Background and overview
Chukyo metropolitan area and Hokuriku region have had a close relationship each other administratively and economically and Hokuriku line trains namely "Shirasagi" intercity services have been used on the main transportations between two areas, because a mountain range having lots of snow in winter exists between two areas. However, "Shirasagi" intercity services have faced increasing competition against high-speed bus services and private automobiles with Tohkai-Hokuriku Expressway extending gradually. So, JR West developed 683-2000 series intercity dual voltage AC/DC electric multiple unit (EMU) trains and delivered them to displace superannuated 485 series EMU trains used on "Shirasagi" intercity services to improve competitiveness by reduction of the journey time and improvement of comfort. 4 five-car sets consisting of 2 motored vehicles and 3 trailer vehicles including a streamlined end vehicle and a gangwayed vehicle, and 6 three-car sets consisting of 1 motored vehicle and 2 trailer vehicles having gangwayed vehicles were delivered over the period from November 2002 until December 2002.
Car body
The double-skinned aluminum alloy construction is incorporated into the
vehicle design. This construction introduces dovetail groove to be fitted
with equipments and interior parts as a substitute for joining them by
welding in order to reduce welding points and improve body rigidness compared
with existing method to build the body by welding skins, columns, and ribs
together for cost reduction. Anti-fall plates between vehicles are also
introduced excepting the cab end. Streamlined end vehicles are equipped
with a normal tightlock coupler and two clusters of a shield beam head
lamp and a tail lamp covered with glass located in left and right below
the windscreen. Gangwayed end vehicles feature raised driver's cab and
storable gangway connection to improve end section appearance. Two sealed
beam headlights and LED taillights are horizontally fitted each side of
the gangway. Each end vehicles are also equipped with the other sealed
beam headlights at the centre above the windscreen. Class saha683-2400
and saha682-2200 vehicles are equipped with two single-leaf sliding doors
and the other vehicles are equipped with one. Class kuro682-2000 and kuha682-2700
vehicles are equipped with the sliding doors behind the cab to even irregularities
of the door arrangement of end vehicles coupled together. The sliding door
width of class saha682-2200, and saha683-2400 is 1000mm and the others
700mm. The doorway is equipped with cylinder pressing the door against
the body in order to reduce the fluctuation of atmospheric pressure in
the passenger saloon. Wide fixed double-glazing UV cut windows aligned
two seating bays are fitted. End vehicles including streamlined class kuro683
are equipped with an automatic jumper coupler to ease rush-up operations.
Train-type rollsigns and LED destination indicators are fitted on each
side of their body. All vehicles are also equipped with an air conditioner,
WAU704B, using R407C refrigerant. Air conditions for smoking vehicles have
an air purifier located at an inlet filter and those for no smoking vehicles
is ready to be fitted. Electric fans of air conditioner supply fresh air
into the passenger room, instead of ventilators on the roof, and automatic
dampers for air intake are employed to reduce pressure fluctuation while
running through the tunnel and realize quickly carry out cooling and heating
by shutting dampers. Cover plates are fitted between equipments fitted
under their floor to reduce the waving for preventing snow and ice from
sticking thereon. Their livery is white with gray wide band around side
windows, and thin blue and orange lines under side windows. "Shirasagi"
logos are applied to the sides of the vehicles excepting class kumoha683
and moha683 vehicles.
Bogies
Motored bogies are WDT301 and trailer bogies are WTR301 featuring bolster-less secondary air suspension, axle arm type journal box supporting system, and the single link traction device. The fitting position of bolster suspension is 20mm lower than 681 series to lower the floor level for accessibility. These bogies feature 1980mm wide distance between two secondary air suspension, the yaw dampers, and anti-rolling stabilizer to ensure smooth ride characteristics even at 160km/h. Westinghouse-Natal drive is applied for power transmission device. The gear ratio is 5.22 to get high acceleration performance and the maximum service speed at 160km/h. Motored bogie employs single tread brake rigging and not hydraulic pressure facing caliper wheel disk brake rigging but are ready to be fitted them because 683-2000 series would be operated at 130km/h or below for the present. So powered vehicles are classified into -3000 subseries. Trailer bogie employs both the double disk brake rigging and the single tread brake rigging.
