KiHa 20 series

The KiHa 20 series is a Japanese diesel multiple unit operated by the Japanese National Railways and its various successor companies from June 1957 to August 2010. It was built for local traffic in rural areas and spawned a few different functionally identical variants.
==History==
Built from 1957 to 1965 by Fuji Heavy Industries (now known as Subaru Corporation), Niigata Tekkō, Nippon Sharyo, Teikoku Sharyō (now defunct) and Tokyu Car Corporation (now known as J-TREC), the KiHa 20 series was a lightweight improvement over the heavy KiHa 10 series of post-war railcars.
This highly successful model was the first in a family of diesel railcars that include the KiHa 21 and KiHa 22 cold weather variants, the KiHa 25 single cab versions, and the KiHa 52 twin-engine version. A large number of technically identical cars have also been ordered first-hand by independent private railways, including the Kominato Railway KiHa 200 series.
As most of these diesel railcars were operational for over 50 years, they were gradually replaced by newer railcars on the national JR network; all were retired by September 2010. The Hitachinaka Seaside Railway is home to the only KiHa 20 unit to remain in any form of operation, KiHa 205, the final member of a sizable fleet of second-hand KiHa 20 variants.
==Design==
The immediate forerunner is the KiHa 55 series semi-express railcar, which introduced a number of improvements over the old, post-war KiHa 10 series family. These include a wide-body, lightweight monocoque construction, air (instead of spring) suspension, the use of two DMH17B prime movers for greater power, and improved passenger amenities brought up to the same standard as passenger coaches.
The basic KiHa 20 series is essentially a modification of the KiHa 55 or local services, with only one prime mover and simplified passenger amenities. 409 were built over a period of 8 years in six batches, the first three using the DMH17B prime mover and the last three using the DMH17C design (accompanied with improved windows).
==Specifications==
Construction is of steel. Each car is 20 meters long and 2.928 meters wide. The cars all use DMH17B or C prime movers. 
==Preservation==
The following KiHa 20 series cars have been preserved:
Car number 	Manufacturer 	Date manufactured	Date retired 	Previous sets	Location 	Notes
KiHa 22 149 	Niigata Tekkō 	November 1962 	January 1985 	N/A 	Shimokita Kōtsu Ōhata Branch Office, Aomori, Japan 	Preserved in operational condition, maintained by the Ōhata Line KiHa 85 Dynamic Preservation Society
KiHa 22 150 	Niigata Tekkō 	November 1962 	January 1985 	N/A 	Shimokita Kōtsu Ōhata Branch Office, Aomori, Japan 	Preserved in operational condition, maintained by the Ōhata Line KiHa 85 Dynamic Preservation Society
KiHa 22 151 	Niigata Tekkō 	November 1962 	January 1985 	N/A 	Shimokita Kōtsu Ōhata Branch Office, Aomori, Japan 	Preserved in operational condition, maintained by the Ōhata Line KiHa 85 Dynamic Preservation Society
KiHa 20 247 	Tokyu Car Corporation	May 1959 	July 1988 	N/A 	SL Kyurokukan, Tochigi, Japan 	Located near Mōka Station, displayed outdoors; engine started up successfully in October 2020, occasionally started up during public display
KiHa 22 208 	Niigata Tekkō 	January 1964 	May 1989 	N/A 	Tenpokusen Memorial Park, Nakatombetsu, Hokkaido, Japan 	Used as storage area for gateball field
KiHa 22 202 	Niigata Tekkō 	November 1963 	May 1989 	N/A 	Roadside Rest Area "Okoppe", Okoppe, Hokkaido, Japan 	Repainted green, used as lodge
KiHa 22 251 	Niigata Tekkō 	December 1965 	May 1989 	N/A 	Roadside Rest Area "Okoppe", Okoppe, Hokkaido, Japan 	Repainted green, used as lodge
KiHa 22 237 	Fuji Heavy Industries	March 1965 	May 1989 	N/A 	Shimokawa Bus Terminal, Kamikawa, Hokkaido, Japan 	Displayed outdoors
KiHa 22 245 	Fuji Heavy Industries	September 1965 	May 1989 	N/A 	Shimokawa Bus Terminal, Kamikawa, Hokkaido, Japan 	Displayed outdoors
KiHa 22 69 	Nippon Sharyo 	December 1959 	March 1985 	N/A 	Roadside Rest Area "Aioi", Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan 	Displayed outdoors
