Background and overview
Class EF16 locomotives incorporating the regenerative brake which were used on the Ou line having long 33-35‰ grads between Fukushima and Yonezawa impede to provide additional capacity caused by the low tractive effort. On the other hand, the progress of the extension of electrified section including the Joetsu and Chuo-west lines having 25‰ grads caused the desire to introduce new electric locomotives with high adhesion. Therefore, Japanese National Railways started to develop the new electric locomotive which had similar adhesion to that of class EF62 DC electric locomotive. The regenerative braking was applied on long downhill gradient between Fukushima and Yonezawa. However, the new locomotive incorporated the rheostatic brake instead of the regenerative brake not to interfere with operations on other lines, because the reinforcement of the rectifier substation was required to meet the additional power demand and there was a plan to switch this section into AC electrification in the future. With consideration for these backgrounds, JNR developed class EF64 DC electric locomotive and delivered 2 pre-production vehicles in 1964.
Car body
Their body features gangwayed and double ended boxcab style constructed by steel and the windscreen consists of the plane glass and the curved glass for the corner to get better visibility. Their body skin employs 2.3mm thick steel plate. Two headlights featuring sealed beam light bulbs are mounted above the windscreens, and icicle cutters are fitted above the windscreens and the head lights. Two cab ventilation grilles are fitted below the windscreens. Six pairs of rectangular windows and louver windows employing punching plate are fitted on each side of their body. The side posts are constructed with 6mm thick plate to reinforce the side structure applying vertical load, because the side structure has large opening at the louver windows. They have 4-block construction detachable roof and a monitor roof having ventilators is fitted above the traction resistors, and another monitor roof above the high voltage equipments. and an auxiliary machinery room roof are fitted on the 4-block construction detachable roof to mount/dismount equipments inside the body. Their livery was blue with cream rectangle accent below the windscreens.
Bogies
The outer bogies are DT120A having 2800mm wheelbase and side bearings located on the bolster springs apply all of vertical load. The upper part of the side beam and the bolster located under the cross beam are connected with two swing hangers on each side. On the other hand, the centre bogie is DT121A which features the typical bolstered bogie. The upper bolster applies 80% vertical load and the bolster springs apply the rest. The upper bolster and the lower bolster are connected with long swing hangers to allow wide lateral displacement. Both bogies employ the pedestal type journal supporting system and the centre plate of the bolster is located at the low position to reinforce mechanical adhesion with lower point of application for the traction force. Their drive unit features single reduction axle-hung and its gear ratio is 3.83.
Traction unit and auxiliary equipments
They employ the traction system featuring cam contactors driven by camshaft drive device to control traction motors, consisting of the rheostatic control system, CS22, to control the powering and braking, the switching and vernier control system, CS23, to switch the traveling direction and the circuits for powering and braking and to control the vernier, and the field control system, CS24, 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, MT52, with a power output of 425kW, the armature current resistance, MR74, and shunting resistance, MR75 and MR76. A motor generator, MH107A-DM69A, with a power output of 320kVA supplying electrical power for train-heating and another motor generator, MH81B-DM44B, with a power output of 5kVA supplying control electricity are fitted. A motor driven air compressor, MH92B-C3000, two electric blowers, MH91A-FK34A, to supply cooling air for 6 traction motors, and six electric blowers, MH110A-FK77, to supply cooling air for the traction resistor are also fitted in the equipment room. Two lozenge-shaped current pickups, PS17, are fitted on their roof. They adopt standard automatic brake, EL14AS, which is usually applied for double headed locomotives.
Additional delivery
EF64 3 onward built as mass-production type over the period from July 1965
until September differ from earlier vehicles in having the rheostatic control
system, CS22A, and the switching and vernier control system, CS23A.
EF64 13 onward built to obtain the locomotives to allocate at the start of electrified Chuo-west line between Tajimi and Mizunami over the period from March 1966 until June is equipped with a dead weight instead of the motor generator for train-heating.
EF64 29 onward built for the start of electrified Chuo-west line between Mizunami and Nakatsugawa in September 1968 differ from earlier vehicles in employing the traction motor, MT52A, having the improved armature insulation and the motor generator for train heating, MH107B-DB96B, employing of roller bearing.
EF64 31 onward built to deliver Chuo-eat line over the period from January 1970 until April differ from earlier vehicles in having the improved rheostatic control system, CS22B, the improved switching and vernier control system, CS23B, and the improved field control system, CS24A. They are also equipped with the dead-man's vigilance device (EB) and the one-action emergency operation device (TE) for single train crew operation.
EF64 37 onward built to provide additional oil transport capacity on the Chuo-east line differ from earlier vehicles in having windshield with heating wire instead of the defroster, the improved rheostatic control system, CS22C, the improved switching and vernier control system, CS23C, and the field control system, CS24B.
