KiHa 141 series


The KiHa 141 is a diesel multiple unit train type operated by Hokkaido Railway Company on the Sassho Line in Japan since 1990. The cars were rebuilt from former 50 series locomotive-hauled coaches.

Variants

A total of 44 cars were built, between 1990 and 1995, divided into four main types: KiHa 141, KiHa 142, KiHa 143, and KiSaHa 144.
14 KiHa 141 cars were built between 1990 and 1993 from surplus 50 series OHaFu 51 locomotive-hauled coaches, using the bogies and gearboxes from withdrawn KiHa 22 and KiHa 56 DMUs. These cars are formed as two-car sets with KiHa 142 cars. The KiHa 141 cars are powered by one DMF13HS 250 hp engine, and retain the original toilet of the 50 series coaches. These cars are not air-conditioned.

Build details

The build dates and former identities are as shown below.
Car No.Former numberBuiltLocation
KiHa 141-1OHaFu 51-4413 March 1990Kushiro Depot
KiHa 141-2OHaFu 51-1129 March 1991Naebo Works
KiHa 141-3OHaFu 51-4628 March 1991Kushiro Depot
KiHa 141-4OHaFu 51-1623 September 1991Kushiro Depot
KiHa 141-5OHaFu 51-5320 December 1991Kushiro Depot
KiHa 141-6OHaFu 51-117 March 1992Kushiro Depot
KiHa 141-7OHaFu 51-478 February 1992Naebo Works
KiHa 141-8OHaFu 51-4916 February 1992Naebo Works
KiHa 141-9OHaFu 51-4810 July 1992Kushiro Depot
KiHa 141-10OHaFu 51-5526 September 1992Kushiro Depot
KiHa 141-11OHaFu 51-122 February 1993Kushiro Depot
KiHa 141-12OHaFu 51-231 January 1993Naebo Works
KiHa 141-13OHaFu 51-521 February 1993Naebo Works
KiHa 141-14OHaFu 51-2323 June 1993Kushiro Depot

KiHa 142

15 KiHa 142 cars were built between 1990 and 1995 from surplus 50 series OHaFu 51 locomotive-hauled coaches, using the bogies and gearboxes from withdrawn KiHa 22 and KiHa 56 DMUs. These cars are formed as two-car sets with KiHa 141 cars. The KiHa 142 cars are powered by two DMF13HS 250 hp engines, and the original toilet of the 50 series coaches was removed during rebuilding. These cars are not air-conditioned.
KiHa 142-14 was fitted with modified passenger door control circuits in 1995 and renumbered KiHa 142-114. KiHa 142-201 was built in 1995 from former 50 series coach OHaFu 51-30 for use in conjunction with KiHa 143 cars.

Build details

The build dates and former identities are as shown below.
Car No.Former numberBuiltLocation
KiHa 142-1OHaFu 51-4513 March 1990Kushiro Depot
KiHa 142-2OHaFu 51-329 March 1991Naebo Works
KiHa 142-3OHaFu 51-4031 March 1991Goryokaku Depot
KiHa 142-4OHaFu 51-6019 August 1991Goryokaku Depot
KiHa 142-5OHaFu 51-5126 October 1991Goryokaku Depot
KiHa 142-6OHaFu 51-5428 December 1992Goryokaku Depot
KiHa 142-7OHaFu 51-1312 February 1992Goryokaku Depot
KiHa 142-8OHaFu 51-2231 March 1992Goryokaku Depot
KiHa 142-9OHaFu 51-4216 June 1992Goryokaku Depot
KiHa 142-10OHaFu 51-4322 August 1992Goryokaku Depot
KiHa 142-11OHaFu 51-147 November 1992Goryokaku Depot
KiHa 142-12OHaFu 51-2116 January 1993Goryokaku Depot
KiHa 142-13OHaFu 51-619 March 1993Goryokaku Depot
KiHa 142-114OHaFu 51-264 July 1993Goryokaku Depot
KiHa 142-201OHaFu 51-309 January 1995Goryokaku Depot

