,000kcal/h) |
| Designed
by |
Japan National
Railways |
|
|
