The JR Freight Class EH800 is a semi-permanently-coupled multiple-voltage AC electric locomotive operated by the Japan Freight Railway Company since July 2014.
History[]
The EH800 is a semi-permanently-coupled AC electric locomotive intended for use on the Hokkaido Shinkansen. It features a number of specification changes from other electric locomotives operated by JR Freight, such as Shinkansen-specific safety equipment and multiple voltage capability, allowing the locomotive to take both 20 kV and 25 kV AC current.
Jointly developed by Toshiba and JR Freight and based on the EH500, the first prototype, EH800-901, was completed on 27 November 2012 and shown off to the press the same day. Test runs were conducted at Higashi-Fukushima Station, with further tests conducted in December 2012. Mass production began in 2014, with the locomotives entering service on 16 July 2014, running in place of an ED79.
When not in service the locomotives are based at Goryōkaku Rolling Stock Depot; large-scale maintenance is carried out at Ōmiya General Rolling Stock Depot; to enter and exit the depot, EH500s are deployed to pull these locomotives.
Design[]
The locomotives feature the same basic design as early-batch EH500 locomotives with their headlights placed lower on the body and with a white bodyside line and silver wavy line.
Specifications[]
The locomotives use Toshiba IGBT variable frequency drives and a nose suspension drive system; all locomotives produced after the EF70 would use a nose suspension drive system. The locomotives use FMT4A squirrel cage induction traction motors.
Incidents[]
An EH800 malfunctioned while traveling through the Seikan Tunnel on 21 August 2015. This was determined to be an abnormality with the locomotive's electric systems, with a bolt in the voltage converter not tightened fully causing excessive current to flow. While JR Freight's public relations office did not issue a statement on the incident, stating they "recognized it as a simple locomotive malfunction and did not feel it was that important to announce", JR Hokkaido stated that four limited express trains were delayed by 53 minutes due to this issue.
Trivia[]
- All JR Freight locomotives after the introduction of the EF210 feature a nickname of some sort, with the exception of this class. There have been no public polls held to name the class as of February 2023.