In 1985 System 205 was produced. This train was designed with a low cost field additive induction control system, JR7s first stainless steel body, an electric command brake and a light weight bolster-free bogie.
The above were precursors to System 209, which was planned as a light, cost-saving and fully maintenance-free structure. Concepts involved in the development of System 209 are as follows.
Our original rail car concepts were "half the life cycle", "half the weight" and "half the price"; as well as the service-oriented concepts "people- and environment-friendly". The "half' concepts seemed difficult, even impossible, to achieve with conventional commuter trains. But the top executives at the time deliberately set a high goal so that we, the technical experts, by developing technology, would raise both the company's spirits and our own motivation level. And by halving the life cycle and price, the executives wanted to activate the market for rail car producers.
(2) System 209 objectives
Next I would like to explain the objectives of System 209. The development concepts are reduction of life cycle, weight, and price by half. Our aims were to lower the costs of car maintenance, electricity, new car production and car life cycle, and to reduce the labor involved in track maintenance. We sought to achieve these aims by such concrete means as a complete ME for rail cars, the simplification of rail car structure, and the development of a System 209 train which would guarantee a specific life cycle. By shortening the cycle, we aimed at preventing car deterioration, improving environmental issues of vibration and noise and improving maintenance work conditions which were considered hard, dirty, and dangerous.
2 Development policies and achievements
(1) Concept 1: Reducing the life cycle by one half
At this time I will present the underlying principles and practical implementations of the System 209 concepts.
The life cycle of conventional commuter train was 20 to 25 years. That period, which included an overhaul every three years, required a lot of labor. Out of this situation arose the concept of halving the life cycle, which would require no overhauling for 13 years or 2 million km. of operation. Halving the life cycle does not mean halving the durability of the basic structure. Rather it means that the 13 year life cycle of the entire rail car, which is our focus, has been extended. This is achieved by increasing the durability of those parts that had been frequently renewed due to abrasion or deterioration.
