JNR Class EF65

The Class EF65 (EF65形) is a 6-axle (Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement) DC electric locomotive type operated on passenger and freight services in Japan since 1965. A total of 308 locomotives were built between 1965 and 1979, with 52 still in service as of 1 April 2016^[update].^[2]

Variants

The class was initially divided into the EF65-0 subclass for general freight and the EF65-500 subclass for express freight and passenger use.^[3]

• EF65-0: Numbers EF65 1 – 135
• EF65-500: Numbers EF65 501 – 542
• EF65-1000: Numbers EF65 1001 – 1139
• EF65-2000:

Background and history

The Class EF65 was designed by

During the JNR era, these locomotives were used for freight trains and also for passenger work - primarily hauling night trains such as the Izumo sleeping car limited express and Ginga sleeping car express.

EF65-0

The EF65-0 subclass was designed for general freight use on the

As of 2016[update], all EF65-0 locomotives had been withdrawn.^[2]

• 
  JR Freight EF65 100 in original blue livery in March 2008
• 
  Refurbished JR Freight EF65 114 in February 2010

EF67 banker conversions

• 
  Original EF67 104 in October 2002
• 
  Refurbished EF67 104 in August 2009

Five 6th-batch Class EF65-0 locomotives, numbers EF65 131 to EF65 135, were converted in 1990 and 1991 to become

The EF65-500 subclass consisted of a total of 42 locomotives, including newly built locomotives and locomotives (EF65 535 - 542) modified from the earlier EF65-0 subclass (EF65 77 - 84) for use on overnight sleeping car services and express freight services operating at a maximum speed of 110 km/h (70 mph).[4]

As of 1 April 2016^[update], only one EF65-500 locomotive, EF65-501, owned by JR East, remained in service.^[2]

P/F designation

Locomotives used for hauling passenger services are referred to as "P" type, and those used for freight services are referred to as "F" type.^[3] The original designations are as shown below.^[3]

• 
  EF65 501 in original tokkyū livery in February 2021
• 
  Refurbished JR Freight EF65 515 in March 2008

EF65-1000

The EF65-1000 was intended for use on both passenger and freight services, and was referred to as the "PF" type. 139 locomotives were built between 1969 and 1979.^[4]

As of 1 April 2016^[update], 15 EF65-1000 locomotives remained in service, operated by JR East and JR West.^[2]

• 
  Passenger EF65 1103 in original "tokkyū" livery in March 2021
• 
  Refurbished JR Freight EF65 1061 in February 2008

EF65-2000

There are former Class EF65-1000 locomotives renumbered from May 2012 by JR Freight to differentiate them from locomotives fitted with driving recording units mandated for operations over 100 km/h (60 mph).^[3]

As of 1 April 2016^[update], 36 EF65-2000 locomotives remained in service, operated by JR Freight.^[2]

• 
  EF65 2091 in original tokkyu livery in March 2021
• 
  EF65 2127 in refurbished JR Freight livery in March 2021

Fleet changes

Year	■ JR Freight	■ JR East	■ JR Central	■ JR West	Total	Ref
1987	199	42	5	23	269	[2]
2009	77	8	0	10	95	[6]
2016	36	6	0	10	52	[2]

Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.

Livery variations

• EF65 9: Repainted in early-style all-over brown livery with white ("JR貨物", JR Freight) lettering on the side^[7]
• EF65 57: Repainted in early-style all-over brown livery
• EF65 105: Repainted in Euroliner livery^[7]
• EF65 116: Repainted in blue with large yellow "JR" lettering on the sides and yellow bands on the cab ends^[7]
• EF65 123: Repainted in Yuyu Salon Okayama livery (initially maroon, later orange)^[7]
• EF65 1019: Repainted in Super Express Rainbow red livery in March 1987. Removed from service on 31 December 1997, and withdrawn on 1 September 1998.^[8]
• EF65 1059: Repainted in blue with yellow front-end warning panels and large "JR" logo in July 1987. Remained in this livery until withdrawal on 31 March 2009.^[9]
• EF65 1065: Experimental JR Freight livery^[7]
• EF65 1118: Super Express Rainbow livery
• EF65 1124: Twilight Express dark green and yellow livery from November 2015^[10]

Gallery

• 
  Brown-liveried JR Freight EF65 9 in 1989
• 
  JR Freight EF65 57 specially repainted in early-style brown livery in March 2005
• 
  EF65 105 in Euroliner livery
• 
  EF65 123 in original maroon Yuyu Salon Okayama livery
• 
  EF65 123 in later orange Yuyu Salon Okayama livery
• 
  EF65 1019 in Super Express Rainbow livery
• 
  EF65 1059 in experimental JR Freight livery
• 
  EF65 1065 in experimental JR Freight livery
• 
  JR East Super Express Rainbow liveried EF65 1118 in October 2010
• 
  JR West EF65 1124 in Twilight Express livery in December 2015
• 
  JR East EF65 1029 pulling the Orient Express '88 past Shinmachi Station in late 1988

Preserved examples

• EF65 1: Preserved at the Kyoto Railway Museum in Kyoto.^[11]
• EF65 5: JR Freight Ōi Depot in
  Shinagawa, Tokyo (training use)^[12]
• EF65 520: Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park, Gunma Prefecture^[12]
• EF65 535: Originally stored at Ōmiya Works,
  Fuchu, Tokyo in March 2013^[13]
• EF65 536: Sekisui Kinzoku factory, Saitama Prefecture (cab only)^[12]
• EF65 539: Privately preserved in Gunma Prefecture (cab only)^[12]
• EF65 1001: JR Freight Ōi Depot in
  Shinagawa, Tokyo (training use)^[12]

• 
  EF65 520 at the Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park in April 2011
• 
  EF65 535 at Omiya Works in May 2008

See also

• Japan Railways locomotive numbering and classification
• Railway electrification in Japan

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to JNR EF65.