JAPAN Railroad Only Japanese Electric Multiple-Unit sleeping car

The sleeping car which carries power was used in part in every country in the world. It is famous for the Inter-urban Electric Multiple-Unit sleeping car in the United States in the early 20th century. Moreover, there were VT10.5 type of Diesel Multiple-Unit of the sleeping car in West Germany in the middle of the 1950s, etc. It was used for commercial service and in the daytime was used as a day coach. It stored the seats and was used at night a sleeping car. However, there was a problem. Silence was required for the sleeping car but the power for the sleeping car was noisy. Furthermore, there was no economical merit to drive a sleeping car in daytime and at night. Therefore, only a small number of them were produced, and they were only used for a short time.


However, JNR had a special reason for using the Electric Multiple-Unit for a sleeping car. The railroad of Japan had a complicated track with many slopes and curves. Japan is a small island but it is mountainous. There is only a short distance between one city and the next city. Therefore, the vehicles which were powered by Electric Multiple-Units or Diesel Multiple-Units were distributed from the start of the 1960s in Japan. That is because Electric Multiple-Units and Diesel Multiple-Units have excellent acceleration and slowdown performance, and also have good speed on an uphill slope. It is the same reason that the Shinkansen of Japan uses an Electric Multiple-Unit.

JAPAN The limited express AKEBONO

The limited express which uses the sleeping car of these 24 series is the limited express AKEBONO. The limited express AKEBONO is a typical sleeper train which travels through the Tohoku district. AKEBONO is old Japanese and means of a beautiful scene at dawn in which the sun rises. The limited express AKEBONO started operation in July, 1970. It operated between Ueno Station and Akita Station in Tokyo. This limited express only stopped at the stations with a night time zone. That is, it did not make passengers get on and off. It was the stop for the driver's shift. Thereby, JNR were able to rationalize the business of the station of a night time zone. Now, the limited express AKEBONO runs between Ueno Station and Aomori-Station. It goes back and forth one time on the 1st. It takes about 13 hours. Now, it is a night train of the only fixed operation which connects the Tohoku district to Tokyo. The limited express Akebono used the sleeping car of the 20 series at first. Then, this train used the sleeping car of the 24 series from 1980 because the sleeping car of the 20 series was superannuated.


As a limited express, the limited express AKEBONO was a train which uses the sleeping car of the last 20 series. The model uses this limited express AKEBONO of the 1980s as a model. The present limited express AKEBONO uses 25 types of the 24 series.

JAPAN JNR 24 series sleeping cars

A regulation of JNR is a regulation which stops trains immediately in the event of an outbreak of fire. However, a fire becomes intense and electric wires are broken. The train was stopped inside the longest Hokuriku tunnel in Japan in those days. The fire killed 30 people and 714 people were injured from the damage caused by poisonous gases. JNR were shocked by the size of the damage. The passengers of the sleeping car were sleeping. Therefore, there were many victims among the passengers of the sleeping cars. JNR inspected other new sleeping cars. The dynamo of the sleeping car of 14 series became a problem. It was because the dynamo carries fuel. However, JNR in those days were not able to develop a small piece of automatic fire-extinguishing equipment which can be carried under the floor of sleeping car. Therefore, the manufacture of the sleeping car of the 14 unfortunate series was stopped and a new style sleeping car which carried a power supply in a power source car was designed in a hurry. It was the sleeping car of the 24 series in 1973. The feature of this sleeping car was the performance of fire prevention. Therefore, the interior was simple at first.
By progress of subsequent technology, JNR remodeled this sleeping car. Now, as for the Japanese sleeping car, some vehicles of this series are still used.

