Background and overview
JR East developed class kiha48-700/-1700 diesel multiple unit vehicles to provide additional capacity for "Resort Shirakami" rapid services introduced as a sightseeing train along the scenic coastal Gono Line, coinciding with the opening of the Akita Shinkansen in 1997. class kiha48-700/-1700 DMU vehicles were converted from class kiha40-500 DMU vehicles to form a 3-car sets named "Buna (beech tree)" in 2002. A "Buna" set consisting of two class kiha48-700 end vehicles and a class kiha48-1700 intermediate vehicle has three concepts as follows: enjoying beautiful coastal scenery, pleasure on the train, trip of the willful train of the resort, and fully enjoying nature.
Car body
Their livery is dark green to emulate the colure of the Shirakami mountain area with white wide and narrow bands around side windows.
Class kiha48-700
A new toilet and an additional washroom are fitted with where the rear
cab section of class kiha40-500 is cut off, and new no gangwayed cab section
adopting dogleg streamline shape having wide windscreen to have a commanding
view of the tracks ahead is fitted with where an original front cab section
is cut off. A built-in classification headboard having emittable nickname
characters is fitted with below the windscreen of their end section. Front
single-leaf sliding doors are filled with the plate by welding. High fixed
windows employing heat absorbing glass are fitted with between the cab
section and the rear single-leaf sliding doors except each two windows
of the lounge room are 150mm openable downward. They are equipped with
two prime mover driven air conditioners, AU26J-A, rated at 15,500kcal/h
on their roof.
Class kiha48-1700
An additional segregated smoking compartment is fitted with where the rear cab section and a rear single-leaf sliding door is cut off. High fixed windows employing heat absorbing glass are fitted with behind the front remining single-leaf sliding doors except each two windows of the lounge room are 150mm openable downward. It is equipped with two prime mover driven air conditioners, AU26J-A, rated at 15,500kcal/h on their roof.
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
They are powered by a diesel prime mover, DMF14HZ of Cummins INC., US, with a power output of 300PS. Their hydraulic transmission gear is original DW10. Their brake system is the automatic electromagnetic (CLE) air brake.
Accommodation
Class kiha48-700
Seating accommodation consists of adjustable reclining seating with 2+2 abreast seating and 1200mm seating pitch. Every seating excepting a universal access seating of kiha48-701 is fitted with on the high-level floor to provide sufficient passenger's view. A lounge equipped with a sofa and two pipe benches facing front and side is located behind the cab. A pipe bench facing side has a flip over backrest-pipe to face to the sofa. They adopt free stop roller blinds on the side windows. Their passenger saloon features black lights to light up the appearance of innumerable stars in the universe excepting both fluorescent lights and down lights. A door between a vestibule and a passenger saloon is automatic, detecting by the photo sensor. A western style toilet and a flash urinal employing the vacuum toilet system are located at the rear of the vehicle. A wash room is also located at the rear of the vehicle. A wester style toilet of kiha48-701 among these provides universal access.
Class kiha48-1700
Its accommodation consists of eight 4-seat compartments having pairs of seats, their seat and their backrest of which are pulled out and put them together to make a wide flat space to relax and stretch legs out. Each compartment has a fire-resistant wooden table. They adopt free stop roller blinds on the side windows. Its passenger saloon features indirect lighting. A door between a vestibule and a passenger saloon is automatic, detecting by the photo sensor. A smoking room is located at the rear of the vehicle.
Additional delivery
After kiha48 vehicles 4-car set named "Aoike (blue pond)" was replaced with HB-E300 series hybrid diesel multiple unit (DMU), a kiha48 1543 intermediate vehicle of "Aoike" set was transplanted to "Buna" set to make it 4-car set. Its livery was changed into ark green to emulate the colure of the Shirakami mountain area with white wide and narrow bands around side windows as existing "Buna" set vehicles in 2010.
Operations
Kiha48-700 series had been used on "Resort Shirakami" rapid services linking Akita and Hiroski/Aomori via the costal Gono line. However, they were displaced with HB-E300 series hybrid DMUs in 2016. After that, they used on "Akita Cruise" services linking Akita and Akita port to transport cruise liner passengers with changing their livery. But "Akita Cruise services were suspended by COVID-19 infection spreading and kiha48-700 vehicles were withdrawn finally. |
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