"WIN350" was the name given to the 6-car experimental high-speed ''

Shinkansen The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond l ...

'' train developed in 1992 by the

West Japan Railway Company , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...

(JR West) in Japan to test technology to be incorporated in next-generation shinkansen trains expected to operate at speeds of 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 (or simply Kawasaki) is a Japanese Public company, public multinational corporation manufacturer of motorcycles, engines, Heavy equipment (construction), heavy equipment, aerospace and Military, defense equipment, rolling stock and ships, headq ...

in Hyogo Prefecture. Cars 500-904 to 500-906 were built by

Hitachi () is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Nissan ''zaibatsu'' and later DKB Group and Fuyo G ...

Yamaguchi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 km2 (2,359 sq mi). Yamaguchi Prefecture borders Shimane Prefecture t ...

. 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. 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 on the

San'yō Shinkansen The is a line of the Japanese Shinkansen high-speed rail network, connecting Shin-Osaka in Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka, the two largest cities in western Japan. Operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West), it is a westward cont ...

. Two days later, on 8 August 1992, the train recorded a Japanese national speed record of on the San'yō Shinkansen between Ogōri (now Shin-Yamaguchi) and Shin-Shimonoseki. 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 is a city in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 38,259 in 14761 households and a population density of 150 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Maibara is located in northcentral Shiga Pr ...

. Initially expected to be moved to the

Modern Transportation Museum The was the corporate museum operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in Minato-ku, Osaka, Japan. It opened on 21 January 1962, next to Bentencho Station on the Osaka Loop Line. The collection included steam locomotives, electric locomo ...

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

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Win350 Experimental and prototype high-speed trains Shinkansen train series Train-related introductions in 1992 Sanyō Shinkansen Hitachi multiple units Kawasaki multiple units 25 kV AC multiple units