The is a

locomotive A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...

-hauled set of "

Joyful Train is the name given to railway rolling stock or train sets operated by the JR Group in Japan primarily for charters, special events, tourist excursions, and other similar purposes. Traditionally, this term is only used for chartered trains dedicate ...

" railway coaches operated in Japan by the

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in ...

(JR East), normally between and .

Operations

The ''Banetsu Monogatari'' trainset is normally used on ''SL Banetsu Monogatari'' excursion services between and , hauled by the

JNR Class C57 The is a type of 4-6-2 steam locomotive built in Japan from 1937 to 1947. A total of 201 Class C57 locomotives were built and designed by Hideo Shima. Another 14 Class C57 locomotives were built for export to Taiwan in 1942 and 1953. The class ...

steam locomotive C57 180. It is also occasionally used on other excursion services. File:C57-180 Banetsu Monogatari 20061022.JPG, JR East class C57 steam locomotive C57 180 on an SL Banetsu Monogatari working (original livery before refurbishment) File:Ban-etsu monogatari crossing Ichinotogawa river bridge 20090920.jpg, An ''SL Banetsu Monogatari'' service, hauled by C57 180, September 2009 File:DD53-2 Banetsu Monogatari 20061104.JPG, The ''Banetsu Monogatari'' trainset hauled by a DD53 diesel locomotive as a special ''DD53 Banetsu Monogatari'' service in November 2006 File:C57 180 SL Banetsu Monogatari 20121117.jpg, C57 180 at the head of a reduced-length 4-car SL Banetsu Monogatari service

Formation

The dedicated trainset consists of seven 12 series passenger coaches converted from regular day coaches. Car number SuRoFu 12 102 is a Green (first class) observation car converted in 2013 from the former SuHaFu 12 102 standard-class seating car. It has 2+1 unidirectional seating and an observation space at the end of the car, and is finished in a new maroon and black livery. File:Banetsu Monogatari SuHaFu 12 101 Niitsu 20140405.jpg, The ''Banetsu Monogatari'' trainset with SuHaFu 12 101 (car 1) observation car and children's saloon nearest the camera, April 2014 File:Banetsu Monogatari OHa 12 314 Niitsu 20140405.jpg, OHa 12 314 (car 3), April 2014 File:Banetsu Monogatari OHa 12 1701 Niitsu 20140405.jpg, OHa 12 1701 (car 4), April 2014 File:JRE oha12-1701-Inside.jpg, Interior of lounge car OHa 12 1701, October 2012 File:Banetsu Monogatari OHa 12 313 interior 20130406.jpg, Interior of OHa 12 313, April 2013

SuRoFu 12 102

The "Green" (first class)

observation car An observation car/carriage/coach (in US English, often abbreviated to simply observation or obs) is a type of railroad Passenger car (rail), passenger car, generally operated in a passenger train as the rearmost carriage, with windows or a plat ...

SuRoFu 12 102 was rebuilt in 2013 from the original standard class car SuHaFu 12 102. The car was rebuilt with new 2+1 reclining seating with a seating pitch of , and observation area at the end of the car, and finished in a new livery of black and sienna. The train end of the car includes a conductor's office and general-purpose room. File:Banetsu Monogatari SuRoFu 12 102 interior 20130406.jpg, Green class seating inside SuRoFu 12 102, April 2013

History

The ''Banetsu Monogatari'' trainset entered service on 29 April 1999, originally painted in a livery of chocolate and cream. In late 2000, a lounge car with observation windows, OHa 12 1701, converted from SuHaFu 12 160, was inserted into the train, extending it to seven cars. In 2007, the set was refurbished and repainted in a new blue and cream livery intended to evoke the colour scheme of the ''

Orient Express The ''Orient Express'' was a long-distance passenger luxury train service created in 1883 by the Belgian company ''Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits'' (CIWL) that operated until 2009. The train traveled the length of continental Europe, w ...

''. A sales counter was also added in car OHa 12 315 at the same time. From 6 April 2013, ''SL Banetsu Monogatari'' services resumed with a new Green (first class) observation car, SuRoFu 12 102, as car 7, modified from the former SuHaFu 12 102. In 2014, the ''SL Banetsu Monogatari'' train set was refurbished, with all cars repainted in the same black and sienna livery as the "Green" car SuRoFu 12 102. Car 1 was rebuilt with observation end windows, and the main saloon area became a children's play area called the . The rebuilt train returned to service from 5 April 2014.

References

External links