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The KiHa 391 series was an experimental articulated Japanese tilting gas turbine trainset operated by the Japanese National Railways from March 1972 to March 1973.

History[]

R&D was carried out by the Japanese Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) and the Japan Association of Rolling Stock Industries starting in 1967 to develop a gas turbine locomotive, following in the vein of related locomotives in the United States and Canada, such as the Union Pacific GTELs and UAC TurboTrains. JNR would use this idea to develop a potential gas turbine-powered train for use as a feeder train for Shinkansen services, especially on non-electrified lines; this development led to the creation of what would be the KiHa 391 series, of which development was completed in 1972.

One set was built, designated KiHa 391-1; it comprised of three articulated sections, numbered T1, M2 and T3, and was treated as a single car. T1 was manufactured by Fuji Heavy Industries, M2 by JNR's own Ōmiya Works and T3 by Niigata Tekkō. KiHa 391-1 was completed on 24 March 1972 and shown off to the public for the first time the same day at Ōmiya Works; its first official test run was on 30 March 1972 on the Kawagoe Line. Following stationary testing at Ōmiya Works, KiHa 391-1 left the works on 17 May 1972; KiHa 391-1 was then assigned to Yonago Depot on 18 May 1972. KiHa 391-1's first tests were a series of general performance tests for the gas turbine on the San'in Main Line and Hakubi Line, taking place from 6 to 28 June 1972; during one such test where KiHa 391-1 was made to stop and start on an uphill gradient of 25‰ in a tunnel, its turbine stopped multiple times due to it inhaling hot exhaust gases causing the protection systems to engage. KiHa 391-1 was then used on a speed test on 2 August 1972 where its clutch failed; its clutch was then replaced with an improved clutch. KiHa 391-1 was intended to be used in another series of tests starting 5 October 1972; on the first day of tests its clutch failed again, rendering KiHa 391-1 unable to move under its own power.

Following this incident KiHa 391-1 was taken out of service and moved to Gotō Works; while out of service its clutch was modified again as well as fundamentally redesigning some of the parts of the set to solve some of its issues such as the installation of mufflers to reduce noise and the redesigning of the air intakes to prevent engine stalling problems. Modifications were completed by late January 1973, with stationary testing conducted at Gotō Works on 27 and 28 January 1973 and performance testing on 29 and 30 January 1973 on the Hakubi Line and San'in Main Line. KiHa 391-1 was then moved to the Morioka area in February 1973 where cold and snow resistance tests were due to be conducted on the Ōu Main Line and Tazawako Line; a warm winter that year meant that tests could not be conducted on snow accumulation on the air intakes and the tilting system, although speeds were reduced for the tests due to frost heave. Ride comfort was noted to be poorer on these lines than on the Hakubi Line.

The final tests for KiHa 391-1 for the year were conducted in March 1973 in the Chūgoku region, with tests conducted on the San'in Main Line and Hakubi Line for high-speed tilting testing; its last tests were high-speed tests conducted on the San'yō Main Line conducted from 22 to 26 March 1973, it reaching a speed of 120 km/h (75 mph). Following these tests, KiHa 391-1 was stored at Yonago Depot, where the data from the tests would be collected to develop a pre-production vehicle using these technologies; some time in 1973 however the concept of a vehicle of this type was changed from an articulated train to a two-car non-articulated set due to a number of problems that arose with KiHa 391-1's construction mainly arising from it being articulated. As such, a plan was drawn up to modify the 591 series tilting set to fit these specifications, it too having also completed its tests for the year and was sitting unused at Okaya Station.