EF64 46 onward built for the start of the Chuo-west line between Nakatsugawa and Shiojiri and the Shinonoi line between Matsumoto and Shinonoi differ from earlier vehicles in having an electric fan under the ceiling and a trapezoid fan cover on the roof. Two cab ventilation grilles below the windscreens are removed. They also employed the pressure intensifying braking to shorten braking distance for the corresponding to the high-speed traveling on the flat line, he improved rheostatic control system, CS22D, the improved switching and vernier control system, CS23D, and the field control system, CS24C. Further, EF64 56 onward is equipped with a dead weight instead of the motor generator for train-heating.
EF64 76 onward built over the period January 1976 until November employed the attached plate displaying locomotive number.
Modification and refurbishment
JR Freight
ATS-SF installation
JR Freight fitted with the ATS-SF onboard signaling system having the speed check function over the period from January 1992 until March.
Refurbishment programme
The refurbishment programme commenced over the period from December 1995 until October 2002 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. Refurbished vehicles were painted in new JR Freight two-tone blue livery having mustard-coloured doors. Most of them were repainted in light purple with sky blue accent later named revised JR Freight livery.
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 December 1990 until January of the following year.
Operations and withdrawal
Class EF64-0 locomotives entered both passenger and freight services on the Ou line between Fukushima and Yonezawa in 1965. In addition, class EF64-0 locomotives not equipped with a motor generator for train heating entered freight services on the Chuo-east line in 1966. Furthermore, EF64-0 locomotives which had been used on the Ou line and displaced with class EF78 and EF71 locomotives caused by the start of AC electrification between Fukushima and Yonezawa were reallocated to the Chuo-west line and entered both passenger and freight services in 1968. They started to haul all passenger and freight trains on Chuo-west line in 1973 after the extension of the electrified Chuo-west line to Matsumoto and the start of Shinonoi line between Matsumoto and Shinonoi. Furthermore, they entered both passenger and freight services on the Joetsu line in 1979 and used on "Chokai" express services and "Amanogawa (Milky Way)" express overnight sleeping services linking Ueno and Akita, and "Hokuriku" intercity overnight sleeping services and "Noto" express overnight sleeping services linking Ueno and Kanazawa.
They entered fright services on Oume and Nambu lines in 1981. However, class EF64-1000 vehicles replaced class EF64-0 vehicles used on the Oume and Nambu lines freight services in 1982. On the other hand, they entered freight services on the Hakubi and San-in lines between Okayama and Chiimiya in 1982.
At the splitting of JNR into the privatized JR companies, JR Freight received 68 vehicles of EF64-1000, JR East 6, JR Central 3, and JR West 6 in 1987.
Vehicles owned by JR East had been used on distribute and chartered trains. However, they had been completely scrapped in 2009.
Vehicles owned by JR Central had been used on chartered trains and "Spur" special trains. They had been used on work trains after 2005. However, they were completely scrapped in 2009.
Although, vehicles owned by JR West had been used on chartered trains and work trains, they had been completely scrapped in 2009.
Vehicles owned by JR Freight had been used on "Chikuma" express overnight sleeping services linking Osaka and Nagano besides freight services on Chio-east, Chuo-west, and Hakubi lines. Class EF64-0 vehicles used on Hakubi line had been displaced with class EF64-1000 vehicles in 1988 and the operation of "Chikuma" services were changed into 383 series EMU in1997. Class EF64-1000 vehicles used on Hakubi line were reallocated to Chuo-west line, because ATS-PT signaling system in JR Central area started in 2011. Thus, some class EF64-0 vehicles used in JR Central area were reallocated to Hakubi line in 2011. However, they had been completely scrapped in 2015. |
|
| Technical Data |
| Items |
Data |
| Supply
Voltage |
1500VDC |
| Service
speed |
115km/h |
| Max power |
2,550kW |
| Length |
17,900mm |
| Width |
2,800mm |
| Total
mass |
96.0t |
| Axles location |
B0-B0-B0 |
| Bogie |
DT120A (End), DT121A (Intermediate) |
| Current
collector |
PS17B |
| Traction
motor |
MT52 (1~28), MT52B (29~79) |
| rheostatic control system |
CS22 (1, 2), CS22A (3~30), CS22B (31~36), CS22C(37~79) |
| switching and vernier control system |
CS23 (1, 2), CS23A (3~30), CS23B (31~36), CS23C(37~79) |
| field control system |
CS24 (1~30), CS24A (31~36), CS24B (37~45), CS24C (46~79) |
| Designed
by |
Japanese National Railways |
|
|
