International Railroad Discussion > Nice documentary about a train in Japan after the earthquake

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/video/3004720/

NHK's website says the video will be available until July 18, 2021. 
50 minutes long. 

https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/419945

The link above is in Japanese, but I'm posting it for reference. It talks about the DD51 hydraulic-diesel locomotive and their retirements.

The DD51s that participated in the "Emergency Gasoline Train" to assist the victims of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami have all been retired last month (March 2021). Only a handful of DD51s assigned to work trains and "standby" for steam excursion remain in service, and it's a matter of time before they are retired.

There were no engineers qualified to operate the DD51 in the Tohoku region, so JR Freight brought in veteran engineers out of Inazawa (near Nagoya) to "emergency train" local engineers so they can operate the gasoline trains as quickly as possible. They must have done a good job with safety, too, as there were no accidents.

The DD51 had a B-2-B wheel arrangement and got 2200 hp total from twin V12 prime movers. It's hydraulic drive instead of electric traction motors. Some originally had steam generators for passenger service.

Here is the actual list of eight DD51's deployed:
#835 and #852 from Moji (Kyushu)
#757, #759, #833, #1027, and #1188 from Suita (Osaka)
And #832 from Inazawa (Nagoya area)
Among them, #757, #759, and #1188 were LUBO units.
 
Four engineers from Koriyama had been sent to Inazawa for 4-day training before they were on duty.
Only one engineer was qualified for the job at the beginning.  DD51s had once been assigned to Koriyama for "the Jyoetus-Saisen" service, but the JR decided to discontinue the service four years before the earthquake. Almost none of the engineers were qualified to run the motor.  And, of course, DD51s were already gone to different places.
 
EH200 pulled a 20-car consist oil can train from Negishi to Niigata on the first day, split into two sections. A pair of DD51s were assigned to pull a ten-car consist oil can train. Actually, it needed two pairs of DD51s from Niigata to Koriyama.
 JR knew that the very last portion of the route has been troublesome.  So that it made a DE10 standby so that if the train needs extra power in the rear, it could dispatch the standby.  And that strategy worked in the end.

Most importantly, behind the engineer's side, it had a handwritten signboard "Cheer up Tohoku."

BTW, imagine you got a pair of good ole GP30s instead of a pair of DD51s and a single MP15 pushing from the rear instead of DE10, and you have to drive it in the remote mountain line in snowing weather condition on the first day of the service.

Hope this helps,

Hiroshi

Hiroshi Wrote:
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> Hope this helps,
>
> Hiroshi

Sure does! Thanks for posting the detailed stories of the DD51s, the crews, and the operation of the tank train.

I've had personal experiences riding behind the DD51s, onboard the sleeper trains Hokutosei and Cassiopeia, which I've posted reports here on TO in the past. 

They wore the Hokutosei scheme (blue), but it's been retired since the termination of the sleeper service to/from Hokkaido.

The last remaining DD51s of Inazawa were retired last month from regurge serives.

Hope this helps.

Hiroshi

cchan006 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hiroshi Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Hope this helps,
> >
> > Hiroshi
>
> Sure does! Thanks for posting the detailed stories
> of the DD51s, the crews, and the operation of the
> tank train.
>
> I've had personal experiences riding behind the
> DD51s, onboard the sleeper trains Hokutosei and
> Cassiopeia, which I've posted reports here on TO
> in the past. 

Interesting to watch.  Thanks for the link.