Finally completed, the summer 2018 mega reskin pack is here!
It contains the reskins of rizky's 201, 205 and E231 series trains, with both refurbished original versions and new variants.
Notes:
- in order for the reskins to work, it's necessary to download and install the original trains (Yamanote Line E231-500, Nambu Line 205 series and Chuo Line 201 series), all avaible either on the DLS or at his website or both.
- to avoid confusion with older reskins, i suggest to delete the old versions first and then install the new ones.
- since it's a very heavy pack (267mb, 76 consists and 197 vehicles for a grand total of 273 individual files) i suggest, while content manager installs the content, to enjoy the reading below.
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Megapack
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Link removed due to kuid number conflict with newer releases. Newer version avaible on my website.
201 and 203 series enginesounds
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Link removed due to kuid number conflict with newer releases. Newer version avaible on my website.
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In 1970's Japan, the National Railways (JNR) were deep financial trouble due to the debt accumulated from the construction of the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen and the growing building expenses of the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen. They had to save money one way or another, so they initally closed lots of minor, unprofitable lines, but it wasn't enough. The solution had to be deeper, more complex and radical.
In an highly industrialized and urbanized country with little to no natural resources, like Japan (or Italy), electricity is expensive. Tremendously expensive.
JNR realized that the solution to it's problem was saving it, by massively introducing what at the time was the greatest innovation in electrical traction.
The current Chopper.
Bit of technical matters here:
A resistor is a component that partially dissipates current into heat, meaning that the current that enters a resistor is higher than the one that exits.
In a resistor-controlled train, such as the 103 series, to accellerate the resistors must be gradually excluded. In such trains the master controller usually has 4 positions: zero (neutral), series, semi-parallel and parallel (the latter three refer to the three different electrical circuit types), the motor imput current is ,thus, of 3 fixed values, meaning that accelleration is not gradual, and in certain situations it can even strain the motor itself. Furthemore it generates lots of heat, making it unsuitable to underground railways.
A Chopper instead is a component that, electronically transforms the input DC current from a steady value to a series of rapid pulses (also DC).
The shorter the interval between pulses (in terms of milliseconds), the faster the motor will get. The accelleration thus is extremely smooth and it does not generate heat, just only a constant high-pitched whine. The only disadvantage is that it's expensive as it requires precision-maufactured components.
It's a system first introduced in 1968 on the 6000 series of TRTA (later Tokyo Metro) and then subsequently adpoted by numerous (wealthy) private railways such as Tokyu and by Municipal Subways nationwide (wich did not have any funding problem, thus they could utilize what at the time was the most advanced technology, not only in traction but also in signalling and operation).
JNR lacked behind in this field, but in 1977, it was finally decided to introduce this new revolutionay system to the national rails.
A 4+6 car full-production 201 series set with the additional service rollerblind and the original pantographs on the Ome line, 2010.
Built by Toky Car Corp. (nowdays J-TREC) in 1977 and entered service in 1979 the 201 series prototype (classified 201-900 series) was a 3+7 car set destined to the Chuo Rapid Line (and inter-running services on the Ome and Itsukaichi Lines), wich at the time still relied on power-consuming 101 and 103 series trains.
Besides the new Chopper control, the 201 series actually changed little from the 103 series, as they both share similar bodyshells, windows, doors, bogeys, pantographs and air conditioning units. The other main differences was the upper front part, with it's distinctive black contour around the asymmetrical windows (derived from those of the prototype 591 series tilting EMU) desinged to enhance the driver's visual of the line ahead.
The mass production of 201 series trains began in 1981 and by 1985 both of the older trains were retired. The main difference between the prototype and the full-production series is that the 201-900 series had an additional "door pocket window" between the driver's door and the first passenger door (more or less where the "JR" logo is on the standard 201s) and had the running number (the three numbers to the left of the headlights, that identify the train service) black on a white backgrund, while on standard 201s they were the opposite, white on black background.
The master controller was also changed from the "vertical axis" one used on the 103 series to the "orizontal axis" type MC60, derived from those used on shinkansen 0 series trains, as they were easier to use for novice drivers and overall more comfortable.
Loved by railway enthusiasts, appreciated by commuters and drivers as well, they did extremely good in service but they were expensive to manufacture, too much for what JNR could afford, so production stopped in 1985, at 1018 cars built.
What was to become the national railways' standard train failed. It was the train JNR deserved, but not the one it needed right then.
Chuo Line 201 series trains were also provisionally used between 1986 and 1990 on the first section of the Musashino Line (Fuchuhonmachi to Shin-Matsudo), in a way that the same set could be used on both lines as they would run a Chuo Line service terminating at Nishi-Kokubunji, then the driver (and the destination sign) would change and 30mins later the same train would depart bound for one of the Musashino Line service.
Originally introduced with a plain front, starting from the early '90s some were fitted with an additonal roller-blind destination indicator for special services, and by 2001 they changed pantographs to the single-arm type used on E231 series trains.
The Chuo Rapid line was not the only one to get the 201 series trains, they were also introduced on the Chuo-Sobu line.
Chuo-Sobu line 201 series on the "Sobu section" (western part, parallel to the Sobu-Yokosuka rapid line), 2001.
The 201 series trains were introduced on the Chuo-Sobu line in 1982, to replace the 101 series. Fitted in the canary yellow of the line, they ran until 2001, when they were replaced (along with the 103 and 205 series trains) by the E231-0s.
The prototype 201-900 series also was transferred to the Chuo-Sobu line in the mid-1980s.
A few years later, in 2007, the Chuo rapid line trains started being replaced by the newly introduced E233 series, with the last run in 2010.
The replaced trains were not scrapped immediatly, instead, they were moved to the Keyio Line, starting with former Chuo-Sobu trains in 2000.
A former Chuo rapid line 201 series on the Keyo Line, 2010.
Altough newly opened in 1990, the Keiyo Line was operated with 103 series trains displaced from the Yamanote and Chuo lines, along with a minority of newly-built 205 series trains.
Altough the Keiyo Line's color is red the 201 series trains were fitted in skyblue, like the 103 series as the intent of the Keiyo Line (besides providing a faster route for freight trains) was to provide access to the sea, so the "Sky blue" of JNR became the "Marine Blue" of JR East, but it was then changed back to wine red to avoid confusion with the Keihin-Tohoku line (that passes at Tokyo station, where the Keiyo Line terminates).
The 201 series would again replace the 103 series, and by 2005 they were retired. The 201 series would continue to run on the Keyio line until 2011, when it was itself replaced by another E233, the 5000-subseries.
End of part 1A. Next: 1B - JR West 201 series