Background and overview
In 1979, Japanese National Railways (JNR) developed class kiha48-500/-1500 single-cab diesel multiple unit (DMU) in order to replace superannuated class kiha10 series DMU used on unelectrified lines in cold district. At the splitting of JNR into the privatized JR companies, JR East received 74 vehicles of class kiha48-500/-1500 and JR Central 35 in 1987.
Car body
Bodies constructed by weatherproof high-tension steel have 20806mm 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 plat and employed raised
driver's cab e 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 with above the gangway and two headlights
employing the sealed beam light bulb are fitted with 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 with
above the door header of the door and double-hung unit assembled windows,
the upper sash of which moves down and the lower moves up, between the
doors. Forced draught ventilators and two FRP water tanks fitted with inside
the steel cover are fitted with 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, DT44A, and a trailer bogie, TR227A, featuring indirect mounted airbags for the secondary suspension, cylindrical guide journal box 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 kiha48-500/1500 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 with under the ceiling. They are vestibuled. Class kiha48-500 vehicles are equipped with a Japanese style toilet at the end of the vehicles.
Modification
JR East
JR East began to equip 18 kiha48-500/-1500 vehicles with the ticket machines to issue the ticket indicating the boarding station at the doorways, the fare box near the driver's seat, and fare display behind cab for the conductor-less operation in 1988.
In addition, JR East began to replace a prime mover with DMF14HZ of Cummins
INC., US and equipped them with two prime mover driven air conditioners,
AU26J-A, rated at 15,500kcal/h in 1996 and onward (four kiha48-500/-1500
vehicles are equipped with a prime mover driven air conditioner, AU26J-A,
rated at 30,000lcal/h). As for their accommodation, JR East began to change
the accommodation of 4 kiha48-500/-1500 vehicles into longitudinal bench
seating in 1990. Moreover, JR East changed 14 vehicles of the transverse
seating bays into 2+1 abreast.
JR Central
Class kiha48-3500
JR Central fitted five kiha48-500 vehicles with a self-powered air conditioner,
C-AU27, rated at 24,000kcal/h in 1989. Then JR Central replaced a prime
mover and a hydraulic transmission with C-DMF14HZB with a power output
of 350PS and C-DW14 and classified into -5000 subclass over the period
from 1989 until 1990. Moreover, JR Central displace the prime mover and
the hydraulic transmission gear with C-DMF14HZ with a power output of 350PS
and C-DW14A, and classified them kiha48-3500. At the same time, JR Central
equipped them with the ticket machines to issue the ticket indicating the
boarding station at the doorways, the fare box near the driver's seat,
and fare display behind cab for the conductor-less operation.
Class kiha48-3800
JR Central equipped 5 kiha48-3500 vehicles having the ticket machines to issue the ticket indicating the boarding station at the doorways, the fare box near the driver's seat, and the fare display behind driver's cab with buttons to open/close doors manually for the conductor-less operation and classified them into -3800 subclass in 1999.
Class kiha48-5500
JR Central fitted 13 kiha48-500 vehicles with a self-powered air conditioner,
C-AU27 or C-AU28, over the period from 1989 until 1991. Then JR Central
replaced a prime mover and a hydraulic transmission with C-DMF14HZB with
a power output of 350PS and C-DW14A and classified into -5500 subclass
over the period from 1995 until 1999.
Class kiha48-5800
JR Central equipped 8 kiha48-5500 vehicles with the ticket machines to issue the ticket indicating the boarding station at the doorways, the fare box near the driver's seat, the fare display behind driver's cab, and buttons to open/close doors manually for the conductor-less operation and classified them into -5800 subclass in 1999.
Class kiha48-6500
JR Central fitted 17 kiha48-1500 vehicles with a self-powered air conditioner,
C-AU27 or C-AU28, over the period from 1988 until 1991. Then JR Central
replaced a prime mover and a hydraulic transmission with C-DMF14HZB with
a power output of 350PS and C-DW14A and classified into -6500 subclass
over the period from 1995 until 1998.
Class kiha48-6800
JR Central equipped 14 kiha48-6500 vehicles with the ticket machines to
issue the ticket indicating the boarding station at the doorways, the fare
box near the driver's seat, the fare display behind driver's cab, and buttons
to open/close doors manually for the conductor-less operation and classified
them into -6800 subclass over the period from 1999 until 2003.
Operations
Class kiha47-500/-1500 had been used on rural services on unelectrified lines in Tohoku and Hida regions. However, they owned by JR East have completely been withdrawn by replacement with class kiha100 series, kiha110 series, and kihaE130 series excepting special vehicles used on charters, special events, tourist excursions, and other similar purposes in 2021. They owned by JR Central have completely been withdrawn by replacement with class kiha25 in 2016. |
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