Class 951 Shinkansen
Encyclopedia
The was an experimental Japanese Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...

 train built to test the technology for future high-speed trains operating at speeds of up to 250 km/h (155 mph) following the opening of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964.

Formation

  1. 951-1 (Mc) built by Kawasaki Sharyo
    Kawasaki Heavy Industries
    is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....

    , seating capacity 40
  2. 951-2 (M'c) built by Nippon Sharyo
    Nippon Sharyo
    , , formed in 1896, is a major rolling stock manufacturer based in Nagoya, Japan. In 1996, it abbreviated its name to "日本車両" Nippon Sharyō. Its shortest abbreviation is Nissha "日車". It was a listed company on Nikkei 225 until 2004. It is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Nagoya Stock Exchange...

    , seating capacity 50

History

The train was unveiled to the press on 26 March 1969, with formal test running commencing on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen from 2 July 1969.

On 24 February 1972, the Class 951 recorded a world speed record of 286 km/h (178 mph) on the Sanyō Shinkansen
Sanyō Shinkansen
The is a line of the Japanese Shinkansen high-speed rail network, connecting Shin-Ōsaka in Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka, the two largest cities in western Japan...

 between Himeji
Himeji Station
on the West Japan Railway Company is located in the heart of Himeji, Japan. Himeji is a major stop on the Sanyō Main Line, and the western end of the JR Kobe Line...

 and Nishi-Akashi
Nishi-Akashi Station
is a Sanyō Shinkansen and Sanyō Main Line train station serving the city of Akashi, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. As part of the Urban Network, the J-Through Card, ICOCA, Suica, PiTaPa, TOICA and SUGOCA can all be used on the Sanyō Main Line .-Station and platforms:The Shinkansen and regular train...

, breaking the previous record of 256 km/h (159 mph) set by the Class 1000 Shinkansen
Class 1000 Shinkansen
was the classification given to the two prototype Japanese Shinkansen trains built for high-speed testing ahead of the opening of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964.-Set A:# 1001 built by Kisha, seating capacity 56 , DT9002 bogies...

.

The train was formally withdrawn in April 1980, and transferred to the Railway Technical Research Institute in Kokubunji, Tokyo
Kokubunji, Tokyo
is a city in Tokyo, Japan.As of 1 June 2008, the city has an estimated population of 117,335 . The total area is 11.48 km²...

, where it was used for roller rig testing. Car 951-1 was donated to the nearby Hikari Plaza Community Centre in 1994, where it is open to the public. Car 951-2 is stored out of use inside the Railway Technical Research Institute.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK