TheKiHa 80 series (キハ80系) was adiesel multiple unit type that operated on express services from 1960 to 2002, underJapan National Railways and later underJR Hokkaido andJR Central. Two variants were initially built: theKiHa 81 series (キハ81系) to replace the then steam-operatedHatsukari services in 1960, and theKiHa 82 series (キハ82系) for other services from 1961 to 1967; the KiHa 81 series sets would receive the fourthBlue Ribbon Award for outstanding design from theJapan Railfan Club [ja].

KiHa 80 series
KiHa 82 seriesŌtori service, 1986
In service	1960–2002
Manufacturer	Fuji Heavy Industries,Hitachi,Kawasaki Heavy Industries,Kinki Sharyo,Kisha Seizo,Niigata Tekko,Nippon Sharyo,Teikoku Sharyo,Tokyu Car Corporation
Constructed	1960 (KiHa 81) 1961–1967 (KiHa 82)
Scrapped	1982–2009
Successor	KiHa 181 series KiHa 183 series 485 series
Operators	JNR (1960–1987) JR Hokkaido (1987–2002) JR Central (1987–2002)
Specifications
Car length	21,300 mm (69 ft 11 in) (KiHa 81) 21,100 mm (69 ft 3 in) (KiHa 82)
Width	2,903 mm (9 ft 6 in)
Maximum speed	100 km/h (62 mph)
Engine type	Diesel
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Notes/references
This train won the 4thBlue Ribbon Award in 1961. ※Awarded for KiHa 81 series This train won the 30thBlue Ribbon Award in 1987. ※Awarded for KiHa 84 series Furano Expressset

By early 1960, the new cars were scheduled to start service in December of that year. After a promotional film of the KiHa 81 series was shot between September 15–23, 1960, and a demonstration was given to the participants of the 1960 Asian Railways Conference on October 14, the sets began operatingHatsukari services as planned on December 10.

In the late 1980s, three resort trains were built based on the series: twoKiHa 84 series (キハ84系) trains (theFurano Express andTomamu Sahoro Express) and one remodeled KiHa 82 train (theResort Liner). TheFurano Express would be reliveried from June to October 1987 as part of a promotion withAll Nippon Airways, and win the 30thBlue Ribbon Award in the same year; theTomamu Sahoro Express set would participate in a Shikoku event showcasing the trains of allJR Group companies in 1989.

By the time of its retirement in 2002, it had been superseded by various multiple units such as theKiHa 183,KiHa 181, and485 series. Most cars were scrapped by 2009, but some were preserved, including a KiHa 81 lead car at theKyoto Railway Museum, and a KiHa 82 lead car on theHakkōda Maru [ja].

After World War II, limited express services used only theTōkaidō andSan'yō Main Lines and part of theKagoshima Main Line. This was due to low demand for express services in rural areas due to most of the population already residing on the Tōkaidō Main Line, as well as lack of electrification in many areas; only the Tōkaidō,Takasaki andJōetsu lines were electrified by 1956, necessitating the use of steam locomotives on most lines.^[1]

Steam locomotives were used widely in Japan during the mid-20th century, reaching a peak of 5,958 in 1946.^[2] Whilst necessary due to its significant role in transporting freight, there were disadvantages: when changing directions at terminal stations, steam locomotives would need to be shunted. Furthermore, due to the railway standards in Japan, they were considered inferior to trains with multiple motor cars (especially theelectric multiple units operating between Tokyo and Osaka at the time).^[3]

In early 1960, the new cars were scheduled to start service in December of that year.^[4]

On September 15, 1960, a promotional film using a KiHa 81 series set was filmed on theKawagoe Line, which was followed by filming on theJōban Line and theTōhoku Main Line between September 18 and 23.^[5] On October 14, a special train carrying the participants of that year's Asian Railways Conference made a round trip betweenTokyo andNikkō.^[5] The remaining 17 KiHa 81 series cars were inaugurated between October 31 and November 18, 1960, and started on theHatsukari service on December 10.^[5]

In theOctober 1961 timetable revision [ja], the number of daily limited express services was increased from 9 to 26; to meet that demand, 7 cars would be allocated toHibari services in April 1962.^[6]

These cars, along with a further 127 cars (15 of which were allocated to the Hakodate depot), were KiHa 82 series cars.^[7] They would be allocated to the following services:

• Ōzora (Hakodate to Asahikawa - one return working daily)
• Hakuchō(白鳥) (Osaka to Aomori via Ueno - one return working daily)
• Hibari (Ueno to Sendai - one return working daily)
• Tsubasa (Ueno to Akita - one return working daily)
• Matsukaze (Kyoto to Matsue - one return working daily)
• Kamome (Kyoto to Miyazaki via Nagasaki - one return working daily)
• Midori (Osaka to Hakata - one return working daily)
• Heiwa (Osaka to Hiroshima - one return working daily)

