The Class EH800 (EH800形) is a Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′wheel arrangement multi-voltage AC two-unit electric locomotive type operated by Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight) in Japan hauling freight trains on the Kaikyō Line through the Seikan Tunnel separating mainland Honshu with the northern island of Hokkaido. A prototype locomotive was delivered in January 2013 for evaluation and testing, with full-production locomotives delivered from June 2014, entering service from July 2014.
In order to allow Hokkaido Shinkansen services to operate through the dual-gauge Seikan Tunnel (which commenced on 26 March 2016), the overhead line system voltage was raised from the narrow gauge standard of 20 kV AC to the standard shinkansen power supply of 25 kV AC. A fleet of approximately 20 new dual-voltage locomotives capable of operating under either 20 kV or 25 kV was therefore required to replace the Class ED79 and Class EH500 locomotives previously used to haul freight and overnight sleeping car services through the tunnel.[3] These locomotives are also compatible with the digital ATC and feature digital train wireless communications.[3] The total cost of manufacturing the fleet of locomotives together with construction of new maintenance depot facilities was approximately 19 billion yen.[4]This kind of electric locomotive is modelled on the EH500, which was also manufactured by Toshiba, and therefore has a similar appearance and structure.[5]: 36
The first full-production locomotive, EH800-1, on delivery in June 2014
Design of the prototype locomotive, EH800-901, began in fiscal 2010,[4] and the completed locomotive was unveiled to the press at the Toshiba factory in Fuchū, Tokyo, on 27 November 2012.[7] It was delivered to JR Freight in Sendai in January 2013.[8] Following delivery, the prototype locomotive was tested within the confines of Higashi-Fukushima Station before being moved to Goryōkaku Depot in Hokkaido for testing in winter conditions.[9]
The first full-production locomotive was delivered in June 2014.[10] This entered revenue service on 16 July 2014.[11]
Major overhauls of this train are carried out by the Omiya Comprehensive Vehicle Centre, and traction duties in the DC line area are usually carried out by Class EF210[12]orClass EF65.[13]
The EH800 classification for this locomotive type is explained below. As with previous locomotive designs, the prototype is numbered EH800-901, with subsequent production locomotives numbered from EH800-1 onward.
^ abJR貨物 新幹線との供用走行専用の新型機関車を導入 [JR Freight to introduce new locomotives for inter-running with shinkansen]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine. Vol. 41, no. 337. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. May 2012. p. 70.
^ abc整備新幹線小委員会ヒアリング資料 [Seibi-shinkansen Sub-committee Meeting Reference Material] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan: Japan Freight Railway Company. 27 February 2012. pp. 5–6. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
^山田真広 (2014). 日本貨物鉄道（株）EH800形式交流電気機関車(PDF). 東芝レビュー. 69 (5). Toshiba: 36–38. Archived(PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
^JR貨物 EF210形300番代とEH800形900番代を新作 [JR Freight to build new EF210-300 and EH800-900]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine. Vol. 41, no. 341. Japan: Kotsu Shimbun. September 2012. p. 70.
^東芝とJR貨物、青函トンネル新幹線共用走行機関車のプロトタイプ車両を公開 [Toshiba and JR Freight unveil prototype locomotive for Seikan Tunnel]. Zaikei Shimbun (in Japanese). Japan: Zaikei Shimbun Company. 27 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
^EH800-901が甲種輸送される [EH800-901 delivered]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
^EH800-1が甲種輸送される [EH800-1 delivered]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 21 June 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
^EH800-1営業運転開始 [EH800-1 enters revenue service]. RM News (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
^奈良仁一 (27 October 2023). EH800-8と旧塗装のEF210-155が検査を終えて大宮車両所を同時出場 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 28 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024. なお、運転区間は大宮～東大宮操車場～新鶴見信号場間で新鶴見機関区所属のEF210-341が担当した。
^奈良仁一 (5 June 2022). 青函トンネル用EH800-1が大宮車両所で全般検査を終え出場 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 28 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024. 大宮～新鶴見信号場間の牽引は新鶴見機関区所属のEF65 2089が担当した。
^Kisumi, Kenzo (April 2017). 世代交代が進むJR貨物の機関車 [Advances in handover between generations for JR Freight locomotives]. Tetsudo Club (in Japanese). Vol. 2. Japan: Cosmic Publishing. p. 98. ISBN978-4-7747-8338-3.
^EH800-7が甲種輸送される [EH800-7 delivered]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
^EH800-8が甲種輸送される [EH800-8 delivered]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
^EH800-9が甲種輸送される [EH800-9 delivered]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 7 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
^ 甲種鉄道車両輸送計画表 [Rolling stock delivery schedule]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 44, no. 375. Japan: Kotsu Shimbun. July 2015. p. 125.
^ 甲種鉄道車両輸送計画表 [Rolling stock delivery schedule]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 44, no. 376. Japan: Kotsu Shimbun. August 2015. p. 12128.
^ 甲種鉄道車両輸送計画表 [Rolling stock delivery schedule]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 44, no. 378. Japan: Kotsu Shimbun. October 2015. p. 125.
^EH800-14が甲種輸送される [EH800-14 delivered]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 8 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
^EH800-15が甲種輸送される [EH800-15 delivered]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
^ 甲種鉄道車両輸送計画表 [Rolling stock delivery schedule]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 45, no. 383. Japan: Kotsu Shimbun. March 2016. p. 125.
^ 甲種鉄道車両輸送計画表 [Rolling stock delivery schedule]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 45, no. 389. Japan: Kotsu Shimbun. September 2016. p. 125.
^JR貨EH800-18 甲種輸送始まる [JR Freight EH800-18 delivery run starts]. RM News (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. 27 October 2016. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
^ 甲種鉄道車両輸送計画表 [Rolling stock delivery schedule]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 46, no. 393. Japan: Kotsu Shimbun. January 2017. p. 123.
Sugiyama, Yoshikazu (April 2014).『EH800交流電気機関車』[Class EH800 AC electric locomotive]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 54, no. 636. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. pp. 72–75.
Japan Freight Railway Motive Power
