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WIN350

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500-900 series "WIN350"
End car 500-906 preserved at Hakata Shinkansen Depot, October 2011
In service1992–1995
ManufacturerHitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Constructed1992
Scrapped1996
Number built6 vehicles
Number in serviceNone
Number preserved2 vehicles
Number scrapped4 vehicles
Formation6 cars
Fleet numbersW0
OperatorsJR West
DepotsHakata
Lines servedSanyo Shinkansen
Specifications
Car body constructionAluminium alloy, Honeycomb structure
Car length26.55 m (87 ft 1 in) (end cars)
25 m (82 ft 0 in) (intermediate cars)[1]
Width3,380 mm (11 ft 1 in)
Maximum speed350 km/h (217 mph)(nominal)[1]
Traction system300 kW (402 hp) 3-phase motors
Power output7,200 kW (9,655 hp)
Electric system(s)25 kV AC 60 Hz
Current collector(s)Pantograph
Safety system(s)ATC
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

"WIN350" was the name given to the 500-900 series (500系900番台) 6-car experimental high-speed Shinkansen train developed in 1992 by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in Japan to test technology to be incorporated in next-generation shinkansen trains expected to operate at speeds of 350 km/h (217 mph) from 1994.[2] Initially given the designation "500X", the name "WIN350" stood for "West Japan's Innovation for operation at 350 km/h".[3]

Design

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Cars 500-901 to 500-903 were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Hyogo Prefecture. Cars 500-904 to 500-906 were built by Hitachi in Yamaguchi Prefecture.[4]

The front-end designs of the two driving vehicles (500-901 and 500-906) were slightly different, with 500-906 featuring a "cockpit" style arrangement.[3] The external livery was purple and light grey, with darker purple lining.

All axles were motored, using 300 kW three-phase motors, and cars were equipped with tilting and active suspension.[3]

Internally, only car 4 was fitted with passenger seats, with 10 rows of 3+2 standard-class seating and 5 rows of 2+2 Green class (first class) seating.[5]

Formation

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The 6-car set, designated "W0", was formed as follows.[6]

Car No. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Designation M'1c M'1p M1 M2 M'2p M2c
Numbering 500-901 500-902 500-903 500-904 500-905 500-906

Initially, cars 1, 2, and 5 were fitted with pantographs.[5]

History

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The WIN350 train was delivered to Hakata Shinkansen Depot in April 1992.[4]

On 6 August 1992, the train recorded a Japanese national speed record of 345.8 km/h (214.9 mph) on the San'yō Shinkansen.[3] Two days later, on 8 August 1992, the train recorded a Japanese national speed record of 350.4 km/h (217.7 mph) on the San'yō Shinkansen between Ogōri (now Shin-Yamaguchi) and Shin-Shimonoseki.[2]

The WIN350 trainset was withdrawn on 31 May 1996, and a special farewell ceremony was held at Hakata Shinkansen Depot.[2][3]

Preservation

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Car 500-901 preserved at Maibara, October 2006

End car 500-901 is preserved outdoors at the RTRI large-scale wind tunnel test facility in Maibara, Shiga. Initially expected to be moved to the Modern Transportation Museum in Osaka,[3] end car 500-906 was stored at Hakata Shinkansen Depot[7] until being scrapped in May 2024.

References

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  1. ^ a b JR全車輛ハンドブック'93 [JR Rolling Stock Handbook 1993]. Japan: Neko Publishing. 1993.
  2. ^ a b c プロトタイプの世界 - Prototype World. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbunsha. December 2005. pp. 56–59. OCLC 170056962.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Semmens, Peter (1997). High Speed in Japan: Shinkansen - The World's Busiest High-speed Railway. Sheffield, UK: Platform 5 Publishing. ISBN 1-872524-88-5.
  4. ^ a b "500系新幹線電車" [500 series Shinkansen EMU]. Japan Railfan Magazine. Vol. 32, no. 374. Japan: Kōyūsha. June 1992. pp. 18–19.
  5. ^ a b "500系新幹線試験電車" [500 series Experimental Shinkansen EMU]. Japan Railfan Magazine. Vol. 32, no. 375. Japan: Koyusha. July 1992. pp. 52–58.
  6. ^ 新幹線電車データブック2011 [Shinkansen Databook 2011]. Japan: JRR. March 2011. p. 95. ISBN 978-4-330-19811-8.
  7. ^ 鉄道のテクノロジーVol1：新幹線 [Railway Technology Vol.1: Shinkansen]. Japan: Sanei Mook. April 2009. pp. 122–124. ISBN 978-4-7796-0534-5.
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Media related to 500-900 series "WIN350" at Wikimedia Commons

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