This plan to modify the 591 series set was finalized in mid-1973, with the set being modified to fit gas turbines as a result; however the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War caused an oil crisis, resulting in rising oil prices and leading to any sort of gas turbine railcars becoming uneconomical. With this in mind JNR decided to electrify the Hakubi and Tazawako Lines and the gas turbine testing program was unofficially canceled; KiHa 391-1 would remain stored at Yonago Depot as a result, not to run again, with its gas turbine later removed. KiHa 391-1 would later be moved to Ōmiya Works (now the Ōmiya General Rolling Stock Center) on 10 April 1986, where it remained until 2015 when it was scrapped on site; the cab of car T1 is preserved within the compound.

Design[]

The set featured a raised cab design similar to other diesel railcars of the time; the nickname of Tsuchinoko was given to it by railfans due to its unique appearance.

Specifications[]

KiHa 391-1 is the only gas turbine trainset ever built or prototyped by the JNR. It used an IHI IM100-2R gas turbine engine producing 1,100 PS (1085 HP). Car construction was of steel.

KiHa 391-1 was comprised of three articulated sections (T1, M2, T3) mounted on a set of shared bogies; KiHa 391-1 cannot be separated into three separate cars without the use of specialist equipment. All three articulated sections are treated as a single car. T1 was a cab car with a capacity of 60 passengers; air conditioning units and two 700 L (185 gal) fuel tanks to feed the gas turbine were mounted underneath the floor of T1. M2 housed the gas turbine and other equipment, such as the air intake and diesel generator rooms accessible via a single aisle accessible from doors from both cab cars. The roof and sides of the car could be removed for unloading and loading of equipment and was surrounded by 50 mm thick walls for soundproofing. Five doors in the aisle were present to allow access to the equipment rooms from inside the car. T3's interior furnishings were virtually identical to T1 with the exception of the addition of a toilet, leading the car to seat only 52. Air conditioning units and a 700 L water tank were mounted under the floor.

Preservation[]

The following KiHa 391 series cars have been preserved:

Car number Manufacturer Date manufactured Date retired Previous sets Location Notes
T1 Fuji Heavy Industries March 1972 March 1973 KiHa 391-1 Ōmiya General Rolling Stock Center, Ōmiya, Japan Cab only, not usually open for public viewing; full car formerly preserved until 2015

The following KiHa 391 series cars were preserved in the past but have since been scrapped:

Car number Manufacturer Date manufactured Date retired Previous sets Last location Notes
M2 Ōmiya Works March 1972 March 1973 KiHa 391-1 Ōmiya General Rolling Stock Center, Ōmiya, Japan Scrapped 2015
T3 Niigata Tekkō

References[]

