WIN350
Encyclopedia
"WIN350" was the name given to the 6-car experimental 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 developed in 1992 by the West Japan Railway Company
West Japan Railway Company
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group companies and operates in western Honshū. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka.-History:...

 (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. Initially given the designation "500X", the name "WIN350" stood for "West Japan's Innovation for operation at 350 km/h".

Design

Cars 500-901 to 500-903 were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries
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....

 in Hyogo Prefecture
Hyogo Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...

. Cars 500-904 to 500-906 were built by Hitachi
Hitachi
Hitachi is a multinational corporation specializing in high-technology.Hitachi may also refer to:*Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan*Hitachi province, former province of Japan*Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi, members of the Japanese imperial family...

 in Yamaguchi Prefecture
Yamaguchi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.- History :...

.

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. 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.

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.

Formation

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

History

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

On 6 August 1992, the train recorded a Japanese national speed record of 345.8 km/h 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...

. Two days later, on 8 August 1992, the train recorded a Japanese national speed record of 350.4 km/h on the Sanyō Shinkansen between Ogōri (now Shin-Yamaguchi
Shin-Yamaguchi Station
is a station operated by West Japan Railway Company in Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, and is a stopping point for the Sanyō Shinkansen and the Sanyō Main Line, and serves as termini of Yamaguchi Line and Ube Line...

) and Shin-Shimonoseki
Shin-Shimonoseki Station
is a railway stationon the San'yō Shinkansen and the San'yō Main Line, operated by West Japan Railway Company in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan.-Structure:...

.

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

Preservation

End car 500-901 is preserved outdoors at the RTRI large-scale wind tunnel test facility in Maibara, Shiga
Maibara, Shiga
is a city located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.As of August 1, 2006, the city has an estimated population of 42,154. The total area is 223.1 km².- History :...

. Initially expected to be moved to the Modern Transportation Museum
Modern Transportation Museum
The is the corporate museum of the West Japan Railway Company in Osaka, Japan. It opened in 1962, next to Bentencho Station on the Osaka Loop Line...

in Osaka, car 500-906 is preserved at Hakata Shinkansen Depot.
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