The was an experimental Japanese

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 ...

train built to test the technology for future high-speed trains operating at speeds of up to following the opening of the

Tokaido Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the Sanyo Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opened in 1 ...

in 1964.

Formation

The Class 951 train was a two-car unit formed of cars numbered 951-1 and 951-2. Car 951-1 was built by Kawasaki Sharyo (present-day

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (or simply Kawasaki) is a Japanese public multinational corporation manufacturer of motorcycles, engines, heavy equipment, aerospace and defense equipment, rolling stock and ships, headquartered in Chūō, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It ...

), and had a seating capacity of 40 with seats arranged 3+2 abreast. Car 951-2 was built by

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 ...

, and had a seating capacity of 50, also with seats arranged 3+2 abreast. # 951-1 (Mc) # 951-2 (M'c) Both cars were fitted with a cross-arm type

pantograph A pantograph (, from their original use for copying writing) is a mechanical linkage connected in a manner based on parallelograms so that the movement of one pen, in tracing an image, produces identical movements in a second pen. If a line dr ...

at the inner end. Both were based on the PS200 type used on the 0 Series Shinkansen trains, but the pantograph on car 951-1 was designated PS9010K, and that on car 951-2 was designated PS-1010A. Normally, only the pantograph on car 951-2 was used.

History

The train was unveiled to the press on 26 March 1969, with formal test running commencing on the

Tōkaidō Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the Sanyo Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opened in 196 ...

from 2 July 1969. On 24 February 1972, the Class 951 recorded a world speed record of on the Sanyo Shinkansen between and , breaking the previous record of set by the Class 1000 Shinkansen. The train was formally withdrawn on 11 April 1980. Car 951-2 was transferred to the Railway Technical Research Institute in

Kokubunji, Tokyo 250px, Ruins of Musashi Kokubun-ji temple is a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 126,791, and a population density of 11,000 persons per km². The total area of the city was ...

, 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 was subsequently stored out of use inside the Railway Technical Research Institute, and was cut up in 2008.

References

External links

Kokubunji Hikari Plaza information
{{High-speed rail experimental Experimental and prototype high-speed trains 951 Train-related introductions in 1969 Non-passenger multiple units 25 kV AC multiple units Kawasaki multiple units Nippon Sharyo multiple units