JR Central 300 Series Shinkansen
From JNSwiki
| 300 series | |
 JR West 300 Series train set on the Sanyō Shinkansen, October 2008 | |
| In service | 1992–Present |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Nippon Sharyo, Hitachi Ltd., Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Kinki Sharyo |
| Number built | 1,104 vehicles (69 sets) |
| Formation | 16 cars per trainset |
| Capacity | 1,323 (200 Green + 1,123 Standard) |
| Operator | JR Central, JR West |
| Depot(s) | Tokyo, Osaka, Hakata |
| Line(s) served | Tōkaidō Shinkansen, Sanyō Shinkansen |
| Specifications | |
| Car body | Aluminium |
| Car length | 25,000 mm (intermediate cars), 26,050 mm (end cars) |
| Width | 3,380 mm |
| Height | 4,440 mm |
| Maximum speed | 270 km/h |
| Acceleration | 1.6 km/h/s |
| Traction system | 40 x 300 kW |
| Power output | 12 MW |
| Voltage | 25 kV AC, 60 Hz overhead |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm |
The 300 series (300系) is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen train type introduced in 1992 on the Tōkaidō and Sanyō Shinkansen lines for use on the fastest Nozomi services, being capable of 270 km/h (168 mph). As more were delivered (66 trains by 1998) they replaced earlier units on Hikari service and allowed the thus displaced 100 series units to finally in turn displace 0 series units on almost all services.
The styling of these units is something of a 'curved wedge' at the front, replacing the aircraft-style nosecones of previous Shinkansen trains. The furthest forward point is the very bottom of the pilot. They are painted brilliant white with a medium-thick blue stripe beneath the windows.
They are only found in sixteen-car sets and have no restaurant cars, though they did originally feature two refreshment counters (later removed).
Technically, they are notable for being the first Shinkansen sets to employ three-phase AC traction motors instead of direct current units, as well as new bolsterless bogies to reduce weight.
Following the introduction of the N700 series, withdrawals of the first revenue-earning 300 series train sets started in July 2007 with the withdrawal of set J14.
Contents |
Pre-production unit
The pre-production unit, J0, numbered in the 300-9000 series, was delivered in March 1990, and underwent extensive testing and endurance running before the start of the new Nozomi services in March 1992. On 28 March, 1991, this set recorded a speed of 325.7 km/h on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen between Maibara and Kyoto, a Japanese national speed record at the time.
The set was modified to production standards in March 1993, becoming set "J1", but it differed from the production units in a number of ways. Visually, the driving cab had a different windscreen design, different headlight arrangement, and flared side panels over the front bogies. The prototype set was initially fitted with five pantographs, but this was later reduced to two in line with modifications to the production fleet. Limited water tank capacity meant that the unit was not capable of running return trips from Tokyo to Hakata, and was normally restricted to Tokyo to Osaka/Okayama/Hiroshima workings.
From 2001 onwards, this unit was converted for use as a JR Central test train for testing new digital ATC equipment on the Tokaido Shinkansen. It was finally withdrawn in March 2007. All cars except one end car, 322-9001 were cut up.[1]
Preserved examples
- 322-9001 (ex-prototype set J1) at Hamamatsu Works, Shizuoka Prefecture[2]
See also
-
Media related to 300 Series Shinkansen at Wikimedia Commons
References
- JR全車両ハンドブック2006 (JR Rolling Stock Handbook 2006). Japan: Neko Publishing. 2006.
- JR電車編成表 '07冬号 (JR EMU Formations - Winter 2007). Japan: JRR. December 2006. ISBN 4-88283-046-9.
- 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.
- ↑ プロトタイプの世界 / Prototype World. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbunsha. 2005. pp. 94-95. ISBN 4910065141258.
- ↑ 鉄道のテクノロジー Vol.1 新幹線 (Railway Technology Vol.1: Shinkansen). Japan: San-ei. 2009. ISBN 978-4-7796-0534-5.
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