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400 Series Shinkansen

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400 series
A 400 series train on a Tsubasa service at Yonezawa Station in March 2005
In service1 July 1992 – 18 April 2010 (17 years, 291 days)
ManufacturerHitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Tokyu Car Corporation
Family nameMini-shinkansen
Constructed1992–1995
Refurbished1999–2001
Scrapped2009–2010
Number built84 vehicles (12 sets)
Number in serviceNone
Number preserved1 vehicle
Number scrapped83 vehicles
SuccessorE3-2000 series
Formation7 cars per trainset
Fleet numbersL1–L12
Capacity399 (20 Green + 379 Standard)
OperatorsJR East
DepotsYamagata
Lines servedTohoku Shinkansen, Yamagata Shinkansen
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel
Car length22,825 mm (74 ft 10.6 in) (end cars)
20,500 mm (67 ft 3 in) (intermediate cars)
Width2,947 mm (9 ft 8.0 in)
Doorsone per side
Maximum speed240 km/h (149 mph) (Tōhoku Shinkansen)
130 km/h (81 mph) (Yamagata Shinkansen)
Traction system24 x 210 kW (282 hp) (Thyristor drive)
Power output5.04 MW (6,759 hp)
Acceleration1.6 km/(h⋅s) (0.99 mph/s)
Deceleration2.6 km/(h⋅s) (1.6 mph/s)
Electric system(s)20/25 kV AC, 50 Hz, overhead catenary
Current collector(s)PS204 pantograph
BogiesDT204 (motored), TR7006 (trailer)
Safety system(s)ATC-2, DS-ATC, ATS-P
Multiple working200 series, E4 series
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The 400 series (400系) was a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) between 1992 and 2010 on Tsubasa services on Japan's first mini-shinkansen line, the Yamagata Shinkansen branch from the main Tohoku Shinkansen.

The fleet of 400 series trains was leased by JR East from the owning company, Yamagata JR Chokutsū Tokkyū Hoyū Kikō (山形ジェイアール直通特急保有機構(株)), a third-sector company jointly owned by JR East and Yamagata Prefecture.[1]

They were originally six-car sets, but a seventh car (type 429) was added in 1995 to each set due to the popularity of the new Tsubasa services.

Pre-series set

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The pre-series set, S4, was delivered in October 1990, and shown off to the press on 26 October 1990. This was a six-car set arranged as shown below with all cars motored.[2]

Car No. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Numbering 401-1 402-1 403-1 404-1 405-1 406-1
Seating capacity 20 67 60 68 64 56

The unit featured three different types of bolster less bogies: DT9028 on cars 1 and 3, DT9029 on cars 2 and 4, and DT9030 on cars 5 and 6. The Green car seats featured seat-back TV screens, a feature not used on the subsequent production sets.[2]

Test running began on the Ōu Main Line between Niwasaka and Itaya on 14 November 1990. From 23 January 1991, test running began in conjunction with a newly converted 200 series 8-car K set on the Tōhoku Shinkansen between Sendai and Kitakami. On 26 March 1991, the 400 series set S4 established a new Japanese speed record of 336 km/h (209 mph) on the Jōetsu Shinkansen in the Yuzawa Tunnel between Echigo-Yuzawa and Urasa. On 19 September 1991, the train set a new speed record of 345 km/h (214 mph) on the same stretch of track.[3]

Test running continued into 1992, with set S4 reaching Tokyo for the first time on 20 May 1992. The pre-series set was then modified to bring it up to production batch standards, becoming set L1 on 29 June 1992.[3]

Formation

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The production 400 series sets were configured as shown below following the addition of a trailer car (car 15) in late 1995.[4]

Car No. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Designation Msc M' M M' T M M'c
Numbering 411 426-200 425 426 429 425 422
Seating capacity 20 67 60 68 64 64 56
Facilities WC, wheelchair space Cardphone WC, cardphone Luggage space WC, luggage space WC, cardphone Luggage space

Cars 1 and 2 were built by Tokyu Car Corporation, cars 3 to 4 were built by Hitachi, and cars 5 to 6 were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries.[4] Cars 12 and 14 were equipped with pantographs.[5]

  • 411-3 (car 11)
    411-3 (car 11)
  • 426-203 (car 12)
    426-203 (car 12)
  • 425-3 (car 13)
    425-3 (car 13)
  • 426-3 (car 14)
    426-3 (car 14)
  • 429-3 (car 15)
    429-3 (car 15)
  • 425-203 (car 16)
    425-203 (car 16)
  • 422-3 (car 17)
    422-3 (car 17)

