1010 series: 35 cars built between 1956 and 1960 for use on the Kobe Main Line
1000 series
Two 2-car 1000 series sets were delivered in 1954, consisting of cars 1000 + 1001 and 1002 + 1003. Each car was motored, equipped with four 75 kW motors. The cars were mounted on Sumitomo FS-303 bogies, although car 1002 was used experimentally with FS-305 Alstom-link bogies. Passenger accommodation consisted of longitudinal bench seating throughout. Interior lighting used fluorescent tubes powered by a 200 V AC, 120 Hz supply.
1010 series
1st batch
Following trials of the initial two 1000 series sets, full production commenced in 1956, with two semi-permanently coupled 2-car sets.
2nd batch
The second batch appeared in 1957, consisting of twelve cars, numbered 1014 to 1025. These differed from the first-batch units in having a non-powered trailer car at the Kobe end. The trailer cars were however designed to be able to be easily modified as motor cars in the future, and hence were numbered in the same numbering series as other motor cars.
3rd batch
The third batch appeared in 1958, consisting of two 2-car sets, numbered 1026 to 1029. These consisted on one motored and one trailer car and were coupled to the two first-batch 2-car sets to form sets consisting of three motored cars and one trailer car.
4th batch
The fourth batch appeared in 1959, consisting of eleven cars, numbered 1030 to 1037 and 1050 to 1052. All of these cars except 1052 had three doors per side instead of the earlier two. The three trailer cars were inserted between pairs of original driving motor cars to form five-car sets.
5th batch
The fifth batch appeared in 1960, consisting of a further four intermediate trailer cars, numbered 1053 to 1056. These cars had two doors per side.
Later developments
Some of the 1010 series cars were retrofitted with roof-mounted air-conditioning between 1976 and 1977.
Withdrawal and resale
The four original 1000 series cars were withdrawn in March 1984. Scrapping of the 1010 series cars began in 1985, and a final special run was held on 5 March 1989 between Umeda and Takarazuka, with the last remaining cars ultimately being scrapped in 1991. One 1010 series four-car set was sold to the Nose Electric Railway, classified as 1000 series.