JGR/JNR rolling stock
JGR Wooden-bodied EMUs Commuter: 963625062606280628563006310634033400335004320063100
Steel-bodied EMUs Commuter: 303132334042505162637072
Express: 5280
Non-revenue EMUs Non-revenue: 793
DMUs Constant mesh gearbox: KiHa 01KiHa 04KiHa 07KiHa 5000KiHa 40000
Diesel-electric: KiHaNi 36450KiHa 43000KiHa 44000
Miscellaneous: KiSaHa 04
Miscellaneous Steam railcar: HoJi 6005
JNR AC EMUs Shinkansen: 0100200
Non-revenue Shinkansen: 9229259419519619621000
Commuter: 711713715717
Limited Express: 781
Non-revenue: 791
DC EMUs Commuter: 101103105111113115117119121123201203205207211213301
Limited Express: 151153155157159161165167169181183185189381
Conversions: 1101112
Non-revenue: 141143145147191193
Proposed: 187
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 413415417419
Limited Express: 451453455457471473475481483485489581583
Non-revenue: 212290441443493495591
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 08KiHa 10KiHa 15KiHa 20KiHa 31KiHa 32KiHa 35KiHa 37KiHa 38KiHa 40KiHa 45KiHa 54KiHa 66
Express: KiHa 55KiHa 56KiHa 57KiHa 58KiHa 60KiHa 65KiHa 90
Limited Express: KiHa 80KiHa 181KiHa 183KiHa 185
Non-revenue: KiYa 191
GTLs Non-revenue: KiHa 391
JR rolling stock
Shinkansen
Active JR West 500700N700N700SW7
JR East E2E3E5E6E7E8
JR Central N700N700S
JR Kyushu N700N700S800
JR Hokkaido H5
Withdrawn JR West 0100300
JR East 200400E1E4
JR Central 0100300700
Future JR Central L0
Non-revenue JNR 9229259419519619621000
JR West 922923500-900
JR East 925952/953E926E954E955E956
JR Central 922923955
RTRI FGT-9000GCT01GCT01-200ML100ML500ML500RMLU001MLU002MLU002NMLX01
Other JR Central Super Hikari Model
JR East rolling stock
Active AC EMUs Shinkansen: E2E3E5E6E7E8
Non-revenue Shinkansen: E926E956
Commuter: 701719E721
Limited Express: E751
DC EMUs Commuter: 115E127E129E131205209211E217E231E233E235
Limited Express: 185253E257E259E261E353
Non-revenue: 209-0
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 415E501E531
Limited Express: E653E657
Charter: E655
Non-revenue: E491E493
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 40KiHa 100KiHa 110KiHa E120KiHa E130
Non-revenue: KiYa E193KiYa E195
AC BEMUs Commuter: EV-E801
DC BEMUs Commuter: EV-E301
Hybrid MUs Commuter: KiHa E200HB-E210GV-E400
Charter: E001HB-E300
Non-revenue: GV-E197
Fuel cell MUs Non-revenue: FV-E991
Other MUs Non-revenue: E991
Withdrawn AC EMUs Shinkansen: 200400E1E4
Non-revenue Shinkansen: 925952/953E954E955
Commuter: 715717
Non-revenue: 740743
DC EMUs Commuter: 12101103105107113123201203207215301E331
Limited Express: 157165167169183189251255E351
Non-revenue: 90143145193901E993
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 417451453455457
Limited Express: 485489583651
Non-revenue: 441443497E991
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 20KiHa 35KiHa 37KiHa 38KiHa 45
Express: KiHa 58
Charter: KiHa 141
Non-revenue: KiYa 191
Hybrid MUs Non-revenue: KiYa E991KuMoYa E995
Future Hybrid MUs Commuter: HB-E220
JR West rolling stock
Active AC EMUs Shinkansen: 500700N700N700SW7
Non-revenue Shinkansen: 923
DC EMUs Commuter: 103105113115117123125201205207213221223225227321323
Limited Express: 271273281283285287289381
Non-revenue: 145
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 521
Limited Express: 681683
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 40KiHa 120KiHa 121/126KiHa 122/127
Limited Express: KiHa 187KiHa 189
Non-revenue: KiYa 141KiYa 143
Hybrid DEMUs Charter: 87
Non-revenue: DEC700DEC741
Withdrawn AC EMUs Shinkansen: 0100300
Non-revenue Shinkansen: 922500-900
DC EMUs Commuter: 428384101211
Limited Express: 165167183
Non-revenue: 9091213/223-9000441
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 413415419455457471475
Limited Express: 485489583
Non-revenue: 443
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 33KiHa 35KiHa 37KiHa 45KiHa 52
Express: KiHa 58KiHa 65