KiHa 143

11 KiHa 143 cars were built in 1994 from surplus 50 series OHaFu 51 locomotive-hauled coaches to provide additional capacity on the Sassho Line. These cars are formed as two-car sets, consisting of KiHa 143-100 cars at the Sapporo end and KiHa 143-150 cars at the opposite end. The KiHa 143 cars are powered by two DMF13HZD 450 hp engines, and used bogies based on the KiHa 150 design. The KiHa 143-150 cars retain the original toilet of the 50 series coaches. All cars were fitted with air-conditioning from 1996.
Passenger accommodation consists of transverse seating bays arranged 2+1 abreast, with longitudinal bench seating at the car ends.
A number of KiHa 143 twin-car sets were modified for use on wanman driver-only operation services.

Build details

The build dates and former identities are as shown below.
Car No.Former numberBuiltLocation
KiHa 143-101OHaFu 51-3627 August 1994Naebo Works
KiHa 143-102OHaFu 51-411 September 1994Naebo Works
KiHa 143-103OHaFu 51-2425 October 1994Naebo Works
KiHa 143-104OHaFu 51-3431 January 1995Naebo Works
KiHa 143-151OHaFu 51-3224 August 1994Kushiro Depot
KiHa 143-152OHaFu 51-1528 August 1994Goryokaku Depot
KiHa 143-153OHaFu 51-3528 October 1994Kushiro Depot
KiHa 143-154OHaFu 51-2029 October 1994Goryokaku Depot
KiHa 143-155OHaFu 51-271 April 1995Naebo Works
KiHa 143-156OHaFu 51-3921 July 1995Goryokaku Depot
KiHa 143-157OHaFu 51-604 August 1995Goryokaku Depot

KiSaHa 144

Four KiSaHa 144 non-powered intermediate cars were built in 1994 from surplus 50 series OHaFu 51 locomotive-hauled coaches. Originally used sandwiched between KiHa 141 and KiHa 142 cars, they were later used between pairs of KiHa 143 cars. All cars were fitted with air-conditioning in 2001.
Passenger accommodation consists of transverse seating bays arranged 2+1 abreast, with longitudinal bench seating at the car ends.

Build details

The build dates and former identities are as shown below.
Car No.Former numberBuiltLocation
KiSaHa 144-101OHaFu 51-725 March 1994Naebo Works
KiSaHa 144-102OHaFu 51-924 March 1994Naebo Works
KiSaHa 144-103OHaFu 51-1029 March 1994Naebo Works
KiSaHa 144-104OHaFu 51-3331 March 1994Naebo Works

KiSaHa 144-104 was initially numbered KiSaHa 144-151, but was renumbered KiSaHa 144-104 in August 1995 following removal of its toilet at Naebo Works.

History

A large number of locomotive-hauled 50 series coaches became surplus to requirements following electrification of lines in the Sapporo area of Hokkaido in the late 1980s. A program was therefore started to rebuild a number of these coaches into diesel multiple unit trains to replace ageing DMUs on the non-electrified Sassho Line. In March 1990, one two-car set, formed of KiHa 141-1 and KiHa 142-1, was formed at Kushiro Depot and transferred to Naebo Depot from April of that year. Between 1990 and 1995, a total of 44 DMUs cars were built from former 50 series coaches at Kushiro Depot, Goryokaku Depot, and Naebo Works.

Withdrawals and resale

The first two cars built, KiHa 141-1 and KiHa 142-1, were withdrawn in March 2005.
Four KiHa 141 series cars, KiHa 143-155, KiSaHa 144-103, KiSaHa 144-101, and KiHa 142-201, were sold to JR East and moved to Koriyama Works in November 2012 for conversion into the SL Ginga Joyful Train set for use with the restored JNR Class C58 steam locomotive C58 239 from April 2014.
A number of cars were sold to Myanmar National Railways.