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The JNR Class ED79 was a Japanese AC electric locomotive operated by the Japanese National Railways and its various successors from 1971 to March 2016.

History[]

The ED79 was designed for use on the Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line with the opening of the Seikan Tunnel. This was the last electric locomotive developed by the JNR.

From 1971 to 1979, 34 ED75 locomotives were rebuilt to become ED79 locomotives; the rebuilds were performed at JNR's Tsuchizaki and Ōmiya Works. These were intended to replace the ED75 locomotives themselves on these services and would be used to pull freight and passenger trains. When the JNR was privatized and split in 1987, JR Hokkaido assumed ownership of the ED79s. An additional ten locomotives were built by Toshiba in 1989 for JR Freight to accommodate the increase number of freight trains on the Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line.

In the 21st century, the locomotives were used to pull freight trains and sleeper trains, most notably the Cassiopeia. Their operating range was extended a few times with timetable revisions. JR Freight withdrew their locomotives in April 2015, while JR Hokkaido withdrew their locomotives after pulling a the final Hamanasu service on 21 March 2016. The Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line would be abolished five days later, being integrated into the Hokkaido Shinkansen with its opening on 26 March 2016.

No ED79s have been preserved.

Design[]

The ED79s featured large box-shaped bodies with a slight rake with dual large circular headlights mounted on the top of the cars in two recesses.

Specifications[]

The ED79s used a nose suspension drive system with MT52 traction motors; the use of the nose suspension drive was due to maintenance problems involving the Quill drive, so all locomotives after the earlier EF70 would use the nose suspension drive. This however came at the cost of keeping the rated rotation speed of the traction motors low.

JR Group motive power
JNR Diesel prototype DB10DC10DC11DD10
4-axle diesel DD11DD12DD13DD14DD15DD16DD17DD20DD21DD40DD41DD42DD50DD51DD53DD54DD90DD91DD92DD93
5-axle diesel DE10DE11DE15DE50
6-axle diesel DF40DF41DF50DF90DF91 (gen 1)DF91 (gen 2)DF92DF93
Shinkansen 911912
Narrow-gauge diesel Ke DB10Ke DB11
Early 2/4-axle freight electric AB10EB10ED10ED11ED12ED13ED14ED15ED16ED17ED18 (gen 1)ED18 (gen 2)ED19ED23ED24
Early 4-axle passenger electric ED50ED51ED52ED53ED54ED55ED56ED57
Early 6-axle freight electric EF10EF11EF12EF13EF14EF15EF16EF18
Early 6-axle passenger electric EF20EF50EF51EF52EF53EF54EF55EF56EF57EF58EF59HEF10HEF50
Early 8-axle electric EH10EH50HEH50HEH150
Early Abt rack rail electric EC40ED40ED41ED42
Acquired from private railways ED20ED21ED22ED25 (gen 1)ED25 (gen 2)ED26 (gen 1)ED26 (gen 2)ED27 (gen 1)ED27 (gen 2)ED28 (gen 1)ED28 (gen 2)ED29 (gen 1)ED29 (gen 2)ED30 (gen 1)ED31ED32ED33ED34ED35ED36ED37ED38Ke ED10DeKi 1RoKo 1DeKi 501RoKo 1000
DC 4-axle ED60ED61ED62ED63ED95
AC 4-axle ED44ED45ED70ED71ED72ED73ED74ED75ED76ED77ED78ED79ED90ED91ED93ED94
DC 6-axle EF60EF61EF62EF63EF64EF65EF66EF67EF90
AC 6-axle EF70EF71
Dual-current ED30 (gen 2)ED46ED92EF30EF80EF81
Other AH100
JR Group Dual-current electric ED500EF500EF510EH500
DC electric EF200EF210EH200
DC EMU M250
AC electric EH800
Diesel DD18DD19DB500DD200DF200ENR-1000
Hybrid HD300
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