However, some mechanical problems would become apparent; on the first day of the timetable revision, oneMatsukaze service departed 40 minutes late as the Kiha 82-40 car had to undertake repairs at Fukuchiyama due to axle overheating, and dining service in the KiShi 80 car was suspended due to the resulting lack of power supply. On the return trip, the KiHa 82-27 car was switched to face towards Kyoto, and the KiHa 28-7 car was assigned to the rear of the train - it would be exchanged with the KiHa 82-40 car at Toyooka.^[8]

Shuichiro Yamanouchi, the JNR district manager for Mukōmachi, would describe in his bookIf There Was No Shinkansen... (新幹線がなかったら,Shinkansen ga nakattara) how he used spare cars (which were intended forMidori services) for spare parts in event of any problems, and to make up for a shortage of such parts.^[9]

Between 1964 and 1972, these services would start using the KiHa 82 series sets:

• Ōtori [ja] (Hakodate to Abashiri and Kushiro - one return working daily)
• Hokuto(北斗) (Hakodate to Sapporo and Asahikawa - one return working daily)
• Hokkai(北海) (Hakodate to Asahikawa - one return working daily)

In September 1968, after the entirety of the Tohoku Main Line was electrified, with the section between Ueno and Sendai being duplicated, the KiHa 81 series sets would be replaced by583 series trains onHatsukari services.^[10]

In the October 1, 1976 timetable revision, 12 surplus cars (which were used onOki services) were transferred from Mukaikamachi Depot, and twoHida return workings using KiHa 82 series cars were added between Nagoya and Takayama.^[11]

In the October 2, 1978 timetable revision, 36 surplus cars were transferred from Wakayama Locomotive Works, asKuroshio trains were replaced by 381 series trains due to the electrification of Shingu Station on the Kise Main Line. ThreeNanki return workings ran between Nagoya and Kii-Katsuura, which was a non-electrified section. The number ofHida services was increased by one to four.^[12] In 1982, nine surplus cars were transferred from Mukōmachi, and five old cars were scrapped, and on November 15 of the same year, the timetable was revised to include six-car trains.^[13]

In the March 14, 1985 timetable revision, theHida services were changed from one round trip to/from Kanazawa to one round trip to/fromHida-Furukawa, and theNanki services were shortened to four-car sets. At the time of privatization on April 1, 1987, 50 cars were transferred to the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central), which continued to operate fourHida round trips and fiveNanki round trips.^[14]

In the October 1, 1981 timetable revision, the number ofŌzora return workings using KiHa 80 series sets would be reduced to one, and the number of cars onŌtori services would be reduced by one. ThreeHokuto return workings (along with oneŌzora service) were transferred to theSapporo Depot [ja].^[15]

In the March 14, 1985 timetable revision, the position of the KiShi 80 and KiRo 80 cars would be reversed onŌtori services, whilst twoŌzora services toObihiro were added (one operated in conjunction withHokkai services) and the one remainingHokuto service using the KiHa 80 series would become a seasonal-only train.^[14] In the November 1, 1986 timetable revision (the last before the privatization of JNR), all services in Hokkaido using KiHa 80 series sets were either replaced by KiHa 183 series sets, or removed from regular service.^[16]

After the privatization of JNR, 15 cars would be allocated to the then newly formed JR Hokkaido:

Of these cars, KiHa 82-109 would be converted to KiHa 80-501 for theFurano Express; KiHa 80-160 and KiHa 80-166 would be converted to KiHa 84 series cars, along with the KiHa 82-86 car being converted into a KiHa 83 series car, to make up theTomamu Sahoro Express. Due to the aging of the modified cars, operation of theFurano Express was terminated in 1998. TheTomamu Sahoro Express was converted to the Mount Lake livery in 1999, but the operation was terminated in the summer season of 2002. Both trains would be scrapped in 2004 (with the exception of KiShi 80-501, which would last until 2007).^[17][18]

The remaining cars - unmodified KiHa 82-102/108 and KiHa 80-144/152/161 cars - were used in a 5-car formation on various services. Several farewell services were run, starting September 25, 1992 with a service from Sapporo to Hakodate (via the Hakodate Main Line), on September 26, 1992, with another Hakodate to Sapporo service (this time via the Muroran Main Line and Chitose Line), and on September 27–28, 1992 with a farewell Sapporo round trip service (via Kushiro and Abashiri); the set would be withdrawn on October 2, 1992.^[7]

