Tobu 8000 series

Tobu 8000 series

Tobu 8000 series 10-car formation on the Tōjō Line, June 2008

10-car formation on the Tojo Line, June 2008
In service 1963–Present
Manufacturer Alna Kōki, Fuji Heavy Industries, Kisha Seizō, Nippon Sharyo, Tokyu Car Corporation
Constructed 1963–1983
Refurbishment 1986–2008
Number built 712 vehicles
Number in service 424 vehicles (as of April 2013)
Formation 2/3/4/6/8 cars per trainset[1]
Operator(s) Tobu Railway
Depot(s) Kasukabe, Nanakōdai, Tatebayashi, Shinrinkōen, Shin-Tochigi[1]
Line(s) served Isesaki Line, Kameido Line, Kiryu Line, Urban Park Line, Sano Line, Tojo Line, Ogose Line, Daishi Line
Specifications
Car body construction Steel
Car length 20 m (65 ft 7 in)
Width 2,850 mm (9 ft 4 in)
Doors 4 pairs per side
Maximum speed 100 km/h (60 mph)
Electric system(s) 1,500 V DC
Current collection method Overhead lines
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)

The Tobu 8000 series (東武8000系 Tōbu 8000-kei) is a commuter electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the private railway operator Tobu Railway in Japan since 1963. A total of 712 vehicles were built between 1963 and 1983, making this the most numerous EMU type operated by any private railway operator in Japan.[2]

Operations

Isesaki Line

The Isesaki Line fleet consists of 2-, 4-, and 6-car trainsets based at Kasukabe, Tatebayashi, and Shin-Tochigi depots. A fleet of 3-car 800 and 850 series trains converted from 8000 series units is also based at Tatebayashi Depot.

Kameido Line

2-car Kameido Line set, January 2007

The Kameido Line uses 2-car trainsets modified for driver-only operation.

Kiryu Line

Kiryu Line services include 800 and 850 series 3-car driver-only-operation sets introduced from the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2006.[2]

Urban Park Line

The Urban Park Line fleet based at Nanakōdai Depot consists of 2-, 4-, and 6-car trainsets.

Sano Line

Sano Line services include 800 and 850 series 3-car driver-only-operation sets introduced from the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2006.[2]

Tojo Line

Interior view of a Tojo Line 8000 series, July 2008

The Tōjō Line fleet based at Shinrinkōen Depot consists of 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-car trainsets. These are operated as 10-car formations for services to/from Ikebukuro and as 4-car formations for local driver-only-operation services north of Ogawamachi.

Ogose Line

Refurbished 4-car set on Ogose Line service, with external speakers visible, May 2008

From the start of the revised timetable on 14 June 2008, only refurbished 4-car driver-only-operation sets are used on the Ogose Line.

History

Production

The first 8000 series appeared in November 1963 as 4-car sets. These were joined from December 1964 by 2-car sets (formed MoHa8500 + KuHa8600). Between 1971 and 1972, 14 pairs of additional intermediate cars (SaHa8700 + MoHa8800) were built and inserted into 4-car sets 8101 to 8114 to lengthen them to six cars. 8000 series trains built up to this point were not equipped with air-conditioning, but from June 1972, three 6-car air-conditioned sets (8156 to 8158) were delivered. The originally non-fitted sets were also modified with air-conditioning from October 1973 until 1983 at the Alna Kōki (now Alna Sharyō) factory in Osaka and Tsuha Sharyō factory in Nishiarai, Tokyo.

In May 1977, the first 8-car 8000 series set (8173) was delivered for use on the Tojo Line.

October 1979 saw the last two digits of individual car running numbers exceed 99, resulting in some cars receiving 5-digit (8xxxx) running numbers.

The last two sets built, 81120 and 8580, were delivered in 1983.[2]

The fleet changes between 1963, when the first sets were built, and 1983, when construction ended, are shown below.[3]

Fiscal year 2-car sets 4-car sets 6-car sets 8-car sets Total vehicles
1963 0 15 0 0 60
1964 8 15 0 0 76
1965 21 21 0 0 126
1966 27 27 0 0 162
1967 39 36 0 0 222
1968 47 43 0 0 266
1969 58 51 0 0 320
1970 62 55 0 0 344
1971 62 42 13 0 370
1972 62 41 17 0 390
1973 63 41 22 0 422
1974 68 41 25 0 450
1976 70 41 31 0 490
1977 70 41 31 5 530
1978 70 42 31 9 566
1979 70 42 31 14 606
1980 73 45 32 16 646
1981 75 47 33 16 664
1982 80 50 36 17 712

The fleet changes from 2005, when withdrawals commenced, are shown below. (Including 800/850 series 3-car sets)[3]

