Background and overview
Japanese National Railways (JNR) was considering introducing the new electric locomotive that could be used on both passenger and freight trains not only as the banker locomotive but as the leading locomotive to replace superannuated the banker locomotive, class EF16, besides class EF58 and class EF15 used on the Joetsu line having long 20-25‰ grads. Some of them had been already replaced with class EF64-0 locomotives reallocated from the Chuo-East line duties. Therefore, JNR was considering building class EF64-0 locomotives additionally. However, JNR eventually decided to develop DC electric locomotives, class EF64-1000, with major changes to class EF64-0 in 1979, because the rheostatic brake of class EF64-0 has insufficient for the long steep grades and the heavy protection against the motor flashover failures caused by melting snow in cold region. They are three-bogied (BoBoBo) and employ cam contactors driven by camshaft drive device with current limiting relays to control traction motors.
Car body
Their body features gangwayed and double ended boxcab style constructed by steel and have 18,600mm long, 2,900mm wide, and 3960mm high body for the assumption to be used on the Chuo-East line having tunnels with small cross section. Their body skin employs 2.3mm thick steel plate excepting the skin below the windscreens employs 3.2mm thick to protect against obstacles at the level crossing. Inside of the vehicle is divided into 3 rooms. A room at the centre is equipped with the heat exhaust fan and a motored air compressor, a room located toward the A end is equipped with a brush-less motor generator and an auxiliary power supply, and a room located toward the B end is equipped with traction systems. The bodysides were given an asymmetrical appearance. Three rectangular louver windows for the ventilation are fitted on the outside of the wall of the centre room, 1 rectangular window on the outside of the A end room, and 3 windows on the outside of A end room on each side of the body. The ventilating duct for the snow separator exists between the louver and the air filter. A large opening to mount or detach the equipments inside the body exists on the roof, and the cant rails are fixed by the wall of the equipment rooms. The ventilator constructed by the aluminum for the heat exhaust of the traction resistors are fitted on the centre equipment room, and a monitoring roof is on the B end equipment room. Two headlights featuring sealed beam light bulbs are mounted above the windscreens, and icicle cutters are fitted above the windscreens and the head lights. Their livery was blue with cream rectangle accent below the windscreens.
Bogies
Bogies having 2600mm wheelbase are DT138A for outer and DT139A for centre, featuring bolster-less construction and the cylindrical rubber bush journal supporting system. In addition, they are equipped with the brake rigging to prevent brakes from releasing caused by the air leak for the train move prevention when the train is stopping for a long period of time on a steep gradient. Their drive unit features single reduction axle-hung and its gear ratio is 3.83.
Traction unit and auxiliary equipments
Class EF64-1000 locomotives employ the traction system featuring cam contactors driven by camshaft drive device to control traction motors, consisting of the rheostatic control system, CS22D, to control the powering and braking, the switching and vernier control system, CS23D, to switch the traveling direction and the circuits for powering and braking and to control the vernier, and the field control system, CS24C, for the field weaking control while powering and braking, and axle weight compensation. They are equipped with six traction motors which are series-wound brushed DC traction motors, MT52B, with a power output of 425kW, the armature current resistance, MR146, the field current resistance, MR77, and shunting resistance, MR76A and MR81. An auxiliary power unit, SC14, with a power output of 320kVA supplying electrical power for train-heating and a brush-less motor generator, DM104, with a power output of 120kVA supplying electricity to a motor driven air compressor, MH3064A-C3000 and two electric blowers, MH3084-FK144, to supply cooling air to 6 traction motors and the traction resistor are fitted in the A end equipment room. Two cross arm type current pickups, PS22B, are fitted on their roof. They adopt standard automatic brake, EL14A, which is usually applied for double headed locomotives.
Additional delivery
EF64 1017 onward built over the period from July 1981 until October differ from earlier class EF64-1000 in having the lighting for the jumper couplers located on the lower right of the front. The current pickup is changed into PS22C.
EF64 1033 onward built to replace superannuated class EF58 and EF15 locomotives used on the Joetsu line over the period from June 1982 until October are not equipped with an auxiliary power supply for train-heating.
Modification and refurbishment
JR Freight
Air conditioning installation
JR Freight fitted the cab with the air conditioner over the period from
December 1992 until March 2010.
ATS-SF installation
JR Freight fitted with the ATS-SF onboard signaling system having the speed check function over the period from December 1991 until November of the following year.
ATS-PF installation
JR Freight fitted with the ATS-PF onboard signaling system over the period from May 2004 until January 2008.
Refurbishment programme
The refurbishment programme commenced over the period from July 2003 until March 2007 involved replacement of the bogie and brake parts, introduction of solid rolled wheel, replacement of the major wiring, replacement of armature coil and reinforcement of insulation of traction motors, and refurbishment of the rheostatic control system and the field control system over the period. Their traction motor also began to be displaced with MT52C employing a roller bearing for the suspension bearing at the same period. Locomotives refurbished at Omiya works were painted in dark blue with white rectangle accent below the windscreens and white diagonal stripe on the side. On the other hand, locomotives refurbished at Hiroshima works were painted in dark blue with white rectangle accent below the windscreens and the white narrow band on the side.
Train positioning device installation
JR Freight introduced train positioning system using GPS to grasp the location of freight trains quickly when the disaster occurs and fitted with GPS antenna on the roof above the co-driver's seat at the B end over the period from April 2001 until March of the following year.
JR East
ATS-P installation
JR East fitted with the ATS-P onboard signaling system located at the co-driver's seat at the A end over the period from April 1990 until November.
Operations and withdrawal
They delivered to Nagaoka depot in 1979 and enter both passenger and freight train services on the Joetsu line. 2 vehicles were reallocated to Takasaki No.2 depot and 6 to Hachioji depot to displace class EF64-0 vehicles used on Nambu and Oume line freight services. Locomotives allocated at Hachioji depot were reallocated to Takasaki No.2 depot after Hachioji depot was discontinued in 1986. On the other hand, 3 locomotives were reallocated to Okayama depot to enter the Hakubi and San-in lines in 1986.
At the splitting of JNR into the privatized JR companies, JR Freight received 46 vehicles of EF64-1000 and JR East 8 in 1987.
EF64-1000 vehicles owned by JR East hauled "Chokai" intercity overnight sleeping services starting in 1990 and linking Ueno and Aomori, besides "Dewa" services linking Ueno and Akita and "Hokuriku" linking Ueno and Kanazawa. "Chokai" services were rebranded into "Akebono" at the start of Akita Shinkansen. However, these services were completely discontinued and EF64 1029 was scrapped in 2003 and EF64 1052 in 2021. Remaining 6 vehicles are now used on distribute trains.
EF64-1000 owned by JR Freight had been used on Joetsu, Chuo-east, Oume, Nambu, Hakubi, and San-in lines duties. However, the vehicles used on the Joetsu duties were displaced with EH200 in 2010, and all EF64-1000 vehicles were reallocated to Aichi depot. They entered Shinonoi and Chuo-west duties to displace EF64-0 vehicles used on them caused by the start of ATS-PT signaling system in JR Central area in 2011. 3 not refurbished vehicles were scrapped in 2013. 22 vehicles used on Chuo-east line were gradually displaced with class EH200 and EF510 vehicles and had been scrapped until 2022. Remaining vehicles are now used on Chuo-west, Shinonoi and Hakubi lines. |
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