International Railroad Discussion > Kyoto Station Action in the Late '90s, Part 4

1 --  First up is a picture of JR West's Haruka airport streamliner passing in fron of new Kyoto Station construction.  Haruka trains are an express service to and from Kyoto, Osaka, and Kansai International Airport.

2 --  Hi-Tech Inverter.  I don't know how many JR had but here is one on a COFC train.  Too bad I only got a going-awy shot.

3 --  Kitakinki Express.  I see a model is vailable on Amazon!  https://www.amazon.com/Limited-Express-Kitakinki-6-Car-Model/dp/B006JW13WW

John

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Here are some folloing-ups:

Kansai Airport Limited Express/Kansai A.P Ltd.Exp, Class 281 EMU. 

EF200 “Sperm Whale” in the original scheme.The powerful electric locomotive ever built and used in JR. It was designed to replace aging EF65s and 66s aiming to lead 1600-ton train. (current operations are still 1300-ton trains).  It was a good intention, and Hitachi was the single builder who tried that challenge.  However, due to lack of sufficient power stations along the Tokaido and Sanyo line to provide enough electricity to power the locomotives, they had to be used under reduced horsepower. Only 21 units were built. They have been LUBO for a long time. JRF decided to retire them after Hitachi decided to pull out from the locomotive business. Ther original EF200 has been preserved at Hitachi facility in Mito. 

Ltd Express Kita-KinkiThis one is an interesting case.  Class 183 EMU, but a group of Class 183 rebuilt from Class 485, and it is unique to JR WEST. For Nanao line operation, JR WEST needed to modify Class 113 (DC only EMU) to be AC/DC EMU like Class 403.   Extracted AC components from surplus Class 485 EMUs were used to do such modification.  What left was a DC version of Class 485 which became a new additional group of Class 183 (700s and 800s).Another group of new Class 183 was from surplus Class 485 by killing AC capability of Class 485, which became Class 183 (200s). Later on, Ltd Express “Kita-Kinki” became Ltd Express “Kohotori.”  183s had been replaced by 381s then by 287s/289s. 

Hope this helps.
Hiroshi

Thanks, again, Hiroshi.

Its good to know more about what I saw "way back when"!

John

Korigaoka1811 Wrote:
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> 2 --  Hi-Tech Inverter.  I don't know how many
> JR had but here is one on a COFC train.  Too bad
> I only got a going-awy shot.

To add to Hiroshi-san's info, the EF200 was in service (as a reserve) only a few days ago, before it was retired on March 28. Talk about timing in posting your nostalgic shot! I did document one in action, back in 2015, and video posted here on TO.

Your Haruka + Kyoto Station under construction shot scores high in history and nostalgia, like the Kiha 181 + Hozukyo Station shot you posted several months ago!