Background and overview
In 1995, JR West delivered mass production sets of 681 series including some improvements to follow the feedback on extensive high speed traveling test. Their formation are 6-car sets consisting of 2 motored cars and 4 trailer cars, and 3-car sets consisting of 1 motored car and 2 trailer cars. Mass production sets adopt married pair unit system consisting of 1 motored car with a traction system and 1 trailer car with extra-high voltage electric equipments, in contrast to pre-production type 681 series adopting 3-car unit system. Trailer cars not having extra-high voltage electric equipments can be located everywhere in their set to make their set more flexible.
Car body
They have 2915mm wide body. Their body design incorporates lightweight
shaped steel and pressed forming beam to realize a light weight body, employing
weatherproof steel sheet (Steel Plate Atmospheric), hot-rolled atmospheric
corrosion resisting steels for welded structure (Steel Marine Atmospheric)
for their body skin, and stainless plate for their roof. Their roof features
polyurethane waterproof coating for anti-corrosion improvement. New gangwayed
end car introduced for mass production type of 681 series feature raised
driver's cab and storable gangway connection to improve end section appearance.
Their door operating equipment, WTK115A, is fitted above the door header
of the sliding door. Class kuro681, kuha681, and saha681 employ split air
conditioners, WAU303, rated at 36000kcal/h. Two indoor units are fitted
on their roof and one outdoor unit is fitted under their floor in order
to realize a low centre of gravity. The other vehicles employ an air conditioner,
WAU704 (36000kcal/h) fitted on their roof, Cover plates are fitted between
equipments fitted under their floor to reduce the waving for preventing
snow and ice from sticking thereon. Cover plates feature hinge or sliding
lids to ease maintenance, in contrast of pre-production type of 681 series.
Their livery is white with gray wide band around side windows, and blue
narrow band under side windows.
Bogies
The 681 series are equipped with WDT300 bogies on the powered cars and WTR300 bogies on the trailers, featuring bolster-less secondary air suspension and axle arm type journal box supporting system. Their bogies differ from employing the single link traction device. These bogies adopt the yaw dampers and anti-rolling stabilizer to ensure smooth ride characteristics even at 160km/h. Motored bogie employs the hydraulic pressure facing caliper wheel disk brake device. Trailer bogie employs both the double disk brake device and the single tread brake device.
Traction unit and ancillary equipments
Mass production type of 681 series employs more powerful traction motors
and larger traction transformer to improve their performance at speed range
over 80km/h. Each motored car is equipped with a traction system changed
into WPC6, and traction motors changed into WMT103 with a power output
of 220kW. Class Saha680 and Kuha680 are equipped with a traction transformer
changed into WTM26 with a power output of 1400kVA and a traction rectifier
changed into WRS103 featuring cascaded connecting full thyristor bridge
under their floor and a cross arm type current pickup, WPS27C, on their
roof. End cars and trailer intermediate car, class saha681, are equipped
with an auxiliary power unit which was changed into WSC33 with a power
output of 150kVA, featuring the combination of double chopper employing
Gate Turn Off (GTO) thyristor and 3 step inverter employing Insulated Gate
Bipolar Transistor (IGBT). They are also equipped with a motor driven air
compressor, WMH3096-WTC1500.
Accommodation
All seats are adjustable reclining. 1st class vehicles have 2+1 abreast
seating with 1160mm seating pitch and standard class vehicles have 2+2
abreast seating with 970mm seating pitch. LCD TV sets for video programme
are provided at each seat of the 1st class. A LED display for providing
passenger information is fitted above the door between a vestibule and
a passenger saloon. All trailer cars are equipped with a western style
toilet, a flushing urinal, and a washroom. Each toilet has a chemical holding
tank. Class saha681-200 is equipped with a universal access toilet and
a multi-purpose room.
Operations
They entered "Super Raicho Thunderbird" intercity revenue services running at 130km/h in April, 1995. Their short 3-car sets began to be used on "Super Raicho Thunderbird Unazuki" and "Super Raicho Thunderbird Tateyama" intercity services running through Toyama Regional Railway. This very long train name was simply changed into "Thunderbird" in 1997. In 1997, JR West also delivered additional two 9-car sets to enter "Hakutaka" intercity services jointly operated by JR West and Hokuetsu express connecting Kanazawa and Echigo-Yuzawa via the newly built Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku line, operating at 140km/h. Since no problem was found by body inspection, maximum service speed was raised up to 150km/h in 1998. In order to replace 485 series used on "Hakutaka" intercity services, JR West transferred three 9-car trainsets of 681 series used on "Thunderbird" intercity services to "Hakutaka" services by introducing new 683 series vehicles to "Thunderbird" services in 2002 and started the operation at 160km/h.
Modification and refurbishment
Since "Hakutaka" intercity services were discontinued and ownership of 681-2000 series and 683-8000 series were transferred back to JR West after the start of the operations on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Nagano and Kanazawa, surplus 681 series trainsets were transferred to "Shirasagi" intercity services linking Nagoya and Kanazawa and repainted, with thin blue and orange lines below the window band in 2015. On the other hand, remaining 3-car sets of 681-0 used on "Thunderbird" services were scheduled to undergo a programme of refurbishment from autumn 2015 until the end of fiscal 2018. Their livery was changed into white body with blue stripes added to the areas near the bottom of their headlights; their accents also changed from gray to black. Some improvements added to their passenger accommodation. All 1st class seats and standard class seats at end of each car have power supply outlets for mobile PC users. Standard class seating was changed into same seating as that of 683-4000 series.
Latest operation status
681-0 series are now used on "Shirasagi" and "Thunderbird" intercity services. |
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