KiHa 22 168 	Fuji Heavy Industries	December 1962 	April 1989 	N/A 	Kawakita Bus Stop, Shibetsu, Hokkaido, Japan 	Displayed outdoors
KiHa 22 239 	Fuji Heavy Industries	March 1965 	February 1990	N/A 	Betsukai Town Rail Museum, Shibetsu, Hokkaido, Japan 	Displayed outdoors
KiHa 22 221 	Fuji Heavy Industries	December 1963 	February 1987	N/A 	Kōfuku Kōtsū Park, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan 	Displayed outdoors
KiHa 22 238 	Fuji Heavy Industries	March 1965 	February 1987	N/A 	Kōfuku Kōtsū Park, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan 	Displayed outdoors
KiHa 22 52 	Fuji Heavy Industries	January 1960 	February 1987	N/A 	Mikasa Railway Memorial Hall, Mikasa, Hokkaido, Japan 	Displayed outdoors
KiHa 22 56 	Nippon Sharyo 	November 1959 	March 1986 	N/A 	Otaru City General Museum, Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan 	Displayed outdoors
KiHaYuNi 25 1	Teikoku Sharyō 	May 1958 	March 1986 	N/A 	Otaru City General Museum, Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan 	Displayed outdoors, only preserved KiHa 20 series combined baggage and mail car; only bus-windowed KiHa 20 series car preserved in its entirety
KiHa 22 156 	Fuji Heavy Industries	November 1962 	August 1989 	N/A 	Tsugaru-Goshogawara Station, Aomori, Japan 	Displayed outdoors; poor cosmetic condition
KiHa 22 169 	Fuji Heavy Industries	December 1962 	August 1989 	N/A 	Kase Station, Aomori, Japan 	Displayed outdoors, painted by TV personality Shingo Katori and elementary school students for SMAP×SMAP reality TV show in 1997, repainted by Katori again in 2017; poor cosmetic condition
KiHa 20 213 	Teikoku Sharyō 	September 1958 	July 1988 	N/A 	Mōka Station, Tochigi, Japan 	Displayed outdoors within station compound
KiHa 20 467 	Teikoku Sharyō 	March 1962 	May 1990 	N/A 	Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park, Gunma, Japan 	Displayed outdoors, preserved next to EF60 501
KiHa 52 156 	Teikoku Sharyō 	November 1966 	October 2010 	N/A 	Itoigawa GeoStation GeoPal, Niigata, Japan 	One of JR West's last three operational KiHa 52 series cars, last KiHa 52 series car built; located within Itoigawa Station
KiHa 20 443 	Nippon Sharyo 	September 1962 	February 1987	N/A 	Tenryū-Futamata Station, Shizuoka, Japan 	Displayed outdoors, cosmetically maintained by the Tenryū Retro Train Club
KiHa 52 115 	Niigata Tekkō 	September 1965 	March 2010 	N/A 	Tsuyama Railroad Educational Museum, Okayama, Japan 	One of JR West's last three operational KiHa 52 series cars
KiHa 20 70 	Fuji Heavy Industries	February 1958 	March 1986 	N/A 	Kissa Rokuro café, Miyazaki, Japan 	Cab only, displayed indoors; features bus windows
KiHa 20 441 	Nippon Sharyo 	January 1962 	January 1987 	N/A 	Kanoya City Rail Memorial Center, Kagoshima, Kyushu, Japan 	Displayed under roofing
KiHa 20 452 	Nippon Sharyo 	January 1962 	March 1987 	N/A 	Kanoyashi Airatetsudo Memorial Park, Kagoshima, Kyushu, Japan	Displayed under roofing, cosmetically maintained by private individual
KiHa 52 130 	Niigata Tekkō 	March 1966 	March 1993 	N/A 	Shibushi Tetsudo Memorial Park, Kagoshima, Kyushu, Japan 	Displayed under roofing; coupled to caboose Yo 8951 and C58 112
KiHa 22 140 	Nippon Sharyo 	October 1962 	December 1987	N/A 	Sorachi, Hokkaido, Japan 	Cab only, privately owned, preserved next to cab of KiHa 24 2; full car formerly used as storage for ironworks company in Asahikawa until closure
KiHa 22 248 	Niigata Tekkō 	December 1965 	February 1990	N/A 	Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan 	Owned by a metal recycling company; covered by overgrowth
KiHa 22 136 	Niigata Tekkō 	March 1962 	June 1989 	N/A 	Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan 	Located within premises of a company; poor cosmetic condition
 	 	 	 	N/A 	 	
 	 	 	 	N/A 	 	
 	 	 	 	N/A 	 	
 	 	 	 	N/A 	 	
 	 	 	 	N/A 	 	
 	 	 	 	N/A 	 	
 	 	 	 	N/A 	 	
 	 	 	 	N/A 	 	
 	 	 	 	N/A 	 	
The following KiHa 20 series cars were preserved in the past but have since been scrapped:
