Hakone Tozan Railway MoHa 1 and 2

Data (as of 6 Jul 2024)

*Excluding MoHa 3, which were built from the ground up in 1935.

History

There are three types of "The Old Trains" on Hakone Tozan Line: MoHa 1, MoHa 2 and MoHa 3. They look almost identical, but their backgrounds are different. The MoHa 1s were built in 1919 when the Line was opened, using motors made by General Electric Company, while the MoHa 2s were built in 1927 and 1935 using motors made by Brown, Boveri & Compagnie in Switzerland. The MoHa 3s were made by Toshiba in 1935.

Bodies of those introduced in 1919 and 1927 were made of wood, but remodelled with new steel ones in 1950. The MoHa 1s were later converted to form two coaches. The rebuilt MoHa 1s and MoHa 2s look same, but there are subtle differences such as the number of windows between doors. Traction and other equipment were replaced again and again so that original component no longer remains. Even so, these three types are recognised by both local residents and tourists as the symbol of Hakone.

All MoHa 3s retired by 1997, and most MoHa 1s and 2s were withdrawn as well by 2020.

Current Operations & Future Prospects

There is a two-carriage unit of the MoHa 1 and a single car of the MoHa 2. They can be formed of three coaches, and the MoHa 2 is always used with the MoHa 1. They are not always in service, but likely to run at weekends and on holidays. There is no air conditioning so that some passengers are unhappy to get on them in summer.

The company once indicated that they would retire by 2023, but the replacement has been deferred.

Photos

When MoHa 1s and 2s were repainted orange in 1957, they initially had a triangle-like pattern just below the cab.

In the 1940s and 50s, they were painted skyblue and yellow. No. 106 of the MoHa 1 has been painted as such in 2019 (though a bit vivid).

The green livery was seen in the 1920s. No. 109 of the MoHa 2 was repainted to as such in 2019 in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Railway, but withdrawn in 2021.