From 1987 until 1994, KiHa 80 series sets would be used for theSuzuka F1 temporary service that ran directly from Nagoya toSuzuka Circuit Inō on the Ise Line during the Japanese Grand Prix, and to transport spectators to night games held at theNagoya Stadium via the Nagoya Port Line.^[19]

By 1994, 22 cars were still in service. Some of these cars were used on special farewell services - theMemorial Hida event train on October 25 of the same year, theGotemba Line 60th Anniversary temporary rapid train betweenShizuoka andGotemba on November 27, and on December 11, theHida special train on the Takayama Main Line. On January 21, 1995, its final service - theMemorial Nanki - was operated. The nine regular cars and threeResort Liner cars that were registered at that time were scrapped during the same year, with the exception of the KiHa 82-73/105 and KiHa 80-60/99 cars.^[19]

In 1960, two nine-car sets (along with eight extra cars) of what would be known as the KiHa 81 series were manufactured. These trains were also named theHatsukari after the services on which they were introduced. In 1961, these sets received the fourthBlue Ribbon Award from theJapan Railfan Club [ja].^[20]

Between 1968 and 1970, six of these cars (three KiRo 80 and three KiSaShi 80 cars) were refurbished into 900-series cars.^[7]

At the end of 1960, JNR started work on a redesign of the KiHa 81 series, with a focus on fixing the set's flaws and finding possible improvements. The KiHa 82 series, which included newly designed lead and intermediate cars, was manufactured after 1961.^[7]

In the 1980s, a number ofJoyful Trains were built, which included theFurano Express, theTomamu Sahoro Express and theResort Liner.^[17][18][22]

Due to the popularity of theAlpha Continental Express, which was a modified KiHa 56 series car that entered service in 1985, the Furano area, which was attracting attention as a tourist destination, demanded a set that offered high-quality service and improved ride comfort and speed. The set won the 30thBlue Ribbon Award in 1987.^[23]

From June to October 1987, as part of a collaboration withAll Nippon Airways, the front destination board was changed toANA, the train was reliveried with a band that had two shades of blue (which was similar to that on ANA aircraft), and the train's name was changed to theANA Big Sneaker Train.^[23]

The KiHa 184-11 car was added to augment the set to 5 cars in January 1990. Modifications included a new control circuit, new hood height, and new exterior paint color. The car was removed from the formation later that year and restored to its usual configuration, and would eventually be scrapped in March 1994 due to damage sustained in an accident on anŌzora service in February that year. The set was withdrawn after theLast Run Furano service on November 1, 1998, and scrapped on September 27, 2004.^{[24][25][additional citation(s) needed]}

Three cars (KiHa 84-101, KiHa 83-101 and KiHa 83-102) were completed on December 10, 1987. It began operating as a three-car set between Sapporo and Tomamu on December 27, 1987, immediately after its completion. In some seasons, it was operated as theLavender Express to complement theFurano Express.^[18]

In 1988, two further cars (KiHa 83-102 and KiShi 80-501) were added to the set, augmenting it to five cars.^[18]

As part of a 1989 event in Shikoku called theJoyful Train Gathering of Six JR Companies, the train ran betweenTakamatsu andMatsuyama (where it was put on temporary display) on November 4, and on November 5, it ran between Matsuyama andTadotsu. It returned to Hokkaido via the Tokaido and Tohoku Main Lines from November 6 to 10 under locomotive power from Tadotsu.^[26]

In 1999, the train was converted from aSeasun to theMount Lake Onuma service, named after theŌnuma Quasi-National Park's titular lake, and again to theNight Cruise Ryobi, which travelled via the former Esashi Line. It was restored to theTomamu Sahoro Express paint scheme after these services ended in August 2002, and was used on weekend services from September 14 to October 14 of the same year. After that, the cars were withdrawn, and were eventually scrapped in 2004 (with the exception of KiShi 80-501, which would be scrapped in 2007).^[27]

This 3-car train was completed on July 29, 1988, and began commercial operation on August 16, 1988. Unlike the other joyful trains based on this series, they were to be used for special trains and group trains that were scheduled on a case-by-case basis. In addition, some of the trains were operated in conjunction with express trains of the KiHa 58 and KiHa 65 series. For this reason, the jumper couplers for the control circuits were replaced. The cars would eventually be scrapped in 1995.^[22]

KiHa 81-3

It was formerly preserved and exhibited at theModern Transportation Museum in Osaka, before being moved to theKyoto Railway Museum upon the former's closure in April 2014.^[28][29][30]

KiHa 82-101

It has been stored on theHakkōda Maru [ja].^[31]