Background and overview
Since the Johban line between Ueno and Toride is DC-electrified and Toride
and northward is AC-electrified, 103 series DC commuter electric multiple
unit (EMU) trains were used on the only DC-electrified section and 403/415
series AC/DC dual voltage suburban EMU trains are on interrunning service
bound for Tsuchiura or Mito. However, the transported volume was rapidly
increasing caused by the land development along this line. Thus, JR East
desired to develop the new commuter AC/DC dual voltage EMU trains to deliver
the additional capacity for interrunning services between Ueno and north
of Toride. For this reason, JR East developed E501 series AC/DC dual voltage
commuter EMU featuring new technology in 1995. One 10-car set consisting
of 4 powered vehicles and 6 trailer vehicles, and one 5-car set consisting
of 2 powered vehicles and 3 trailer vehicles were delivered. They are sometimes
coupled with each other to make a 15-car set.
Car body
They have 2800mm wide body, incorporating unpainted bead-less light weight
stainless construction. The construction of the body is varied depending
on the manufacturer. Vehicles built by Tokyu Car Corporation are constructed
with the outside sheets and inner beams as usual with introducing some
improvements. Vehicles built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries are employed
"two-sheet construction method" that the pressed stainless sheet
and the outside sheet are combined together and those sheets themselves
keep the strength. They have emerald green coloured waistline and headline
bands running the length of each car below and above the windows. Cab ends
are covered with a Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP) painted in white and
black. Although the distance of each bogie of 209 series EMUs is 13300mm
as an optimized value of strength, that of E501 series EMUs adopts 13800mm
to get enough space to fit with AC electrical apparatus under the floor.
The thickness of the body skin is increased to 1.5mm to retain the body
strength. Anti-fall plates between vehicles are also introduced excepting
the cab end. They are equipped with four 1300mm wide double-leaf automatic
sliding doors on each side of the vehicles. Fixed windows adopting heat
absorbent double-glazing glass are fitted between doors and drop windows
are fitted at the both ends of the body. Door operating equipments, TKE150,
featuring electric screw drive are fitted above the door header of the
sliding doors. A LED display for providing passenger information, and a
door chime and flashing alarm lamps while door opening/closing are also
fitted above the door header of the sliding doors. Traditional destination
rollsigns are fitted on the side of their body. Tsuchiura side end cars
of 5-car set and Ueno side end cars of 10-car set are equipped with the
automatic jumper coupler to ease rush-up operations. An air conditioner,
AU720A, rated at 42,000kcal/h, is fitted on the centre of their roof. No
ventilators are fitted on the roof. LED destination indicators and loud
speakers providing guidance broadcast for passengers waiting at a station
are fitted on the side of their body.
Bogies
Motored bogies are DT61C and trailer bogies are TR246D featuring bolster-less secondary air suspension, axle arm type journal box supporting system, and the single link traction device. The distance between two secondary suspensions becomes 200mm narrower than former standard bogie, DT50, in order to simplify the construction of bogie frame by fitting secondary suspensions directly on the side frame of the bogie. The yaw dampers are ready to be fitted to ensure smooth ride characteristics even at 120km/h. Twin Disc (TD) flexible joint employing deflecting plates made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) is applied for power transmission device. The gear ratio is 6.06. Motored bogies employ single tread brake device and trailer bogies employ both single disk brake device and single tread brake device.
Traction unit and ancillary equipments
Powered intermediate vehicles are equipped with a traction system, CI3, which controls 4 AC induction motors, MT70, with a power output of 120kW on truck basis. This traction system developed by Siemens, Germany consists of a self-excited converter employing Gate Turn Off (GTO) thyristor and a Variable-frequency drive (VFD) employing GTO thyristor and featuring fields-oriented control. AC-DC switching is automatically executed by detecting an ATS-P transponder for AC-DC switching. Class mohaE501 powered intermediate vehicles are equipped with a compact diamond-shaped current pickup, PS29, on their roof. A traction transformer which is fitted under the floor of class mohaE501 vehicles supplies electricity to the traction systems which class mohaE501 and mohaE500 vehicles are equipped with. Class mohaE500 vehicles are equipped with an auxiliary power unit, SC45, employing GTO thyristor and powered with the tertiary winding of the traction transformer under the floor. Class sahaE500 and kuhaE500 vehicles are equipped with a motor driven screw air compressor, MH3096-C1600S, under the floor. E501 series employ the electric commanding brake with regenerative braking.
Accommodation
Passenger accommodation consists of longitudinal bench seating featuring
cantilever construction throughout, with an individual seat width of 450
mm per person and two stanchions to divide seating into three sections.
Handrails are fitted at the both end and middle of seats. End vehicles
are equipped with a wheelchair/stroller space. Their interior panels are
modularized namely employing fiber-glass reinforced plastic (FRP) ceiling
panels unified luminaire base, air conditioner duct, and the outlet of
cross flow air blower for easy rigging. A LED display for providing passenger
information, and a door chime are fitted above the door header of the sliding
doors. Roller blinds are left off by introducing heat absorbent windowpane.
As for the device of driving cab, the control desk of the driver's cab
is equipped with a one handle master controller operated by the left hand.
An emergency escape port is fitted on the wall between the passenger saloon
and the driver's cab prepared for the level crossing accident.
Additional delivery
Four additional 10-car sets and four 5-car sets were delivered in 1997.
Modifications
Since E501 series began to be used on the ordinary services of the Joban
line of Tsuchiura and northward, and Mito line and their 5-car sets were
used alone, JR East replaced their traction system with new one, CI17,
consisting of 2-level converter employing Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor
(IGBT) and a 2-level Variable-frequency drive (VFD) employing IGBT for
the improvement of reliability. Class kuhaE501-0/-1000 and kuhaE500-1000
were equipped with an additional universal access toilet and a window facing
the toilet was filled with a stainless plate. Two of fixed side windows
were also changed into openable in 2005 and onward, divided into two in
the ratio of 1:2 and a larger window was changed into a double-hung window,
only the upper sashes of which moved down. The traction system of 10-car
sets were also replaced with CI17 and the automatic jumper coupler was
detached.
Operations
E501 series entered revenue services on the Joban line between Ueno and Tsuchiura in December 19958. However, they were displaced with E531 series EMU. They are now used on the ordinary services of the Joban line between Tsuchiura and Kusano, and the Mito line. |
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