Meitetsu KiHa 8500 series

The Meitetsu KiHa 8500 series is a short-lived Japanese higher-speed limited express diesel multiple unit operated by the Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu) from March 1991 to September 2001.
==History==
The KiHa 8500 series cars were designed for use on the Kita Alps service, replacing the older KiHa 8000 series cars which connected directly to the Takayama Main Line. The cars entered service on 16 March 1991 and were more powerful and faster than the KiHa 8000 series they replaced. These were also used in tandem with JR Central's KiHa 85 series on Hida services.
With the Hida Takayama bus entered service on Meitetsu Bus, the KiHa 8500 series cars essentially became obsolete. The sets were retired with a special final run on 30 September 2001. Around this time, the Aizu Railway was considering acquiring a new, modern rolling stock for use in their roster; all five cars were then sold to the Aizu Railway in December 2001, where they entered service in 2002.
==Design==
The KiHa 8500 series used a squared-off design with side-mounted headlights in rectangular casings. The cars featured a yellow livery with green accents and maroon highlights.
==Specifications==
Construction was of steel. The KiHa 8000 series cars were equipped with 178 HP (180 PS) DMH17H prime movers; the number of prime movers installed depended on the car, with cars having either one or two prime movers. The cars were largely based on the KiHa 85 series cars operated by JR Central at the time.
Category:Meitetsu trains
Category:Diesel trainsets
Category:Nippon Sharyo locomotives
Category:Built in 1991