photostory name plate design of japanese express · pdf filename plate design of japanese...
TRANSCRIPT
�Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 53 • Sep �009
Photostory
Tokyo
Nagasaki
Shimonoseki
Name Plate Design of Japanese Express Trains
Name plate of Fuji (The Railway Museum)
In 1912, the Japanese Government Railways (JGR)
inaugurated a luxurious express service, composed
of 1st and 2nd class carriages only, between Tokyo
and Shimonoseki, to establish a quick link to Korea,
Northeast China, and Europe via Siberia. In 1923,
the JGR started a cheaper version of this service
composed mainly of 3rd class carriages.
The both trains were so popular that the JGR
decided in 1929 to give a hypocoristic name to them,
offering a prize for the best ideas. From numerous
public responses, Fuji was chosen for the luxurious
one and Sakura (cherry blossom) for the modest one.
Both services were suspended during WWII. After
the war, the nicknames Fuji and Sakura were used
for limited express services between Tokyo and main
cities in Kyushu.
Fuji observation car deck (The Railway Museum)
Name plate of Sakura (digital reproduction from photograph)
Fuji and Sakura
3 Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 50 • Sep �0083 Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 53 • Sep �009
Photostory
Tokyo
Osaka
Kobe
View of Heiwa limited express from end of train (operated from October 1958 to July 1959) (The Railway Museum)
In 1930, the JGR started a rapid daytime express service
between Tokyo and Kobe, covering 590 km in 8 h 20
min. Nicknamed Tsubame (swallow), it was regarded as
the best train in Japan, but was suspended in 1943 as
the war situation worsened. In 1949, Japanese National
Railways (reorganized from JGR as a public corporation)
restarted a limited express service between Tokyo and
Osaka. This train was first nicknamed Heiwa (peace),
but soon renamed Tsubame. In 1950, the JNR started
Observation deck of Tsubame (The Railway Museum)
Tsubame, Heiwa, and Hato
a second limited express service named Hato (pigeon)
for the same route. Hauled by electric and steam
locomotives, both trains covered 550 km in 8 hours. In
1951, the completion of electrification of Tokaido main
line enabled to cut journey time to 7 h 30 min. In 1960,
modern electric railcars replaced conventional carriages
for both services, and journey time was shortened to 6
h 30 min. In 1964, both services were terminated when
Tokaido Shinkansen was opened.
Name plate of Heiwa
Name plate of Hato
Name plate of Tsubame
* The name plate images for Tsubame, Heiwa and Hato are digital reproductions from photographs.
�Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 53 • Sep �009
Photostory
Tokyo
Osaka
TokyoHakata
Name Plate Design of Japanese Express Trains
Continued on page 37
Inaugurated in 1958 between Tokyo and Osaka, Kodama
(echo) was the first limited express using electric multiple
unit (EMU) called Series 151 (later renamed Series 181).
Distributed motive power along the whole length of train set
produced much higher output than conventional locomotive-
hauled trains, cutting journey time from 7h 30 min to 6 h 30
min and enabling a return journey on the same day using the
same train set. The success of Kodama led to the introduction
of Series 151 to Tsubame and Hato services in 1960, followed
by numerous other EMU express services on JNR’s electrified
trunk lines.
The lead and rear cars of Series 151 carried a large body-
mounted nameplate in front, but in later series of EMU express
trains, it was changed to automatic rewinding name plates to
avoid complicated and dangerous manual works to replace
the plates.
Kodama limited express EMU (The Railway Museum)
Asakaze (morning breeze) limited express sleeper service
connecting Tokyo and Hakata (Fukuoka) in Kyushu was
inaugurated in 1956. In 1958, newly designed Series 20
carriages were introduced with fully air-conditioned interior
and vivid navy blue livery, boasting high ride comfort. It was
often called ‘the moving hotel’ and also ‘blue train’, imitating
famous luxury trains in France and South Africa. It became
so popular that the JNR started several sister express trains,
such as Mizuho (vigorous rice plant), Fuji and Sakura, between
Tokyo and main cities in Kyushu. Asakaze and her sister
services continued even after the extension of Shinkansen
to Hakata (1975), due to sharp decline of rail passengers
caused by the growth of air traffic, Asakaze was terminated in
2005, and all other sleeper trains for Kyushu were terminated
by March 2009.
Name plate of Asakaze (The Railway Museum)
EF66 heading Asakaze limited express at Yokohama Station (Kotsushimbunsha)
Asakaze
Kodama
* The name plate image for Kodama is a digital reproduction from photograph.
37 Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 50 • Sep �00837 Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 53 • Sep �009
Photostory
Photostory
Name Plate Design of Japanese Express Trains
Name plate of Yuzuru (The Railway Museum)
Tokyo (Ueno)
Aomori
Sendai
In 1958, JNR inaugurated a limited express service from
Tokyo (Ueno) to Aomori (ferry port on the northern tip of
Honshu), covering 630 km in just 12 hours. Nicknamed
Hatsukari (first wild geese seen in the year), it was the first
limited express serving regions north of Tokyo that was
regarded as less developed area. In 1960, conventional
carriages were replaced by newly designed diesel
railcars called Series Kiha 80, cutting the journey time to
10 h 25 min. From Tokyo to Sendai, the train took slightly
longer but flatter coastal root via Joban Line.
