Nankai Mo 161 series

Data (as of 31 Mar 2024)

*Including two cars converted from older trams.

History

The Mo 161 series is the oldest train used for regular passenger services in Japan. Ten cars were built in 1928 and six more were delivered in 1931. They were introduced to Nankai tram lines (i.e. Hankai, Hirano and Uemachi Lines).

Hankai lines have been owned and managed by Hankai Tramway since 1980, but the network was owned by Nankai at the time of introduction. Nankai was merged into Kintetsu in 1944 following promulgation of a wartime act. In 1947, Nankai became an independent company once again.

Three out of sixteen cars, including one destroyed by air raids during the Second World War, were converted to Mo 301 series (in service: 1949-2000), while two Mo 151 series cars were concerted to Mo 161 series. Hence, there were 15 cars in total in the early-1950s.

A car of Mo 161 series could join to another one so that some services on Hirano Line at peak times were formed of two cars. However, all cars had their couplers removed in 1961, and they became compatible with driver-only operation in 1976. Hirano Line was closed in 1980 so that all Mo 161 series have been used on Hankai and Uemachi Lines.

The Mo 161 series had been the most common tram on the network for decades, but dwindled in the 1990s. Since it was impractical to install air-conditioning, the company does not use the series in summer unless absolutely necessary.

Current Operations & Future Prospects

There are four operational trams: nos. 161, 162, 164 and 166. No. 161 is generally used only for rail tours, while the other three are used for regular services on Hankai and Uemachi Lines (mostly between Tennoji and Hamadera on weekdays, but not every day). There is no service from June to October due to lack of air-conditioning (except a charter train). They always run mainline on first, second and third days of January each year as trains are packed with people visiting Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine.

Staffs have been struggling to maintain the remaining trams, but the company indicates that it will keep at least one of them operational as long as possible.

Photo

No. 162 has been painted red since 2020 in collaboration with Chikuho Electric Railroad in Fukuoka Prefecture.