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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.

Gallery[]

Sources[]

Wikipedia.org

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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