Tobu 3000 series

The Tobu 3000 series (東武3000系, Tōbu 3000-kei) was a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) commuter train type operated by the private railway operator Tobu Railway in Japan between 1964 and 1996.

Tobu 3000 series
3070 series set 3574 on the Nikko Line in May 1993
In service	1964–1996
Constructed	1964–May 1975
Number built	134 vehicles
Formation	6/4/2 cars per trainset
Operator(s)	Tobu Railway
Depot(s)	Nanakodai, Tatebayashi, Tochigi
Line(s) served	Tobu Noda Line, Tobu Nikko Line, Tobu Utsunomiya Line, Tobu Kinugawa Line
Specifications
Car body construction	Steel
Car length	18 m (59 ft 1 in)
Doors	Sliding, 3 pairs per side
Traction system	Resistor control
Electric system(s)	1,500 V DC, overhead catenary
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)

The 3000 series was created by modernizing old Tobu EMU cars dating from the 1920s and 1930s, by adding new 18 m long steel bodies based on the 2000 series design, with three pairs of sliding doors per side, and front ends based on the 8000 series design. The fleet was subdivided into 3000, 3050, and 3070 series types.[1]

Variants

• 3000 series: 6-car, 4-car, and 2-car sets rebuilt from 3200 series EMUs for use on Tobu Noda Line
• 3050 series: 4-car and 2-car sets rebuilt from 5400 series EMUs
• 3070 series: 4-car and 2-car sets rebuilt from 5310/5320/5800 series EMUs

3000 series

The 3000 series sets were rebuilt between 1964 and 1971 from 134 former 3200 series EMU cars, originally formed as 30 four-car and seven two-car units. Eight of the four-car sets were subsequently reformed as six-car sets by adding two intermediate cars from other four-car sets.[1] All sets were based at Nanakodai Depot and used on Tobu Noda Line services.[1]

The 3000 series fleet was withdrawn by 1992.[2]

Formations

6-car 3000 series

Designation	Mc	T	M	T	M	Tc
Numbering	3100	3200	3300	3200	3300	3400

The 3100 and 3300 cars were each fitted with one lozenge-type pantograph.[1]

4-car 3000 series

Designation	Mc	T	M	Tc
Numbering	3100	3200	3300	3400

The 3100 and 3300 cars were each fitted with one lozenge-type pantograph.[1]

2-car 3500 series

Designation	Mc	Tc
Numbering	3500	3600

Reformed 2-car 3000 series

Designation	Mc	Tc
Numbering	3100	3400

The 3100 cars were each fitted with one lozenge-type pantograph.[1]

3050 series

Following on from the earlier 3000 series sets, a total of 68 former 5400 series cars were rebuilt between March 1971 and December 1973, formed as ten four-car sets and 14 two-car sets.[1]

The 3050 series fleet was withdrawn by 1996.[2]

Formations

The 3050 series were formed as follows.[1]

4-car 3050 series

Designation	Mc	T	M	Tc
Numbering	3150	3250	3350	3450

The 3150 and 3350 cars were each fitted with one lozenge-type pantograph.[1]

2-car 3550 series

Designation	Mc	Tc
Numbering	3550	3650

The 3550 cars were fitted with one lozenge-type pantograph.[1]

3070 series

The 3070 series sets were built between January 1974 and May 1975 by modernizing 34 former 5310 series, 5320 series, and 5800 series EMU cars dating from the 1930s with modern new steel bodies.[1] The 3070 series fleet was formed as six four-car sets and five two-car sets.[1] They were originally numbered in the 5xxx series, but renumbered in the 3x7x series following the appearance of the 5000 series in April 1979.[1] This renumbering unified all of the 18 m EMUs into the same 3000 series, but the 3070 series sets were not able to run in multiple with either 3000 series or 3050 series sets.[1]

All of the 3070 series sets were based at Tochigi Depot for use on the Tobu Nikko Line, Tobu Utsunomiya Line, and Tobu Kinugawa Line.[1]

The 3070 series fleet was withdrawn by 1996.[2]

Formations

The 3070 series were formed as follows.[1]

4-car 3070 series

Designation	Mc	T	M	Tc
Numbering	3170	3270	3370	3470

The 3170 and 3370 cars were each fitted with one lozenge-type pantograph.[1]

2-car 3570 series

Designation	Mc	Tc
Numbering	3570	3670

The 3570 cars were fitted with one lozenge-type pantograph.[1]

Resale

A former Tobu 3000 series car being repainted on the Jomo Electric Railway in 1988

24 former 3000 series vehicles withdrawn from Noda Line duties were sold to the Jomo Electric Railway in Gunma Prefecture. 18 of these were reformed as nine 2-car 300 series sets, with the remaining cars stored as sources of spare parts or cut up.[3]

The identities of the cars sold and renumbered are as shown below.[3]

Car number	Jomo numbering	Entry into service (Jomo)
MoHa 3102	DeHa 312	19 June 1989
MoHa 3103	DeHa 313	20 March 1990
MoHa 3104	DeHa 314	23 December 1989
MoHa 3105	DeHa 315	22 June 1989
MoHa 3106	DeHa 316	12 December 1989
MoHa 3115	DeHa 317	20 September 1989
MoHa 3121	DeHa 319	10 January 1990
MoHa 3127	DeHa 311	19 July 1989
MoHa 3502	DeHa 318	19 June 1989
KuHa 3402	KuHa 322	19 June 1989
KuHa 3403	KuHa 323	20 March 1990
KuHa 3404	KuHa 324	23 December 1989
KuHa 3405	KuHa 325	22 June 1989
KuHa 3406	KuHa 326	12 December 1989
KuHa 3415	KuHa 337	20 September 1989
KuHa 3421	KuHa 339	10 January 1990
KuHa 3427	KuHa 331	19 July 1989
KuHa 3602	KuHa 328	19 June 1989

References

1. Iijima, Iwao (July 2002). 東武鉄道 私鉄の車両２４　東武鉄道 [Private Railway Trains 24: Tobu Railway]. Tokyo, Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. pp. 68–77. ISBN 978-4-87366-307-4.
2. 東武鉄道車両カタログ２００６（通勤車篇） [Tobu Rolling Stock Catalogue 2006 (Commuter Stock)]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine. Vol. 35 no. 263. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. March 2006. p. 6.
3. Hanagami, Yoshinari (May 1992). 頑張ってます！大手私鉄のOBたち：　東武 [Former Major Private Railway Stock Still In Service: Tobu]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 32 no. 373. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. pp. 52–55.