Kato - 10-1317 - Container Flatcar, Japan, Koki 50000 - Japan Railways Freight - 11-Car Set

Specific Item Information: The Koki 50000 is a general-purpose container freight car, which was manufactured during the JNR era and is capable of carrying five 12-ft containers or three 20-ft containers. It remained the main container freight car after the transition to JR until March 2018, when it was replaced by the Koki 100 series.

Prototype History: The KOKI 50000 was introduced in 1971, with the ability to carry 20-foot containers for rail/truck use. Similarly to the KOKI 10000, this was based on the open-deck side-frame design used in the KOKI 5500. The standard top speed was 95 kph, but some variants for 100 kph (series 250000) and 110 kph (series 350000) use were created. When JR Freight adopted these, the standard red color was changed to green on the 250000 series cars, as they were no longer always used in dedicated express trains. Some 350000 series trains with “electromagnetic brakes” were created, and painted “Shonan Orange” to distinguish them from other cars. The general 50000-series trains are apparently still in use, but are being replaced by the KOKI 107. Some were also converted to TIKI 100 and TIKI 900 series flatcars.

The KOKIFU 50000 is a variant incorporating the conductor’s room on the end, as the YO caboose cannot be used at the operating speed of the KOKI 10000 and 50000.

Read more of Japanese freight cars on Sumida Crossing website.

Road Name History: Japan Freight Railway Company (日本貨物鉄道株式会社 Nihon Kamotsu Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha), or JR Freight (JR貨物 Jeiāru Kamotsu), is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It provides transportation of cargo nationwide. Its headquarters are in Shibuya, Tokyo near Shinjuku Station.

The Japan Railways Group was founded on April 1, 1987, when Japanese National Railways (JNR) was privatized, and then divided into six regional companies and Japan Freight Railway Company. Although the passenger operation of JNR was split into six companies, fares and regulations are standard for all companies and every region of Japan except Okinawa is covered by the railway network spanning approximately 19,800 kilometres (12,300 mi).

Formerly part of JNR, the freight operation was not divided and became a single separate company when JNR was privatized and split. Although it has only about fifty kilometers of track of its own, it also operates on track owned by the JR passenger railways and other companies. The company uses the initials JRF as an abbreviated name for identification.

From Wikipedia

Brand/Importer Information: Kato Precision Railroad Models (関水金属株式会社 Sekisui Kinzoku Kabushikigaisha) is a Japanese manufacturer of model railroad equipment in N and HO scales. The Tokyo-based company manufactures models based on Japanese prototypes (such as the Shinkansen bullet train) for the Japanese market, North American prototypes for the North American market and European high-speed trains for European market.
The Kato (pronounced kah-toe) model railroad companies were founded by Yuji Kato, father of current president Hiroshi Kato, of the parent company Sekisui Kinzoku Co., Ltd.

The design and distribution of models for the North American market are handled by their U.S. subsidiary, Kato USA, located in Schaumburg, Illinois.
The design of special models for the European market is handled for some of them by their partner, Lemke, whereas the general distribution of Kato products in Europe is handled by NOCH; both companies are located in Germany.
As a result, some Kato European models are sold as Kato Lemke and others as Kato (alone).