The was a commuter electric multiple unit

Electric multiple unit

An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...

 operated by Japanese Government Railways

Japanese Government Railways

The Japanese Government Railways was the national railway system directly operated by the central government of Japan until 1949. It is a predecessor of Japanese National Railways and the Japan Railways Group.- Name :...

 (JGR) and Japanese National Railways

Japanese National Railways

, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987.-History:The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization...

 (JNR).

Background

The 63 series was originally introduced in 1944 as a means of transporting increasing number of workers commuting to factories of arms and other industries. Between 1944 and 1945, very few of these trains were in production, therefore postwar construction of these trains increased dramatically. These trains had brown, steel bodies. The cars were designed under the overall goal of mass transportation amid the serious shortage of supply in the wartime. This resulted in long body (20 meters), many doors (four per side), less seating, lack of ceiling and q new design of side windows (consisting of three frames: only upper and lower frames can be opened).

Postwar variants

In 1946, Kawasaki Heavy Industries

Kawasaki Heavy Industries

is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....

 began further production of the 63 series trains. This version had an aluminium alloy body instead of the steel body in war-time 63 series trains. Interior flooring was wood, luggage racks were installed, and seats were upholstered. However, the aluminium alloy used in exterior construction was easily prone to corrosion and the electrical systems were also prone to short-circuiting.

As a result of the loss of railways and rolling stock during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 to supply steel for the war effort, demand for railway transportation was so great that 63 series trains had to be supplied to private railway operators in Japan. Examples were Tobu Railway

Tobu Railway

is a Japanese commuter railway company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. It operates in Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, Tochigi, and Gunma Prefectures...

, Kinki Nippon Railway and Nagoya Railroad

Nagoya Railroad

, often abbreviated as , is a railroad company operating around Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture of Japan.Some of the more famous trains operated by Nagoya Railroad include the Panorama Car and the Panorama Car Super, both of which offer views through their wide front windows...

.

Later years

The effects of substandard construction on the 63 series were already noticeable by the 1950s. Worn-out bodies made the trains look ugly and the effects of short-circuit was shown in the Sakuragichō train fire

Sakuragichō train fire

The occurred on April 24, 1951, when a 63 series Keihin Railway train approaching Sakuragichō Station in Yokohama hit a loose overhead wire causing a short circuit and starting a fire which killed 106 people and injured 92.-Accident:...

 that happened on the Keihin-Tōhoku Line

Keihin-Tohoku Line

The , is a railway line in Japan which connects the cities of Saitama, Kawaguchi, Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama. It is part of the East Japan Railway Company network. The line's name is derived from the characters for , and the...

 on April 24, 1951, by which 92 people were injured and 106 were killed. The three-frame windows with small opening prevented passengers evacuation from the fire.

The 63 series trainsets were also easily prone to accidents, and a lot of train crashes, derailments and incidents happened in JNR-managed railways and private railways. The Mitaka incident

Mitaka incident

The was an incident that took place on July 15, 1949 when an unmanned 63 series train with its operating handle tied down drove into Mitaka Station on the Chūō Line in Tokyo, Japan, killing 6 people and injuring 20....

 was also caused by an unmanned 63 series trainset.

In 1954, the successor to the 63 series, the 72 series, was introduced. Despite (originally) having exactly the same design as the 63 series, the 72 series had a much better quality of construction and served as a model for all future commuter trains in Japan, including the 103 series

103 series

The is a commuter electric multiple unit type introduced in 1964 by Japanese National Railways , and currently operated by West Japan Railway Company and Kyushu Railway Company . They were also operated by East Japan Railway Company and Central Japan Railway Company .-Prototype:Built in 1963...

.

From 1963 onwards, remaining 63 series trainsets were retrofitted and integrated into the 72 series trainsets.

Preserved examples

MoHa 63638 is preserved at the SCMaglev and Railway Park in Nagoya. It was built in 1947 by Kawasaki Sharyo, and was later renumbered KuMoYa 90005 as a non-revenue earning car, before being stored at JR Central's Hamamatsu Works.