157 series

The 157 series, originally classified as the 22 series, is a Japanese limited express electric multiple unit operated by the Japanese National Railways from September 1959 to February 1980.
==History==
The 157 series sets were originally produced from 1959 to 1963 to speed up the Nikkō services on the recently electrified Nikkō Line. When originally designed, the 153 series sets were known as the 22 series sets, but were reclassified as the 157 series sets due to the redesgination of various trains on 1 June 1959.
The sets were used on various services such as the Amagi and Shirane services. The last sets were removed from regular service on 28 February 1976 and were officially retired on 15 February 1980.
==Design==
The sets had body styles similar to the ones used on the 153 series sets; the sets also somewhat resemble the 155 and 159 series sets.
==Imperial car KuRo 157-1==
This is an imperial car that was manufactured by Kawasaki Sharyō (now known as Kawasaki Heavy Industries) in July 1960. The car was originally manufactured as an alternative car to the KuRo 49 series car manufactured in 1931. One end of the car featured a driving cab similar to that of the 153 series cars; sets were however very rarely used with this car leading, with this car inserted between various other cars of a 157 series set instead. 
The car was officially retired from the JNR fleet in February 1982. The set was moved to Shinmaebashi Depot (today's Takasaki Depot) in March 1983 by a 183 series set. The imperial car was repainted into a new color scheme of ivory with a green stripe the same year after it arrived at the depot as the 185 series sets were to be allocated there; ostensibly this was to allow the car to be used with the 185 series cars which had roughly the same paintscheme.
When the JNR was privatized on 1 April 1987, ownership of the car was transferred to JR East. The car was originally planned to be used as the imperial car for the then-Heir apparent Akihito, but he apparently disliked special treatment. The car was also planned to be used as a car in a charter train, but various circumstances such as the difficulty of sourcing spare parts for what was extremely dated technology became very apparent and the plans fell through. The last operation of the car was 8 September 1993.
The car was stored at the now-inactive Tamachi Depot for many years, where people could enter the depot for free and take photos of the rolling stock there, including the imperial car; the car was later moved to Tokyo General Rolling Stock Center in the early hours of 2 December 2012 by 145 series tractor unit KuMoYa 145-112 and 143 series tractor units KuMoYa 143-8 and KuMoYa 143-9 and stored out of public view.
The car remains registered in JR East's fleet register.
==Preservation==
The following 157 series cars have been preserved:
Car number	Manufacturer 	Date manufactured	Date retired 	Previous sets	Location 	Notes
KuRo 157-1	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	June 1960 	February 1982	N/A 	Tokyo General Rolling Stock Center, Tokyo, Japan	Imperial car, stored out of public view; remains registered in JR East's fleet register
==Specifications==
Construction is of steel. Traction motors are resistor controlled, which was standard for the time.
==References==
*Wikipedia.org
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Electric trainsets
Category:Kawasaki locomotives
Category:Kisha Seizō locomotives
Category:Nippon Sharyo locomotives
Category:Built in 1959