Kiha 17 - Endo Diesel Car

■ This is the Kiha 17, a single-cab, toilet-equipped car from the Kiha 10 series, which was the first to adopt the DMH17 diesel engine, the standard diesel engine for Japanese National Railways (JNR) diesel cars. Development of this engine had begun before the war, and it was resumed and completed after the war. Although the prototype engine existed before the war, the Kiha 17, manufactured starting in 1953, featured a sleek, lightweight body, a contrast to the bulky vehicles still being produced at the time, which still had sill and header reinforcements. However, it was still a developing design, and the sill (reinforcement band) remained only below the side windows, a characteristic of the Kiha 10 series. Due to its underpowered engine, extreme weight reduction measures were taken. The car body width was narrower than the JNR standard of 2,800mm, and the bogies used rubber instead of coil springs for the bolster springs, making it a highly experimental vehicle. Later, with technology brought back by JNR's Swiss inspection team, designs that allowed for lightweight construction while maintaining strength became widespread. The subsequent Kiha 55 series achieved complete body weight reduction and returned to the standard body width of 2,800mm. Until the production of the Kiha 55 series, the Kiha 17 was used for express trains on non-electrified lines such as the Joban Line, Nikko Line, and in the Chiba area. Even after the introduction of the Kiha 55, the superior class Kiroha 18 was coupled with the Kiha 55 series for use in semi-express services. However, with the production of the Kiha 20 and Kiha 58, they were dispersed to non-electrified local lines and became the vanguard of smoke-free operations, replacing steam-hauled passenger trains. Although the engine was underpowered, passengers greatly welcomed the absence of smoke and the relief from coal ash blowing in through open windows from steam locomotives. However, the car body was narrow, the box seat cushions were vinyl-covered, the seatbacks were low, causing heads to bump into passengers behind, and the ride comfort at low speeds on the rubber-damped bogies was poor. Furthermore, due to their age, most of them were scrapped by the 1980s. Some were transferred to Shimabara Railway, Ibaraki Kotsu, Tsugaru Railway, and Mizushima Rinkai Railway. Others lived a second life with newly built car bodies using their underframes, such as the Kanto Railway Kiha 310 series. Ibaraki Kotsu cars remained in service until 2004, and some surviving cars existed. Later, two Kiha 10 cars were transferred to JR East and JR Central and are now preserved and exhibited at the Railway Museum and Sakuma Rail Park (later relocated to the SCMaglev and Railway Park).

■ Motor
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■ Accessories
No accessories

■ Product Condition
No box, sold as-is. Operation OK. Front Baker coupler damaged and missing. Wheels dirty. Car body dirty and scratched. Car number missing on one side.

■ Product Description
Metal

■ Notes
Please check the details on the store's detail page before placing your order.