KiHa 80 series

KiHa 80 series
A KiHa 80 series set on a Kuroshio service in August 1976
Technical specifications
Manufacturer(s)	Fuji Heavy Industries, Hitachi, Kawasaki Sharyō, Kinki Sharyo, Kisha Seizō, Niigata Tekkō, Nippon Sharyo, Teikoku Sharyō, Tokyu Car Corporation
Type of locomotive	Diesel multiple unit
Constructed	1960 – 1967
Number built	384 cars
Dimensions	830 – 839 in (21,100 – 21,300 mm) × 114 in (2,903 mm) × 154 in (3,910 mm)
Gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Prime mover	DMH17H prime mover
Service information
In service	10 December 1960 – 21 January 1995
Formation	1 – 12 cars per set
Number in service	None
Fleet numbers	Various
Preservation information
Preserved	13 cars
Number scrapped	371 cars

KiHa 80 series is an umbrella term to describe the KiHa 80, 81 and 82 series limited express diesel multiple units operated by the Japanese National Railways and later the Central Japan Railway Company and Hokkaido Railway Company from December 1960 to January 1995.

History

Built from 1960 to 1967 by various companies including Fuji Heavy Industries (now known as Subaru Corporation), Niigata Tekkō (now known as Niigata Transys) and Nippon Sharyo, the KiHa 80 series was the first diesel railcar that was exclusively used for limited express services on the JNR.

These sets entered service on 10 December 1960 and were known to have be used on the Hatsukari, Hida, Nanki, Hamakaze and Kuroshio services among many others. In the 1980s and 1990s, some KiHa 80, 81 and 82 series cars were converted into KiHa 83 series cars and used on various Joyful Train services, such as the Furano Express, Mountain Lake Onuma, Resort Liner and Tomamu & Sahoro Express trains.

The sets enjoyed a very long service life from 1960 but as the years passed, their age began to show and they were slowly replaced by newer, more powerful diesel railcars that fulfilled the same purpose. After JNR's privatization in 1987, the remaining 68 cars were taken under new ownership by JR Central and JR Hokkaido, with JR Hokkaido taking 18 and JR Central the remaining 50.

JR Hokkaido took ownership of the Furano Express set and 15 other cars, while JR Central took the remaining 50 cars. However, by then, more powerful diesel railcars entered service and the KiHa 80 series cars' obsolescence began to show. The last regular service operated by a KiHa 80 series set was a Nanki service on 13 March 1992, operated by JR Central; after that day, the remaining few KiHa 80 series cars used by JR Central were relegated to special and additional services until their retirement on 21 January 1995.

The Furano Express set was officially retired in 1998, but the KiHa 80 series sets' retirement was not officially made public until 14 October 2002. A total of 384 cars were built; 13 cars and one sectioned front end have been preserved.

Design

The cars had a very different style to various Japanese DMUs as manufactured by Fuji Heavy Industries, Niigata Tekkō and similar companies; the body style of the later KiHa 181 series cars quite heavily resembled that of the older KiHa 80 series cars.

Many styling trends for express trains in Japan at the time featured many elements inspired by automotive design, hence the hood-shaped front as seen on the KiHa 81 series cars, however the KiHa 82, however has a look more similar to a boxcab.

Specifications

Each car can be either 21.1 meters long or 21.3 meters long and 2.903 meters wide. The cars all use DMH17H prime movers.

Preservation

The following KiHa 80 series cars have been preserved:

Car number	Manufacturer	Date manufactured	Date retired	Previous sets	Location	Notes
KiHa 82 100	Fuji Heavy Industries	July 1965	February 1987	N/A	Mikasa Railway Memorial Hall, Mikasa, Hokkaido, Japan	Gangway door stolen by railway artifact thieves in 1999, recovered the same year; connected to other cars in consist
KiHa 80 150						Intermediate car, connected to other cars in consist
KiShi 80 27	Niigata Tekkō	August 1964
KiRo 80 52		August 1965
KiHa 80 145	Fuji Heavy Industries	July 1965
KiHa 82 87	Niigata Tekkō	August 1965	January 1983			Connected to other cars in consist
KiShi 80 31		September 1964	February 1987			Intermediate car, acts as Kitchen Horonai restaurant, open on certain days
KiHa 82 1	Nippon Sharyo	July 1961	November 1982		Otaru City General Museum, Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan	Connected to other cars in consist
KiShi 80 12						Intermediate car, connected to other cars in consist
KiShi 80 34		August 1964	January 1983
KiHa 81 3	Kinki Sharyo	September 1960	October 1979		Kyoto Railway Museum, Kyoto, Japan	Formerly preserved at the Modern Transportation Museum in Kyoto until its closure in 2014; only preserved bonnet-nose car
KiHa 82 73	Nippon Sharyo	January 1965	January 1995		SCMaglev and Railway Park, Nagoya, Japan	One of last two operational cars, earmarked for preservation
KiHa 82 86	Niigata Tekkō	August 1965	January 1983		Hokkaido Railway Technology Museum, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan	Cab only, located within Naebo Works; not usually available for public viewing
KiHa 82 101	Fuji Heavy Industries	July 1965	March 1988		Memorial Ship Hakkōda-maru, Aomori, Japan	Displayed with DD16 31 in cargo hold

The following KiHa 80 series cars were preserved in the past but have since been scrapped:

Car number	Manufacturer	Date manufactured	Date retired	Previous sets	Last location	Notes
KiHa 80 164	Niigata Tekkō	January 1967	November 1998	N/A	Naebo Works, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan	Struck from register in 2004; scrapped 2015
KiHa 80 160	Fuji Heavy Industries	August 1965	October 2002			Scrapped 2013
KiShi 80 29	Niigata Tekkō	August 1964				Dining car; scrapped 2013
KiHa 80 154	Fuji Heavy Industries	August 1965	February 1987		Uguisudani Train Park, Hidaka, Hokkaido, Japan	Intermediate car, converted to karaoke lounge, set on fire in arson incident; removed 2006 and scrapped
KiHa 80 155
KiHa 80 158
KiHa 80 159
KiShi 80 26	Nippon Sharyo	February 1964				Dining car, set on fire in arson incident; removed 2006 and scrapped

Gallery

KiHa 81 3 preserved at the Kyoto Railway Museum in May 2017

KiHa 82 73 preserved at the SCMaglev and Railway Park in July 2011