- Class 961 Shinkansen
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Class 961 
Class 961 at Sendai Shinkansen Depot, 1987In service 1973–1981 Manufacturer Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Nippon Sharyo Constructed 1973 Number built 6 vehicles Number preserved 2 vehicles Number scrapped 4 vehicles Formation 6 cars Fleet numbers S3 Operator JNR Specifications Car body construction Aluminium alloy Car length 25,000 mm (82 ft 0 in)[1] Width 3,380 mm (11 ft 1 in) Height 4,490 mm (14 ft 9 in) Doors 2 sliding doors per side Maximum speed 260 km/h (162 mph) (nominal) Traction system MT920 Power output 6.6 MW (8,900 hp) (275 kW/369 hp per motor) Electric system(s) 25 kV AC, 50/60 Hz Current collection method Overhead catenary
(PS9013 pantograph)[2]Bogies DT9013 Safety system(s) ATC/ATO Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) The Class 961 (961形) was a 6-car experimental Japanese Shinkansen train built in 1973.[1]
Contents
Design
The Class 961 train was developed to test new technology and design features to be incorporated in future high-speed trains for use on the planned Tōhoku Shinkansen and Jōetsu Shinkansen routes in the north-east of Japan. It featured motors in all six cars and was designed to cope with operations in the cold and snowy conditions of north-eastern Japan.
A number of interior accommodation configurations were tested, including a restaurant car, compartments, and sleeping berths.
Formation
The set, designated "S3", was formed as follows.[3]
Car No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Designation Mc M' M M' M M'c Numbering 961-1 961-2 961-3 961-4 961-5 961-6 961-1
Built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Standard seating car based on the 0 series configuration with 3+2-abreast flip-over reversible seating.[2]
961-2
Built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Standard seating car based on the 0 series configuration.
961-3
Built by Nippon Sharyo. Restaurant car interior was added at Hamamatsu Works in 1974.[1]
961-4
Built by Nippon Sharyo. Sleeping car accommodation was added at Hamamatsu Works in 1974, including 4-berth semi-open couchette compartments, longitudinally arranged sleeping berths and deluxe sleeping compartments.[1]
961-5
Built by Hitachi. This car was used exclusively for test equipment. It had no side windows and instead had four large doorways on each side for installing and removing equipment.
961-6
Built by Hitachi. Standard seating car based on the 0 series configuration.
History
The train was unveiled on 9 July 1973.[1]
From 17 July 1973, test running commenced on the Sanyō Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Himeji as a 4-car set.[4] Test running as a 6-car formation commenced on 1 August 1973 on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen between Hamamatsu and Nagoya.[4]
From 16 September 1974, the train was tested on the unopened section of the Sanyō Shinkansen between Okayama and Fukuyama, but the maximum speed was limited to 210 km/h (130 mph) due to opposition from lineside residents related to noise levels. The train was put into storage following the opening of the Sanyō Shinkansen extension in March 1975.[1]
On 11 May 1979, the Class 961 was transferred from storage at Ōi Depot in Tokyo (now JR Central's Tokyo No. 2 Shinkansen Depot) by road to the shinkansen depot at Oyama in Tochigi Prefecture for use on the "Oyama Test Track" section of the Tōhoku Shinkansen then under construction. Test running started on 5 June 1979, and the lettering "高速試験車" (High-Speed Test Train) was added to the nose section of the train from 9 June.[1]
On 7 December 1979, the Class 961 recorded a world speed record of 319 km/h (198 mph) on the Oyama Test Track, breaking the previous world record of 286 km/h (178 mph) set by the Class 951 Shinkansen in 1972.[5]
Following the opening of the Tōhoku Shinkansen in 1981, the Class 961's role as a test train ended, and it was stored at Sendai Shinkansen Depot. It was officially withdrawn on 10 August 1990.[3]
Preservation
Car 961-1 at Sendai Shinkansen Depot, July 2009
End cars 961-1 and 961-6 are preserved outdoors at Sendai Shinkansen Depot. These cars have been repainted into "Tōhoku Shinkansen" ivory and green livery.[6] A brass plaque commemorating the world speed record of 319 km/h (198 mph) set by this train in 1979 is displayed inside car 951-1 at Kokubunji in Tokyo.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g プロトタイプの世界 - Prototype World. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbunsha. December 2005. p. 44–47. ISBN 4910065141258.
- ^ a b "961形試作車 [Class 961 experimental train]". The Railway Pictorial (Japan: Denkisha Kenkyūkai) 24 (284): p.19–21. October 1973.
- ^ a b 新幹線電車データブック2011 [Shinkansen Databook 2011]. Japan: JRR. March 2011. p. 94. ISBN 978-4-330-19811-8.
- ^ a b Suda, Hiroshi (2000). "東海道新幹線" [Tōkaidō Shinkansen]. Tokyo, Japan: JTB Can Books. ISBN 4-533-03563-9.
- ^ Yamanouchi, Shūichirō (2002). "東北・上越新幹線" [Tōhoku & Jōetsu Shinkansen]. Tokyo, Japan: JTB Can Books. p. 171–174. ISBN 4-533-04513-8.
- ^ 鉄道のテクノロジーVol1：新幹線 [Railway Technology Vol.1: Shinkansen]. Japan: Sanei Mook. April 2009. p. 120. ISBN 978-4-7796-0534-5.
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earning trainsetsClass 1000 • Class 951 • Class 961 • Class 962 • Doctor Yellow • WIN350 • STAR21 • 300X • Fastech 360 • Gauge Change Train • MLX-01Operators Experimental and Prototype High-speed trains France France & Germany EurotrainGermany Japan JR–Maglev · Class 1000 Shinkansen · Class 951 Shinkansen · Class 961 Shinkansen · Class 962 Shinkansen · WIN350 · STAR21 · 300X · Fastech 360Korea HEMU-400X · HSR-350xRussia / USSR United Kingdom USA / Canada See also Category:Experimental and prototype high-speed trains , High-speed rail , List of high speed trainsCategories:- Experimental and prototype high-speed trains
- Shinkansen train series
- 1973 introductions
- Hitachi multiple units
- Kawasaki rolling stock
- Nippon Sharyo rolling stock
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