Limited Express: KiHa 181
Non-revenue: KiYa 191
Hybrid BEMUs Commuter: DGBC2
JR Central rolling stock
Active AC EMUs Shinkansen: N700N700S
DC EMUs Commuter: 211213311313315
Limited Express: 285373383
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 11KiHa 25KiHa 75
Limited Express: HC85
Non-revenue: KiYa 95KiYa 97
Withdrawn AC EMUs Shinkansen: 0100300700
Non-revenue Shinkansen: 922923955
DC EMUs Commuter: 12103105113115117119123
Limited Express: 165371381
Non-revenue: 90145193
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 30KiHa 40
Express: KiHa 58KiHa 65
Limited Express: KiHa 80KiHa 85
Future DC EMUs Limited Express: 385
Maglevs Maglev: L0
Proposed AC EMUs Shinkansen: Super Hikari Model
JR Kyushu rolling stock
Active AC EMUs Shinkansen: N700N700S800
Commuter: 713811813815817821
Limited Express: 783787883885
DC EMUs Commuter: 103303305
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 415
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 40KiHa 125KiHa 200
Limited Express: KiHa 71KiHa 72KiHa 183-1000KiHa 185
Charter: KiHa 125-400
Non-revenue: BE220
AC BEMUs Commuter: BEC819
Hybrid MUs Commuter: YC1
Withdrawn AC EMUs Commuter: 715717
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 457475
Limited Express: 485
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 20KiHa 31KiHa 35KiHa 45
Express: KiHa 58KiHa 65KiHa 66
JR Hokkaido rolling stock
Active AC EMUs Shinkansen: H5
Commuter: 721731733735737
Limited Express: 785789
DMUs Commuter: H100KiHa 40KiHa 54KiHa 141KiHa 150KiHa 201
Limited Express: KiHa 261KiHa 281KiHa 283
Non-revenue: KiYa 291
Withdrawn AC EMUs Commuter: 711
Limited Express: 781
Dual-current EMUs Limited Express: 485583
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 22KiHa 45KiHa 130
Express: KiHa 56
Limited Express: KiHa 80KiHa 183 series(KiHa 183-5000KiHa 183-5100KiHa 183-5200)
Non-revenue: KiHa 160KiHa 285
Future Fuel cell MUs Commuter: Unclassified
JR Shikoku rolling stock
Active DC EMUs Commuter: 1131215000600070007200
Limited Express: 80008600
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 32KiHa 40KiHa 54100012001500
Limited Express: KiHa 1852000N200026002700
Withdrawn DC EMUs Commuter: 111
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 20KiHa 35KiHa 45
Express: KiHa 57KiHa 58KiHa 65
Limited Express: KiHa 181
Future Hybrid MUs Commuter: Unclassified
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
Railway Technical Research Institute rolling stock
Active DC BEMUs LH02
Dual-current EMUs FGT-9000
Fuel cell MUs R291
Withdrawn Dual-current EMUs 497GCT01GCT01-200
Maglev ML100ML500ML500RMLU001MLU002MLU002NMLX01
JGR/JNR rolling stock
JGR Wooden-bodied EMUs Commuter: 963625062606280628563006310634033400335004320063100
Steel-bodied EMUs Commuter: 303132334042505162637072
Express: 5280
Non-revenue EMUs Non-revenue: 793
DMUs Constant mesh gearbox: KiHa 01KiHa 04KiHa 07KiHa 5000KiHa 40000
Diesel-electric: KiHaNi 36450KiHa 43000KiHa 44000
Miscellaneous: KiSaHa 04
Miscellaneous Steam railcar: HoJi 6005
JNR AC EMUs Shinkansen: 0100200
Non-revenue Shinkansen: 9229259419519619621000
Commuter: 711713715717
Limited Express: 781
Non-revenue: 791
DC EMUs Commuter: 101103105111113115117119121123201203205207211213301
Limited Express: 151153155157159161165167169181183185189381
Conversions: 1101112
Non-revenue: 141143145147191193
Proposed: 187
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 413415417419
Limited Express: 451453455457471473475481483485489581583
Non-revenue: 212290441443493495591
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 08KiHa 10KiHa 15KiHa 20KiHa 31KiHa 32KiHa 35KiHa 37KiHa 38KiHa 40KiHa 45KiHa 54KiHa 66
Express: KiHa 55KiHa 56KiHa 57KiHa 58KiHa 60KiHa 65KiHa 90
Limited Express: KiHa 80KiHa 181KiHa 183KiHa 185
Non-revenue: KiYa 191
GTLs Non-revenue: KiHa 391
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