Fleet details

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Set No. Manufacturer[4] Delivered 7th car added Refurbished DS-ATC added Withdrawn Remarks
L1 Tokyu Car, Hitachi, Kawasaki HI 1 November 1990 14 November 1995 3 March 2000 27 July 2005 1 January 2009[6] Originally pre-series set S4, converted 29 June 1992.
L2 Kawasaki HI 17 January 1992 20 November 1995 14 September 2001 7 October 2005 23 January 2009[6]
L3 28 January 1992 2 December 1995 11 June 2001 12 September 2005 18 April 2010 Last set to be withdrawn. Car 411-3 preserved at the Railway Museum.
L4 6 March 1992 12 December 1995 16 December 1999 28 May 2005 18 September 2009[1] First set to be refurbished and repainted.
L5 23 March 1992 10 December 1995 28 July 2000 26 November 2005 21 April 2009[7]
L6 2 April 1992 8 December 1995 16 October 2001 24 December 2005 26 May 2009[7]
L7 13 April 1992 6 December 1995 19 September 2000 2 November 2005 15 May 2009[7]
L8 1 May 1992 4 December 1995 19 June 2000 24 June 2005 3 April 2009[7]
L9 11 May 1992 20 December 1995 14 April 2000 22 March 2006 21 February 2009[6] Car 15 built by Hitachi.
L10 29 May 1992 14 December 1995 30 March 2001 28 February 2006 7 August 2009[1]
L11 12 June 1992 16 December 1995 19 February 2001 6 February 2006 20 June 2009[7]
L12 25 June 1992 18 December 1995 29 May 2000 27 April 2005 19 March 2009[6]

Source:[5]

Exterior

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Set L11 in original livery in July 1997

In terms of style, the 400 series were originally painted a medium silver grey with a darker roof and area around the cab windows and underframe. However they were refurbished and repainted between 1999 and 2001, with a higher area of dark bluish-grey on the underside, coming up almost to the side windows, and separated from the silver grey with a green stripe. The dark grey on the roof and around the cab windows was removed.

Set L1 at Omiya Station in June 2002, showing the door steps extended

Clearances were much reduced compared to previous Shinkansen lines, and thus the 400 series units were much narrower than previous Shinkansen trains. At shinkansen stations (i.e. high-speed line stations), steps extended from beneath the doors to bridge the gap between the trains and platforms.

Interior

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Green (first class) car accommodation had with 2+1 abreast seating, unlike the E3 series trains which replaced them, which featured 2+2 seating in both standard and Green cars. Seat pitch was 1,160 mm (46 in) in Green class (car 11), 980 mm (39 in) in reserved-seating cars (12 to 15), and 910 mm (36 in) in non-reserved cars (16 and 17).[8]

When the fleet received life-extension refurbishment between 1999 and 2001, the interiors were also refurbished with new seat moquette. The reserved seating cars received red moquette, while the non-reserved seating cars received turquoise moquette.[8]

  • Refurbished standard-class reserved-seating car
    Refurbished standard-class reserved-seating car
  • Refurbished Green car seating
    Refurbished Green car seating

History

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A six-car 400 series set in original colour scheme

Introduction

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The fleet of 12 six-car sets entered service on the new Tsubasa shinkansen services from 1 July 1992.[8] The six-car sets were all lengthened to seven cars between November and December 1995 with the addition of a new type 429 trailer car as car 15.[8]

Withdrawal

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Withdrawals started in December 2008, with the first set, L1.[8] The entire fleet was scheduled to be withdrawn by summer 2009 and replaced by new E3-2000 series trains.[9] However, one set, L3, remained in service until 18 April 2010, with the date chosen to mark 18 years of service.[10]

Preservation

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The first eleven sets to be withdrawn were all cut up at Sendai General Depot, but one car (Green car 411-3) of the last set to be withdrawn, L3, was stored at the former Fukushima depot before being moved to Omiya in Saitama Prefecture in December 2017 where it's preserved at the Railway Museum.[11]

See also

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References

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  • JR全車輌ハンドブック2006 [JR Rolling Stock Handbook 2006]. Japan: Neko Publishing. 2006. ISBN 4-7770-0453-8.
  1. ^ a b c つばさの世代交代 [Tsubasa transition]. Japan Railfan Magazine. 49 (584). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd.: 42–43 December 2009.
  2. ^ a b 在来線直通新幹線電車　４００系デビュー [400 series mini-shinkansen train debut]. Japan Railfan Magazine. 31 (357). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd.: 8–15 January 1991.
  3. ^ a b Yamanouchi, Shūichirō (2002). 東北・上越新幹線 [Tohoku & Joetsu Shinkansen]. Tokyo, Japan: JTB Can Books. ISBN 4-533-04513-8.
  4. ^ a b c 新幹線電車データブック2011 [Shinkansen Databook 2011]. Japan: JRR. March 2011. p. 86. ISBN 978-4-330-19811-8.
  5. ^ a b JR電車編成表 '07冬号 [JR EMU Formations – Winter 2007]. Japan: JRR. December 2006. ISBN 4-88283-046-9.
  6. ^ a b c d JR車両のデータバンク [JR Fleet Databank]. Japan Railfan Magazine. 49 (579). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. July 2009.
  7. ^ a b c d e JR車両の動き [JR Rolling Stock Changes]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō. 38 (305). Japan: Kotsu Shimbun: 126. September 2009.
  8. ^ a b c d e 新幹線　車両大全 [Shinkansen Cars Encyclopedia]. Tokyo, Japan: Ikaros Publications Ltd. November 2011. pp. 342–354. ISBN 978-4-86320-526-0.
  9. ^ 山形新幹線「つばさ」用車両の新造について [Details of new trains for Yamagata Shinkansen "Tsubasa" services] (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). JR East. 3 July 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  10. ^ 山形新幹線400系「つばさ」　ご利用に感謝を込めて (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). JR East. 25 February 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  11. ^ 400系新幹線が陸送される [400 series shinkansen transported by road]. RM News (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. 4 December 2017. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
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