Hokuriku tunnel 1972/11/6 1:00am

大きな地図で見る


Please look at the map of Hokuriku District in Japan.
On the north side of Lake Biwako, which is the greatest lake in Japan, is a big mountain range.
That is also a violent snow coverage zone and the old track which opened for traffic in 1896 had a serious problem.
There was a steep hill, with deep snow coverage and a landslide. A steam locomotive towed the train by a three-car connection.
However, the transport capacity was still insufficient.
A new construction of a long tunnel is not new in present day Japan. However, Japan in those days was recovering from defeat in the Pacific War.
Hokuriku tunnel was a symbol of the development of Japan in those days. The opening to traffic was big news.A new stamp which celebrated the opening of traffic through Hokuriku tunnel was issued by the Japanese government.
The new long tunnel had a new danger. Japan in those days had insufficient knowledge of the danger of a long tunnel. At 1:00 a.m. on November 6th, 1972, the KITAGUNI Express was running through Hokuriku tunnel. An EF70 type of a new style electric locomotive was towing it. It was the organization of the coach of 15 cars of 10 series. Fire broke out in the dining car(OSHI 17-2018) of 11 numbered passenger cars. The driver stopped the KITAGUNI Express from the report of the fire by a passenger. However, it was the 5.3km neighborhood from the entrance at Tsuruga of the Hokuriku tunnel.

Ironical fate.

The sleeping car of the 20 series was filled with glory and fame. The sleeping car of the 20 series was famous for graceful vehicles and dignity. However, it was used only on the main line at first. Then, a new sleeping car was required to promise the local route a comfortable journey. The sleeping car of 14 series was able to separate the organization of some coaches. That is because the dynamo was carried under the floor of some of the sleeping cars. However, its reputation was terrible. Rationalization was following the sleeping car of the 14 series. Therefore, the interior in the car was inelegant. It was also for the prevention of a fire from careless danger of cigarettes.


The diesel generator carried the same engine as the engine of a diesel car. Therefore, the complaint occurred from passengers who were not able to sleep. Furthermore, a fearful accident, which JNR did not expect, occurred. It happened during the night of a cold day of winter on November 6, 1972. It started its journey in Fukui Prefecture in Hokuriku District in Japan. The express KITAGUNI which is a No. 501 train of the arrival at Aomori Station from Osaka Station left Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture at the scheduled time. The cursed darkness was waiting in the direction of the movement of the Express KITAGUNI in the Hokuriku tunnel which is 13870m in length and built by JNR in 1962.

JNR 14 series sleeping car

JNR of Japan developed the epoch-making sleeping car after the Pacific War in 1958. It is a coach of 20 series sleeper trains. This coach was used by a fixed organization. It contained the power supply of vehicles carrying a diesel generator for exclusive use. Being intermingled with the coach of other forms was not taken into consideration. The body was unified with blue paint and a white belt. These 20 systems were used by limited express Asakaze between Tokyo and Hakata at first. Asakaze means it as a morning wind. It was said to seem like hotel on the move. It was a train after which I will yearn if a postwar Japanese wants to ride at once. The Shinkansen had not yet appeared. Commencement of the Tokaido Shinkansen was in 1964.
However, when the sleeper train was driven in various places in Japan, a problem arose. The separation of the organization of a train was performed by the destination on local routes. However, the organization of the coach of 20 systems had received the power supply from one power supply vehicle.
Separation of the organization of some coaches was difficult. So, a sleeping car was developed which was a sleeping car of 14 series. It was in 1971. It carried the dynamo under the floor of some sleeping cars. It was a sleeping car with a new design. However, 14 series sleeping cars which appeared faced a big problem. The sleeping car of 14 series were not blessed by fate.

JAPAN KATO N SCALE 5064 SURO62 Second class car

From JAPAN KATO N SCALE 5064 SURO62

SURO62 series is a first-class car of JNR which converted the wooden body into steel. Once, this coach was used with the express　from Ueno Station in Tokyo. And this coach was used in express Niseko in the Hokkaido　most famous for Japan which c62 series of the steam locomotive towed. As a Japanese second-class wagon, the reclining seat was used for the first time, and this coach turned into a second-class wagon specially.

View all

Get your own