The KiHa 183-5100 series, branded Crystal Express Tomamu & Sahoro, was a charter-only higher-speed diesel multiple unit operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company from December 1989 to September 2019. The set was one of six purpose-built diesel railcars for JR Hokkaido at Naebo Works.
History[]
The KiHa 183-5100 series cars were manufactured in 1989 by JR Hokkaido's Naebo Works as a resort train set. The set was designed as a resort train intended for charter-only use on the Sekishō Line.
The set entered service on 22 December 1989 initially as a three-car set; a fourth car, KiSaRoHa 182-5101, was added later. It was used for a variety of trains, such as the Crystal Express, Marine Crystal, Furano Lavender Express and Resort Minami-Furano. Due to aging which was becoming quite obvious with the set, the set was retired with a final run on 29 September 2019 with a round trip between Sapporo and Furano Stations. After ending the run, the cars were towed to Goryōkaku Station and then Naebo Works, where they were subsequently scrapped.
No cars have been preserved. However, the side logo of the set as well as a private lounge door from KiSaRoHa 182-5101 have been preserved at the Hokkaido Railway Technology Museum in Naebo.
Design[]
The KiHa 183-5100 series feature a unique streamlined design with a "high decker" design to emphasize vision. The cars featured reclining seats. The cars feature a silver base coast with black and green accents.
Construction is of steel. Performance statistics are largely identical to that of the KiHa 183 series cars these were based on; this article will still detail some additional statistics about the cars.
The set featured a design similar to that of the Panorama Cars used by Meitetsu, featuring a raised driver's cab and a large windshield up front for passengers. The driver climbed into the cab through a hatch in the ceiling with stairs that dropped down for access purposes. However, due to a level crossing accident involving 789-1000 series set HL1005 in 2010, all seats ahead of the driver's cab (directly behind the panoramic viewing space) were removed and the area cordoned off as a precautionary measure; the area never reopened.
KiSaRoHa 182-5101 is a double-deck car; this was notably the first double-deck car in use on a diesel railcar in Japan. The top floor of the car featured even sets of transverse sofa-style seating with four seats each on the second floor, seating 28 total. Two lounges are featured as well as a sky dome implement allowing natural light to shine in. Two lounges are also present in the car. The seats in the car also featured LCD screens on each seat, but these were removed and replaced with large LCD screens at the end of each car, the observation rooms and the private lounges.