Hatsukari was used as the fastest link to Hokkaido,
until airlines became cheaper and popular.
In 1964, Hakutsuru (white crane) was introduced as
the first sleeper limited express serving north of Tokyo
to Aomori. Unlike Hatsukari, it took inland root to Sendai
via Tohoku main line, because electrification made it
possible to run faster trains on the steeply graded tracks.
In 1965, another sleeper express nicknamed Yuzuru
(crane flying in evening sky) was inaugurated between
Tokyo and Aomori, using the Joban Line.
In 1968, when the electrification and double-tracking
of Tohoku main line were completed, Hatsukari and
Hakutsuru services were changed from locomotive-
hauled carriages to electric railcars, using Series 583
EMUs with specially designed seats convertible to beds
at night.
In 1982, after the opening of Tohoku Shinkansen
to Morioka, the nickname Hatsukari was took over by
local limited express services between Morioka and
Aomori, and finally disappeared in 2002, when Tohoku
Shinkansen was extended to Hachinohe. Yuzuru and
Hakutsuru night services were terminated in 1993 and
2002, respectively.
Name plate of Hatsukari (digital reproduction from photograph)
JNR President Shinji Sogo inaugurating Hatsukari at Tokyo’s Ueno Station on 10 October 1958 (The Railway Museum)
Lead car of Series Kiha 80 DMU (The Railway Museum)
Name plate for Hakutsuru sleeper limited express (Original design drawing by Y Kuroiwa, courtesy of Presse Eisenbahn)
Hatsukari, Hakutsuru, and Yuzuru
38Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 53 • Sep �009
Photostory
Shimonoseki
Ohita
Hiroshima Osaka
Nagasaki
Miyazaki
Matsue
Kyoto Maibara
Takasaki
Naoetsu
Niigata Yamagata
Akita
Aomori
Morioka
Sendai
Fukushima
Hakodate
Tomakomai
Sapporo
Asahikawa
Tokyo (Ueno)
Hakata
Name Plate Design of Japanese Express Trains
Japan’s economy and society almost completely
recovered from war damages by 1955, and the so-
called high-growth period started in the early 1960s. In
1961, JNR introduced a completely new timetable, and
inaugurated a nationwide network of limited express
services using Series Kiha 82 DMU, an improved version
of Kiha 80. Kiha 82 train set was usually composed of 6
cars (4 third-class, 1 second-class and 1 dining cars). In
some cases two sets were coupled on busy main lines
and decoupled at a junction for different destinations. All
end cars had a door in front to enable passengers and
train crew to move from one set to another. Train names
were shown in a window mounted on the door, giving
a very modest impression compared with Series 151
(181) EMU and Series 80 DMU. The start of nationwide
limited express bought a big variety in train names,
including Ozora (open blue sky) in Hokkaido, Tsubasa
(wing) in northern Honshu, Hakucho (swan) in northern
and central Honshu along the Sea-of-Japan coast,
Matsukaze (wind among pine trees), Kamome (seagull)
in West Honshu and Kyushu, etc.
Osaka-bound Hakucho and Tokyo (Ueno) bound Tsubasa limited express trains, both leaving Akita Station at 0810 hours (The Railway Museum)
Series Kiha 82 Matsukaze limited express running on San’in main line (H Narasaki)
Series Kiha 8� diesel express services
* The name plate images for Ozora, Tsubasa, Hakucho, Matsukaze and Kamome are digital reproductions from photographs.
39 Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 50 • Sep �00839 Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 53 • Sep �009
Photostory
Shinjuku
Matsumoto
Ueno
Sendai
Irodori Series 485 N201 train set with LCD name plate (T. Honda)
Beginning in the late 1980’s, name plates using LED were
introduced. LED type name plates has advantages over
conventional non-LED nameplates, in that LED does not
require as much maintenance, and it is possible to show
important information such as train departure time. This
photograph shows the LED type name plate for series
651 Super Hitachi limited express connecting Ueno in
central Tokyo and Sendai in northeast Japan.
Irodori special express with LCD nameplate.
LCD nameplate was first used in 2007, on
one of the Joyful Train, which is a special set
of trains operated solely on the purpose of
serving tourists. This is the newest type of
nameplate as of 2009 August.
Series 651 Super Hitachi with LED type nameplate (The Railway Museum)
Automatic rewinding train nameplate was introduced in the late 1960’s,
when the number of limited expresses was increased dramatically. As a
result of the increase, it became very inconvenient to have to replace the
train name plates manually when the train had to be turned back under
a different name. Automatic rewinding train name plate was the solution
to this problem. With several different train names imprinted on a long,
rolled-up film, the replacement procedure became simplified, and safer
for workers. The photographs show the front and the back mechanism
of automatic rewinding nameplate for Azusa.
Azusa limited express name plate (front) (The Railway Museum)
The back of the name plate showing the rewinding system (The Railway Museum)
Azusa limited express with automatic rewinding name plate
Super Hitachi limited express Irodori special express