The KiHa 85 series is a Japanese limited express diesel multiple unit operated by the Central Japan Railway Company from February 1989 to July 2023, mainly on Nanki and Hida services.
History[]
The sets were introduced on February 18, 1989 on Hida services to replace the old and aging KiHa 80 series cars. More sets were built over the next few years until 2003 and put into service progressively.
Eighty cars were produced; they were based out of Nagoya Rolling Stock Center. They are normally used on Wide View Hida and Wide View Nanki services. The sets used to operate in tandem with the Meitetsu KiHa 8500 series sets on Northern Alps services until the services were discontinued in 2001.
The sets are planned to be replaced progressively with the HC85 series hybrid diesel railcars; the cars are to be produced from 2019 and entered service on 1 July 2022. With the introduction of those diesel railcars, the KiHa 85 series sets are to be progressively retired; the cars were retired on 9 July 2023. Four cars were transferred to Willer Trains in 2023; two are intended for service and two as parts donor cars. These entered service on 16 March 2024.
Design[]
The KiHa 85 series sports a rather modern look for DMUs of the time; this design language was not exactly carried over to newer DMUs ordered by JR Central. The cars have two end-car designs; a panoramic cab end and a gangwayed cab end.
Specifications[]
The sets are built by Fuji Heavy Industries (now known as Subaru Corporation), Niigata Tekkō (now known as Niigata Transys) and Nippon Sharyo and use unpainted stainless steel bodies. The sets use two C-DMF14HZ six-cylinder prime movers per car; the C-DMF14HZ prime movers are in fact normal DMF14HZB prime movers manufactured under license by Cummins.
The KiHa 85 series sets are notable as being the first JR train to use imported prime movers as opposed to domestically-produced prime movers; in this case, the prime movers are produced by Cummins, as mentioned above.
If required the KiHa 85 series sets can be broken up into single cars.
Incidents[]
On 25 June 1997, a KiHa 85 series set on the Hida No. 15 service was struck by falling rocks; the front two cars derailed, with the first car being completely wrecked by the rocks while the second car rolled over. The car wrecked by the rocks, KiHa 85-107, was scrapped due to the incident; a new car, KiHa 85-119, was later manufactured the same year to replace this car.
Gallery[]
References[]
JR Central rolling stock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Active | AC EMUs | Shinkansen: N700 • N700S Non-revenue Shinkansen: 923 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DC EMUs | Commuter: 211 • 213 • 311 • 313 • 315 Limited Express: 285 • 373 • 383 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DMUs | Commuter: KiHa 11 • KiHa 25 • KiHa 75 Limited Express: HC85 Non-revenue: KiYa 95 • KiYa 97 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Withdrawn | AC EMUs | Shinkansen: 0 • 100 • 300 • 700 Non-revenue Shinkansen: 922 • 955 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DC EMUs | Commuter: 12 • 103 • 105 • 113 • 115 • 117 • 119 • 123 Limited Express: 165 • 371 • 381 Non-revenue: 90 • 145 • 193 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DMUs | Commuter: KiHa 30 • KiHa 40 Express: KiHa 58 • KiHa 65 Limited Express: KiHa 80 • KiHa 85 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Future | DC EMUs | Limited Express: 385 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Maglevs | Maglev: L0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Proposed | AC EMUs | Shinkansen: Super Hikari Model |
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