Car number 	Manufacturer 	Date manufactured	Date retired 	Previous sets	Last location 	Notes
KiHa 22 215	Niigata Tekkō 	March 1964 	March 1990 	N/A 	Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Japan 	Dumped at a waste disposal company; removed and scrapped at later date
KiHa 22 235	Fuji Heavy Industries	February 1965 	January 1987 	N/A 	Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Japan 	Dumped at a waste disposal company; removed and scrapped at later date
KiHa 22 256	Niigata Tekkō 	January 1966 	January 1987 	N/A 	Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Japan 	Dumped at a waste disposal company; removed and scrapped at later date
KiHa 22 258	Niigata Tekkō 	January 1966 	February 1990 	N/A 	Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Japan 	Dumped at a waste disposal company; removed and scrapped at later date
KiHa 22 257	Niigata Tekkō 	January 1966 	September 1990	N/A 	Tomakomai Port Development, Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Japan 	Privately owned; scrapped at later date
KiHa 22 143	Niigata Tekkō 	October 1962 	June 1984 	N/A 	Roadside Station Inakadate "Yayoi no Sato", Aomori, Japan	Displayed outdoors; scrapped 2013
KiHa 22 224	Fuji Heavy Industries	January 1964 	February 1990 	N/A 	Kyoei Kaitai K.K., Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan 	Used as storage; removed circa 2020 and presumably scrapped
KiHa 22 116	Niigata Tekkō 	February 1962 	April 1989 	N/A 	Former Nemuro-Shibetsu Station, Shibetsu, Hokkaido, Japan	Removed and scrapped at a later date
KiHa 22 117	Niigata Tekkō 	February 1962 	April 1989 	N/A 	Former Nemuro-Shibetsu Station, Shibetsu, Hokkaido, Japan	Removed and scrapped at a later date
KiHa 22 134	Niigata Tekkō 	March 1962 	December 1986 	N/A 	Hiroo, Hokkaido, Japan 	Displayed outdoors with bogies removed; scrapped circa late-1990s or early-2000s
KiHa 22 216	Teikoku Sharyō 	March 1964 	September 1989	N/A 	Toyotomi, Hokkaido, Japan 	Painted all-over blue, coupled behind steam locomotive; likely scrapped at later date
KiHa 22 218	Fuji Heavy Industries	November 1963 	September 1989	N/A 	Toyotomi, Hokkaido, Japan 	Painted all-over blue, coupled behind steam locomotive; likely scrapped at later date
KiHa 22 264	Niigata Tekkō 	February 1966 	May 1989 	N/A 	Shimokawa Bus Terminal, Kamikawa, Hokkaido, Japan 	Removed at unknown date, likely scrapped
KiHa 22 299	Nippon Sharyo 	March 1966 	March 1991 	N/A 	Railway Technical Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan 	Painted in white with lavender bands; scrapped circa 2000s
KiHa 22 142	Niigata Tekkō 	October 1962 	December 1987 	N/A 	Hamatombetsu, Hokkaido, Japan 	Used as restaurant; scrapped circa 2009
KiHa 22 250	Niigata Tekkō 	December 1965 	December 1989 	N/A 	Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan 	Privately owned by i-Road; scrapped at an unknown date
KiHa 22 120	Niigata Tekkō 	February 1962 	December 1987 	N/A 	Kibogaoka Rocky Land campsite, Takasu, Hokkaido, Japan 	Privately owned; scrapped at an unknown date
KiHa 52 54 	Niigata Tekkō 	February 1962 	July 1992 	N/A 	Nakano Station, Nagano, Japan 	Converted to restaurant; scrapped at an unknown date
KiHa 25 2 	Fuji Heavy Industries	July 1957 	May 1980 	N/A 	Matsuyama, Shikoku, Japan 	Scrapped 1999
 	 	 	 	N/A 	 	
==Trivia==
*The KiHa 20, 21 and 25 series were originally classified as the KiHa 49000, 49200 and 49500 series cars; these were not given these designations when they were ultimately produced as naming regulations had come into effect in 1957 when the first cars were produced and were given new designations.
==Gallery==
File:KiHa 20 467 2023.jpg
File:KiHa 20 2014 Preserved.jpg|KiHa 20 series car 20 247 preserved at Mōka Station in May 2014.
==References==
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Passenger locomotives
Category:Fuji Heavy Industries locomotives
Category:Niigata Tekkō locomotives
Category:Nippon Sharyo locomotives
Category:Teikoku Sharyō locomotives
Category:Tokyu Car locomotives