I have two questions regarding the freight railroad business in Japan. First, what are the major goods transported by Japanese freight trains - high value, bulk, LCL? Second, are there any books about the current Japanese freight railroad industry?
Euclid Here is a nice look at a Japanese oil train. It is interesting that the tanks are all of the same size and design. What is that tank style called? Interesting colors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt3ZaSRB__E
As an American railroader - 'nice pick up, where is the rest of the train'. 15 cars is not profitable to operate in the US, maybe JNR has a different economic model.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Japan has gone completely to fixed unit trainsets, and no longer runs any loose car trains. If I had to guess, I suspect intermodal is their main business.
I waslooking at the video provided in Euclid's link. As mentioned all the cars appeared to be of similar design, in American trems " a sort of modified possum-belly' design.
At first I thought that the cylinders, and rods under the tanks might have been some kind of mechanical valving system to aid in rapid unloading? Then I caught this video;linked @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4a1qdT94no
It appears evident that the unloding is done from either side of the tanks, utilizing a 'T' shaped manifold pipe. The cylinders, and rods appear to be part of the braking apparatus(?). It would seem to be a problematic arrangement, in case of a derailment(?). Where's Chuck(TomikawaTT) when you need him)...Like Paul North mentioned.
BaltACDAs an American railroader - 'nice pick up, where is the rest of the train'. 15 cars is not profitable to operate in the US, maybe JNR has a different economic model.
As a former American railroader and marketing/pricing guy, I strongly disagree.
Under the right circumstances, a 15 car train will put money on the bottom line. The first of these circumstances is that there has to be spare capacity on the particular rail line.
Fifteen railcars may hold 60 truckloads of freight. If the truckers are charging $2.00/mile (normal) that would be equivalent to $120.00/train mile. You'd probably have to discount it by 10% to get the business, so you're down to $108.00/train mile. $108.00/train mile will more than throw money to the bottom line. A lot of money.
You won't get all of the $108. There will be some terminal expenses unique to the rail haul, but if the line has capacity it will be money in the bank.
Coincidentally, I was just You Tube-ing it the other night looking at European freight trains. Most were 30-40 cars, though I found one video (from Austria, I believe) where the photographer mentioned that it was the longest train he had ever seen-at 50 cars. Another one breathlessly titled itself "The Longest Train in Britain!"...a whole 92 cars!
Japanese National Railways was privatized in April 1987. It was divided into six regional companies (passenger) and Japanese Rail Fraight which operates the freight service on the other companies lines..
http://www.jrfreight.co.jp/english/business/ontime.html
http://www.jrtr.net/jrtr26/pdf/f08_iwa.pdf
http://www.allaboutjapantrains.com/jr-freight.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Freight_Railway_Company
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
greyhounds As a former American railroader and marketing/pricing guy, I strongly disagree. Under the right circumstances, a 15 car train will put money on the bottom line. The first of these circumstances is that there has to be spare capacity on the particular rail line. Fifteen railcars may hold 60 truckloads of freight. If the truckers are charging $2.00/mile (normal) that would be equivalent to $120.00/train mile. You'd probably have to discount it by 10% to get the business, so you're down to $108.00/train mile. $108.00/train mile will more than throw money to the bottom line. A lot of money. You won't get all of the $108. There will be some terminal expenses unique to the rail haul, but if the line has capacity it will be money in the bank.
Likely the situation in Japan is similar to that in Switzerland where a tax raises the costs of highway transportation above the USA model, thereby making shorthaul railfreight possible. In any case work rules are probably different in Japan, probably just the driver on the Electric locomotive doing the Line-haul, with two people doing the switching at the end.
Most railborne freight in Japan is handled by one company, JR Freight, part of the mostly government owned Japan Railways:
IIRC, they move containers and bulk commodities. Mixed freight travels by truck.
I gather all long haul freight trains are pulled by electric locomotives, local freights use diesel switchers.
They have some interesting equipment such as the M250 "Superrail" high speed container trainsets:
http://youtu.be/ioFYNpq8z_M
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
beaulieu Likely the situation in Japan is similar to that in Switzerland where a tax raises the costs of highway transportation above the USA model, thereby making shorthaul railfreight possible. In any case work rules are probably different in Japan, probably just the driver on the Electric locomotive doing the Line-haul, with two people doing the switching at the end.
As has been mentioned earlier there are two types of freight trains in Japan, unit tank car trains (it's been mentioned hauling oil), and unit container trains. These are short containers (10'?) with doors on the side for easier loading and unloading on narrow streets. JRFreight is sort of the mirror image of Amtrak having rights over the privatized JR companies. I don't know their relationship to the numerous private railways. The biggest competition for freight in coast wise shipping as almost every major city is a port. The interstate type highways I've experienced have all been tollway. I'm not sure of the level of charges on these roads.
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