Background and overview
JR Central developed 373 series intercity DC electric multiple unit (EMU) trains in order replace superannuated 165 series EMU used on "Fujikawa" express services, and delivered five 3-car sets in 1995. Their formation consists of a motored vehicle and two trailer vehicles.
Car body
They have 2947mm wide body, incorporating light weight stainless construction.
Their floor level is 1140mm from the top of rail to reduce the level difference
between their floor and platforms. Their bodies are unpainted and have
the orange and white waistline band running the length of each car below
the windows. They also have the dark brown wide band around side windows.
Their gangwayed end section painted in white is constructed by steel, featuring
a storable gangway connection for class kumoha373 vehicles and a gangway
connection base for class kuha372. They are equipped with two 1300mm wide
double-leaf automatic sliding doors on each side of the vehicles. Doors
can be operated manually by pushing the buttons fitted beside the doors.
The horizontal band fixed windows having 950mm height are fitted between
the doors and wide fixed windows are fitted at the end of their body. Bronze
coloured double-glazing tempered glass is employed for all windows. Traditional
destination and seating classification rollsigns are fitted on the body.
Two air conditioners, C-AU714, rated at 21,000kcal/h/unit, and no ventilators
are fitted on their roof. End cars are equipped with the automatic jumper
coupler to ease rush-up operations.
Bogies
Motored bogies are C-DT63 and trailer bogies are C-TR248, featuring bolster-less
secondary air suspension, corn-shaped multilayered rubber spring journal
supporting system, and the single link traction device. These bogies adopt
double collar sealed roller bearing, and the yaw dampers to ensure smooth
ride characteristics even at 130km/h. They are also prepared to fit the
anti-rolling stabilizer. Motored bogies employ the single tread brake device
adopting automatic gap-adjusting unit, and trailer bogies employ both the
single disk and the single tread brake devices.
Traction unit and ancillary equipments
The Variable-frequency drive (VFD) traction system, C-SC35, featuring Gate
Turn Off (GTO) thyristor controls 4 traction motors, C-MT66, with a power
output of 185 kW on axle basis in order to realize that the ratio of motored
vehicle to trailer vehicle is one to two. Their gear ratio is 6.53 to get
high acceleration performance at the range of middle and high speed and
the maximum service speed at 120km/h. Motored vehicles are equipped with
an auxiliary power unit, C-SC36 with a power output of 135kVA featuring
boost chopper under their floor. Motored vehicles are also equipped with
a single-arm type current pickup, C-PS27G2. Class kuha372 vehicles are
equipped with a motor driven scroll air compressor, C-PRC1500. 373 series
employ the electric commanding brake with mixed regenerative-dynamic braking
under low possibility of regeneration., featuring brake control of trailer
priority.
Accommodation
Open plan accommodation is 2+2 abreast adjustable reclining seating with
970mm seating pitch. 4-seat semi compartments having large table in it
are located at the end of the body of class kumoha373 and saha373 vehicles.
The passenger room and the doorway were partitioned. Class kuha372 vehicles
are equipped with a universal access toilet employing vacuum toilet system,
a flushing urinal, and a washroom. As for the device of driving cab, one
handle master controller operated by the left hand is adopted.
Additional delivery
JR Central delivered nine 3-car sets in order to displace superannuated 165 series EMU used on "Tokai" express services linking Tokyo and Shizuoka via Tokaido line, "Inaji" express services linking Toyohashi and Iida via Iida line, and night train linking Tokyo and Ohgaki via Tokaido line. These sets are equipped with the ATS-P signaling system for the Tokaido line of JR East area.
Modification
JR Central fitted 373 series of 1st batch with the ATS-P signaling system later. However, ATS-P signaling system were displaced with ATS-PT signaling system because of withdrawing from JR East area and introducing ATS-PT transponder to JR Central area.
Operations
They entered "Fujikawa" intercity revenue services linking Shizuoka and Koufu via Tokaido and Minobu line in October, 1995. They also entered "Tokai" intercity services linking Tokyo and Shizuoka via Tokaido line, "Inaji" intercity services linking Toyohashi and Iida via Iida line, and "Moonlight Nagara" night rapid service linking Tokyo and Ohgaki via Tokaido line. But 373 series were withdrawn from "Tokai" intercity services in March, 2007, and "Moonlight Nagara" night rapid service in May, 2009.
373 series EMU vehicles are now used on "Fujikawa" and "Inaji" intercity services and Tokaido line ordinary services. |
|
