The 87 series, branded the Twilight Express Mizukaze, is a Japanese hybrid multiple unit used by the West Japan Railway Company since June 2017 as a charter train.
History[]
Plans to build a "cruise train" were unveiled by JR West in May 2014. More details about the train were unveiled on 19 February 2015, such as the service's name and the overall design. The set acts as a successor to the older Twilight Express locomotive-hauled sleeper train.
The first five cars were delivered in March 2016 from Kawasaki Heavy Industries's Kobe factory, with the two end cars delivered from Nippon Sharyo's Osaka factory in August 2016. Soon after, mainline testing began in late September, initially formed as a four car set with the cars covered in black protective vinyl film.
The service began on 17 June 2017. The set is based at Gotō Depot and does not have a fleet number, although railfans have given the set the colloquial fleet number of TW01 or TM001.
Design[]
The set's basic design was overseen by designers Tetsuo Fukuda and Kazuya Ura. The whole ten car set has six sleeping cars (five of which have three private suites and the remaining car has a single luxury suite occupying the entire car along with a bathtub and private balcony), a lounge car, a dining car, and two end cars which act as the observation cars.
The interior of the train is done in an Art Deco style. All suites on the set include a washroom; a suite in car 4 is "universal access", while cars 2, 3, 5, 8 and 9 have toilets that can be used by all passengers. The entire ten car set accommodates 34 passengers.
Specifications[]
Construction is of aluminum for cars 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9 and steel for the remaining cars. The set uses a rather novel "EDC" hybrid system; the train has diesel generators which help power the set's traction motors and a backup battery.
The set's traction motors are insulated gate bipolar transistor variable frequency drives with PWM converters, while the two diesel generators are SA6D140HE-3 prime movers as seen on various JR West diesels.
Gallery[]
References[]
JR West rolling stock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Active | AC EMUs | Shinkansen: 500 • 700 • N700 • N700S • W7 Non-revenue Shinkansen: 923 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DC EMUs | Commuter: 103 • 105 • 113 • 115 • 117 • 123 • 125 • 201 • 205 • 207 • 213 • 221 • 223 • 225 • 227 • 321 • 323 Limited Express: 271 • 273 • 281 • 283 • 285 • 287 • 289 • 381 Non-revenue: 145 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Dual-current EMUs | Commuter: 521 Limited Express: 681 • 683 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DMUs | Commuter: KiHa 40 • KiHa 120 • KiHa 121/126 • KiHa 122/127 Limited Express: KiHa 187 • KiHa 189 Non-revenue: KiYa 141 • KiYa 143 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Hybrid DEMUs | Charter: 87 Non-revenue: DEC700 • DEC741 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Withdrawn | AC EMUs | Shinkansen: 0 • 100 • 300 Non-revenue Shinkansen: 922 • 500-900 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DC EMUs | Commuter: 42 • 83 • 84 • 101 • 211 Limited Express: 165 • 167 • 183 Non-revenue: 90 • 91 • 213/223-9000 • 441 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Dual-current EMUs | Commuter: 413 • 415 • 419 • 455 • 457 • 471 • 475 Limited Express: 485 • 489 • 583 Non-revenue: 443 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DMUs | Commuter: KiHa 33 • KiHa 35 • KiHa 37 • KiHa 45 • KiHa 52 Express: KiHa 58 • KiHa 65 Limited Express: KiHa 181 Non-revenue: KiYa 191 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Hybrid BEMUs | Commuter: DGBC2 |
JR rolling stock | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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