Traction unit and ancillary equipments
Their traction system does not employ thyristor phase control but PWM converter to keep "Guideline of counter measures taken by users against higher harmonics received at high voltages or extremely high voltages" provide by Ministry of International Trade and Industry for the prevention of higher harmonics inductive interference and noise. Tailer end vehicles, class kuha682, and trailer intermediate vehicles, class saha682, are equipped with a traction transformer, TM27, featuring natural air cooling with a power output of 1200kVA and a pair of 3-level traction converter, WPC12, employing Insulated Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) and synchronizing each other under the floor. While a converter is under failure, the remaining other converter carry on its work with power limit operation for redundancy. On the other hand, powered end vehicles, class kumoha683, and powered intermediate vehicles, moha683, are equipped with a 3-level Variable-frequency drive (VFD), WPC11, employing IGBT to control four asynchronous traction motors, WMT105, with a power output of 245kW on axle basis. Their traction system is integrated with the ancillary power supply unit with a power output of 150kVA. In case of the ancillary power supply unit failure, one variable frequency drive unit for traction motor can switch to supply electricity as the backup ancillary power supply unit. Class kumoha683 and class moha683 vehicles are also equipped with a motor driven rotary-screw air compressor, WMH3098-WRC1600, under their floor, and class kuha682 and class saha682 vehicles are equipped with a cross-arm current pickup, WPS27C, on the roof. They feature the electric commanding brake with regenerative brake and holding brake, featuring brake control of trailer priority, employing anti-slip control by axle-driven tachometer generator fitted to each axle to achieve brake performance efficiently even at 130km/h.
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. Cass saha683-2500 vehicles are equipped with a vending machine. Reading lights are fitted on the lower part of the overhead luggage rack. A LED display for providing passenger information is fitted above the door between a vestibule and a passenger saloon. All trailer vehicles are equipped with a western style toilet, a flushing urinal, and a washroom. Each toilet has the vacuum toilet system. Class saha682-2200 and saha683-2400 vehicles are equipped with a universal access toilet. Class saha683-2500 vehicles are also equipped with a conductor room, moha683-3400 a catering room and saha682-2200 a multi-purpose room.
Additional delivery
JR West delivered additional 4 five-car sets and 2 three-car sets in order to displace 485 series EMU used on "Shirasagi" services over the period from April 2003 until May 2003. Furthermore, 4 five-car sets and 1 three-car set were delivered to replace 485 series used on "Kaetsu" intercity services linking Maibara and Kanazawa over the period from June 2003 until July 2003.
JR West delivered 4 three-car sets of 683-2000 series to provide additional capacity for "Thunderbird" services. Their livery is white with gray wide band around side windows, and blue narrow band under side windows. "THUNDERBIRD" logos are applied to the sides of the vehicles excepting class kumoha683 and moha683 vehicles.
Modification
Since 681 series trainsets were transferred to "Shirasagi" intercity services after the start of the operations on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Nagano and Kanazawa, surplus 683-2000 series which had been used on "Shirasagi" intercity services were modified in to 289 series intercity DC electric multiple unit trains in order to transferred to "Kuroshio", "Kounotori", "Kinosaki", and "Hashidate" intercity services. So, 7 trailer intermediate vehicles, class saha683-2500, were plucked out from 7 five-car set to form 7 four-car sets for "Kounotori", "Kinosaki", and "Hashidate" intercity services. Then 5 surplus trailer intermediate vehicles, class saha683-2500, plucked out from five-car sets were inserted into other five-car sets to form 5 six-car sets for "Kuroshio" intercity services. One of the remaining surplus saha683-2500s was classified into saha289-2500 but scrapped in 2016. 2 three-car sets built for "Thunderbird" were classified into 289 series having AC electric equipments on to redeploy. However, they were reclassified into 683-2000 series painted in original "Thunderbird livery" used as the extension sets for "Thunderbird" intercity services.
683-2000 series used on "Thunderbird" intercity services excepting sets redeployed from "Kounotori", "Kinosaki", and "Hashidate" intercity 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.
Operations
They entered 4 round-trips of "Shirasagi" intercity services linking Nagoya and Toyama in March, 2003. All "Shirasagi" services began to be operated by 683-2000 series in June 2003. Furthermore, they replaced 485 series EMU used on "Kaetsu" services linking Maibara and Kanazawa in June 2003. Still much more, "Kaetsu" intercity services were merged with "Shirasagi" intercity services in October. Since 681 series trainsets were transferred to "Shirasagi" intercity services after the start of the operations on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Nagano and Kanazawa, surplus 683-2000 series which had been used on "Shirasagi" intercity services were modified in to 289 series intercity DC electric multiple unit trains. Their 3-car sets delivered as an extension set for "Thunderbird" are still now used on "Thunderbird" services. Furthermore, 3-car sets retransferred from 289 series to 683-2000 series are also used on "Thunderbird" services. |
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