Fiscal year 2-car sets 3-car sets 4-car sets 6-car sets 8-car sets Total vehicles
2005 70 10 40 46 12 702
2006 70 10 40 46 12 702
2007 66 10 51 44 6 678
2008 52 10 47 42 6 622
2009 37 10 42 41 5 558
2010 29 10 38 36 4 488
2011 28 10 31 34 3 438
2012 25 10 29 34 3 424

Refurbishment

Unrefurbished 8000 series with original front end but with LED destination indicators, June 2006

Life-extension refurbishment began in 1986, and sets treated from 1987 received redesigned cab ends based on the 6050 series design. Sets refurbished from 1997 onward received HID headlights and LED external destination indicators, replacing the original roller blind type.

2001 saw the first appearance of 2-car sets modified for driver-only-operation. This included the addition of an automated bilingual (Japanese and English) passenger announcement system, internal LED passenger information displays, and external speakers.

Some of the remaining unrefurbished sets also received LED destination indicators.[2]

800 and 850 series conversion

3-car 850 series train at Tatebayashi Station, March 2006

From 2004, five 8-car sets were reformed to create pairs of 3-car 800 and 850 series driver-only-operation sets for use on Sano and Kiryū Line services. This conversion involved adding new cabs to former MoHa8300 and MoHa8200 intermediate cars.[2]

The new sets are formed as follows.[1]

800 series

850 series

Livery changes

An 8000 series set in "sage cream" livery in 1977

When first built, the 8000 series sets were finished in a livery of "royal beige" and "international orange". From May 1974, sets were repainted into a simpler all-over livery of "sage cream". From 1985, sets were repainted into a new livery of "jasmine white" with dark and light blue bodyside stripes.

Commemorative liveries

One six-car set, 8108, was repainted into the original beige and orange livery between October 2004 and June 2005 to mark the 90th anniversary of the Tojo Line. This unit was subsequently returned to standard livery following overhaul in July 2005.[4]

In August 2012, six-car set 8111, preserved in running order by the Tobu Museum, was repainted into its original "royal beige" and "international orange" livery for a series of special event runs.[5]

In March 2014, to mark the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Tobu Tojo Line, four-car set 81111, based at Shinrinkoen Depot, was repainted into the all-over "sage cream" livery carried by sets from the 1970s.[6] This set operates on Tobu Tojo Line services between Ogawamachi and Yorii, and on Tobu Ogose Line services between Sakado and Ogose.[6]

In November 2014, four-car set 81107, based at Shinrinkoen Depot, was repainted into the original "royal beige" and "international orange" livery.[7]

From 28 November 2015, four-car set 8198, based at Shinrinkoen Depot, was repainted into the dark blue with yellow stripe livery carried by 54 series and 53 series EMUs used on Flying Tojo limited express services on the Tobu Tojo Line during the 1950s.[8]

From 23 March 2016, two-car set 8577, used on the Tobu Kameido Line and Tobu Daishi Line received the "international orange" and "medium yellow" livery carried by 7300 and 7800 series trains between 1958 and 1964.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "大手私鉄車両ファイル：車両配置表" (Major Private Railway Allocation Data), published with September 2008 issue of Japan Railfan Magazine
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 ２００６東武鉄道通勤車両カタログ [2006 Tōbu Railway Commuter Rolling Stock Catalogue]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine. Vol. 35 no. 263 (Kōtsū Shimbun). March 2006. pp. 31–37.
  3. 1 2 Hanaue, Yoshinari (October 2013). 東武鉄道8000系電車あれこれ [Everything about the Tobu 8000 series EMUs]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 42 no. 354 (Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun). pp. 29–33.
  4. ↑ リバイバル塗装車、一般色に戻る ["Revival" repainted set reverts to standard livery]. Rail Magazine. No. 265 (Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd.). October 2005. p. 160.
  5. ↑ 東武8000系8111編成が試運転 [Tobu 8000 series set 8111 test run]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  6. 1 2 東武8000系81111編成がセイジクリーム色に [Tobu 8000 series set 81111 repainted into sage cream livery]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  7. ↑ 東武8000系81107編成がツートンカラーに [Tobu 8000 series set 81107 repainted into two-tone livery]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  8. ↑ 行楽列車「フライング東上号」リバイバルカラー車両２編成を運行します！ ["Flying Tojo" tourist train revival livery to be applied to two trains] (pdf). News release (in Japanese). Japan: Tobu Railway. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  9. ↑ ３月２３日（水）より亀戸線で昭和３０年代の「標準色」リバイバルカラー車両を運行します！ [Train to run in 1950s standard livery on Kameido Line from 23 March] (pdf). News release (in Japanese). Japan: Tobu Railway. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.

Further reading

External links

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