Japan Railway Journal (2015) : 3x9

Series Kiha 40 diesel trains were mass-produced in the late 1970's, and were highly valued on non-electrified lines. These workhorses are made from durable mild steel, and even after the privatization of Japan National Railways and 40 years in service, trains are still operating all over Japan. Kiha 40 trains are easier to refurbish and currently, there are many cases where companies are converting them into fun tourist trains. In this program, we introduce the "unsung hero" of Japan's railways that wrote itself into the history books.