New Type : JR East E6 Shinkansen

[Guest ___]

Ugh, I still can't get over the designs that pass for a super express train these days.

[bikkuri bahn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YwZFludR9o

 

At the Shinkansen Maintenance Depot in Rifu-cho, Miyagi Prefecture, today (Friday, 7/09).  I plan to visit this facility later this month, but doubt this unit will be on display, if last year's placement of the E5 is any indication.

 

Amateur video of E6 departing Morioka Station earlier this week on a test run (best to turn down volume before viewing, bad noise):

 

[to2leo]

The design is starting to grow on me.  I cannot wait for a clip to show the driver's view.  I also wonder whether the long nose will obstruct driver's view?

[westfalen]

The design is starting to grow on me.  I cannot wait for a clip to show the driver's view.  I also wonder whether the long nose will obstruct driver's view?

 

I was looking at the long walk from the cab door to the driver's seat.

[bikkuri bahn]

I also wonder whether the long nose will obstruct driver's view?

 

What, the last couple of meters before the coupler?  Trivial.  Any coupling operations involve a staff member supervising alongside at track/platform level.

[Nozomi]

Any coupling operations involve a staff member supervising alongside at track/platform level.

 

It's almost done like a little ceremony. When I had the opportunity to watch a few couplings/uncouplings of  E4's and E3's at Fukushima Station last February, there was always someone to take photos.... The Japanese do these things in style!

[miyakoji]

Glad to see that those little steps fold down automatically.  I didn't really expect anything less, it is Japan after all.  Although I did think they might retract rather than just drop down.

 

The second last car has no windows.  Is that in the consist for testing or is it permanent?

[CaptOblivious]

The second last car has no windows.  Is that in the consist for testing or is it permanent?

 

I was just wondering the same thing! Why no windows?

[bill937ca]

There are photos and plans of the E6 in the 10/2010 Japan Railfan Magazine.

[lumixraku]

the e5'nose is too long! E4 maybe is the best duck looking train.

[Maybe there is some grammar error in the sentence above, I hope you can understand.]

[Bernard]

the e5'nose is too long! E4 maybe is the best duck looking train.

[Maybe there is some grammar error in the sentence above, I hope you can understand.]

 

Welcome to the Forum and your English is fine! I like your description of the best looking duck.

[spacecadet]

One thing that I've noticed is that each successive generation of Shinkansen gets smaller and smaller windows, with the N700 having windows that look like airplane windows,

 

I realize I'm replying to a post from February, but as long as the thread's been bumped...

 

Having ridden the N700, the windows are definitely much bigger than airplane windows.  The size of the train makes the size of the windows a bit deceptive.  They are a little smaller than I'd like, but when you're riding (and maybe you have done so too), you don't really notice how small they are.  It's not like an airplane window where you need to crane your neck to try to see around the wall of the cabin.  There's still plenty of outside view.

 

The 100 series is the only one I know of that had really big windows, though.  Most shinkansen seem to have one small window spaced for each seat, but the N700's are a little smaller than most.

[KenS]

Although Shinkansen aren't pressurized in the same way airplanes are, I do believe the modern ones are pressure-sealed, as otherwise the pressure changes when entering/leaving tunnels became quite annoying as speeds went up.

 

And that sharp pressure-change may be the reason they minimize window size, as otherwise the material (lexan?) would need to be thicker.

[spacecadet]

How do other high speed trains get around the pressure change problem?  Some high speed trains (ICE, TGV) do have really big windows. 

[to2leo]

I remember some members from the forum mentioned the tunnel designs in Europe are different than those of Japan.  As a result, less dramatic nose job and/or bigger windows?

[bikkuri bahn]

I remember some members from the forum mentioned the tunnel designs in Europe are different than those of Japan.  As a result, less dramatic nose job and/or bigger windows?

 

Yes, I don't know the specifics, but apparently the tunnels on high speed lines are built to more generous dimensions in Europe, so there is less of a problem with tunnel boom as well as turbulence from trains passing one another in tunnel.  In Japan, so much of the HSR routes are through tunnel, I suppose the cost savings of building to the smaller cross-section is worth the drawbacks.

[KenS]

Most of the tunnels were also built when speeds were much slower, so pressure waves ahead of a train weren't as severe. And enlarging a tunnel is not cheap (plus they'd have to shut down a Shinkansen line for an extended period while they did it, which isn't very likely).

[bill937ca]

 

 

[bill937ca]

 

[disturbman]

JR East officialy unveils the E6 series Shinkansen.

 

JAPAN: The first of 23 production Series E6 trainsets being supplied to East Japan Railway for Akita mini-Shinkansen services was officially unveiled at the railway's Sendai rolling stock maintenance depot on November 22, where the trains were officially designated Super Komachi.

 

Due for delivery between November 2012 and the spring of 2014, the seven-car small-profile sets follow on from a pre-production Series E6 trainset supplied by Hitachi and Kawasaki in June 2010, which in turn was derived from the Fastech 360Z prototype. The first trains will enter service in March 2013, on four tips each way per day, replacing the older Series E3 sets now operating Komachi services between Tokyo, Morioka and Akita.

