Aster Hobby Japan

1) Japan National Railways Passenger Car SUHA Series is a group ofPassenger Cars which had been made by Japan National Railways since 1951.

Ministry of Railways who was a predecessor of Japan National Railways had made 20 meter class steel passenger cars since 1929.
SUHA had been developed based on above ars by applying innovative systems to chassis structure and interiors inside cars.
In comparison with other passenger cars, SUHA was a breakthrough car by improving interior comfort drastically.

SUHA had variations such as dining cars and sleepers in addition to passenger cars and had been used by not only Japan National Railways(JNR) but also private railways.
It had been versatile cars by responding to local trains, express trains and limited express trains.
It had been regularly operated all over Japan till beginning of 1980's just before government plan to privatize the national railways(JR).
Even after then, a few cars have been used as event trains and sightseeing trains.

2)Maite observation coach
The passenger cars with steel chassis became standard since 1927 in Japan National Railways(JNR) .
First class passenger cars with 20 meter chassis had been developed by using a copy of TR73 type for passenger car's 3 axle bogie which Pennsylvania Railroad designed and operated.
Steel observation cars equipped with TR73 type had been made after 1930.

The prototype was an international cars made in prewar 1938 and it had purely Japanese style interiors called as [Momoyama style].
It had run from Tokyo to Shimonoseki and won popularity specially among foreign tourists.
It had been developed for observation car of limited express "Fuji". (The type of the day was Suite 37)

It had been developed for 12th Tokyo Olympic Games expected to hold in 1940.
Modern dome roof structure was applied and air ventilation duct was accommodated considering refrigeration unit.
(The refrigeration unit was actually equipped after war.)
Maite was last newly made observation car.

Almost of all preserved first class coaches were condemned by the Allied Occupation forces with war defeat in 1945.
Maite had worked as observation cars of limited express [Hato] and [Tsubame]

Maite is only one observation car in Japan and has been preserved for operation.
It is also only one 3 axises Bogey car in Japan.
It is a model of a new coach (No.1 ) of SL Yamaguchi.