 

Each set has five motor cars and two trailers. A distinctive feature of the new units is the 13 m long nose, designed to reduce noise and aerodynamic pressure pulses when running through tunnels at up to 320 km/h. This limits the seating capacity to 338, which is the same as the six-car E3s, including 23 Green Car seats in one driving vehicle.

 

The Super Komachi trains are also equipped with active suspensions giving a limited degree of tilt to improve ride quality. Improved provision for mobility impaired passengers includes wheelchair accessible toilets, and there is on-board CCTV.

 

The Series E6 sets will operate in multiple with Series E5 trainsets between Tokyo and Morioka, initially running at 300 km/h on the Tohoku Shinkansen. Once all of the production units have entered service and the E3s have been phased out, JR East intends to increase the maximum speed to 320 km/h in March 2014, cutting end-to-end journey times by between 10 and 15 min. Maximum speed on the converted narrow-gauge line between Morioka and Akita will be 130km/h.

 

Source: http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/jr-east-unveils-super-komachi-high-speed-train.html

 

So E6 enters service on March next year and all E3 series Shinkansens will be removed 8at least from Komachi service) by March 2014.

[Densha]

The name "Super Komachi" versus the old Komachi makes me wonder if there will be differences except for speed and time like the amount of stops, but perhaps it's just a marketing strategy and the old Komachi will eventually retire with only the "Super Komachi" remaining.

[JR 500系]

HHmmm ...

 

This left me wondering.. Or am i missing something?

 

I thought the E3 Komachi was called the mini shinkansen as it has to travel on a lower gauge and speed along some parts of the route to either Shinjio (E3 Tsubasa) or Akita (E3 Komachi) ? I thought that the E3 was built this way, being taller and narrower and everything, esp travelling on 130km/h max on some stretches... Looking at the E6 exterior, does that mean that the E6 can do the same functions as required by the E3? Or is it totally travelling on another route altogether? The E6 was meant to replace the E3, right?

 

Sorry for the questions, just pondering...

[Sacto1985]

I thought the E3 Komachi was called the mini shinkansen as it has to travel on a lower gauge and speed along some parts of the route to either Shinjio (E3 Tsubasa) or Akita (E3 Komachi) ? I thought that the E3 was built this way, being taller and narrower and everything, esp travelling on 130km/h max on some stretches... Looking at the E6 exterior, does that mean that the E6 can do the same functions as required by the E3? Or is it totally travelling on another route altogether? The E6 was meant to replace the E3, right?

 

Well, they have been testing the prototype E6 trainset on the Akita Shinkansen line (Morioka to Akita) quite a lot lately to make sure they can run at the full 130 km/h (81 mph) speed limit once the trainset gets off the main Tohoku Shinkansen line. Because the E6 trainset has the potential to go as fast as 320 km/h (199 mph), this means faster travel times between Tokyo and Akita because the train--now likely coupled with an E5 trainset in Hayate service between Tokyo and Morioka--has less travel time on the main Tohoku Shinkansen line.

[200系]

JR500 Nozomi,

 

The E6系 is indeed a Mini-Shinkansen, following the same basic format as the E3系 and the 400系 before that.

The Akita and Yamagata Shinkansen them self are simply re-gauged existing lines (as you're probably aware off) and are limited to 130km/h, max speed is only achieved on the Tohoku Shinkansen before the line branches off to their respective Min-Shinkansen (Yamagata=Fukushima, Akita= Morioka). As, with exception of the track gauge, all the infrastructure remained more or less the same, this also means the loading gauge (maximum with, height length etc) is roughly the same as used on normal 1067mm stock, whereas the Shinkansen uses a different (larger) loading gauge.

For this reason all Mini-Shinkansen equipment (400系, E3系 and E6系) is much closer in dimensions to JR East's 1067mm equipment, then to their full size Shinkansen brethren.

The advantage the E6系 will bring for JR East, will be realized on the Tohoku Shinkansen as it will be able to achieve a higher top speed then the current E3系, especially in combination with the E5系, and therefore help reduce the traveling time to/from Tokyo quite significantly. This is especially true for the Akita Shinkansen, as it is the furthest of the two (from Tokyo that is).

 

This video clearly demonstrates the similarity in terms of dimensions:

 

 

I hope this answers you're question.

 

The E6 was meant to replace the E3' date=' right? [/quote']

 

Only the older E3系0番台 as far as I'm aware, the newer E3系1000番台 and especially the E3系2000番台 will still be around for some time.

[JR 500系]

Wow!

 

Thanks 200系! The shinkansen expert indeed! Now i understand the rationale of having the E6 like this, being able to couple to the E5 will indeed increase the overall speed to/ from Tokyo, cutting down time greatly, definately faster than the current E3 + E2 !

 

Now for the video, was the E3 Tsubasa made to run alongside the SL purposely? They look almost at the same speed! And indeed the E3 is TALL! Is there a DE-10 at the rear of the SL to push up the speed to match the E3?

 

Indeed Japanese love their SL trains! loving the nostalgic sound of the train horn.... The classic of trains!