Hokuriku Shinkansen test running in JR West territory begins

[Sacto1985]

YouTube member whitewing681 has posted some of the very first videos of the first test runs of a Shinkansen trainset (in this case the E926 East-i trainset) on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line west of Jōetsumyōkō Station:

 

Leaving Toyama Station

 

 

Going through Tsubata Town in Ishikawa Prefecture

 

 

Arriving at the Hakusan Rolling Stock Depot at Hakusan City in Ishikawa Prefecture

 

 

These videos were taken on 1 August 2014.

[katoftw]

Help a noob out. What does/will this mean for the future?

[Sacto1985]

Help a noob out. What does/will this mean for the future?

 

It means that the final testing phase of train test runs has begun before the Hokuriku Shinkansen line from Nagano to Kanazawa Stations opens in March 2015.

[Sacto1985]

By the way, whitewing681 just posted a video of a W7 Shinkansen trainset being shipped by truck late night from Kanazawa port to the Hakusan General Rolling Stock depot southwest of the city of Kanazawa:

 

[katoftw]

Silly question time. Why would these be shipped using sea and road transport? Don't they build these in Japan?

[Guest ___]

I really like the new E/W7 I wished Hokkaido would have done this. I'd much rather see an H7. First shinkansen production model I've liked since the 500-kei

[Sacto1985]

I really like the new E/W7 I wished Hokkaido would have done this. I'd much rather see an H7. First shinkansen production model I've liked since the 500-kei

 

I'd almost agree, but since the Hokkaido Shinkansen trains have to run on the Tōhoku Shinkansen line from Shin-Aomori south, they have to use the same trainsets JR East runs. That's why the Hokkaido Shinkansen trains operating from Shin-Hakodate Station have the H5 designation.

[miyakoji]

Silly question time. Why would these be shipped using sea and road transport? Don't they build these in Japan?

Yes, they're built domestically.  But, even if they put 1067mm temporary trucks on them, the loading gauge is too wide to pass platforms and maybe other structures on the 1067mm lines.  This was possible with the E6s since they're built for the so-called mini-shinkansen lines, but these are full-width cars.

[cteno4]

Also Japan being an island, coastal shipping is very efficient to move stuff around.

 

Jeff

[lurkingknight]

that is actually one of the coolest train vids I've seen... the way they devised a method to replace the train trucks with trailers to haul them around... if it where in north america they'd just load the whole thing onto a trailer.

[Densha]

that is actually one of the coolest train vids I've seen... the way they devised a method to replace the train trucks with trailers to haul them around...

Replacement service for when Shinkansen lines would be destroyed by an earthquake: putting the train cars onto trucks and on the highway with 'em.

Edited August 4, 2014 by Densha

[disturbman]

Hahaha! The use of flashing fairy lights is... erm... surprising. I want to believe they decided to use them for security/visibility reasons but, at the same time, I am doubtful.

Happy Shinkansen Christmas!

[Martijn Meerts]

Good thing our trains are somewhat smaller, would suck having to call in a bunch of trucks every time we put a different train on the track :)

[JR 500系]

Oh wow wonderful video! I like the music!

 

Sorry for the noob question again, but I still don't quite get it why they're transported by trucks and ships again? I understand from miyakoji san reply that the gauges are different, but can't they be affix with a 1067 gauge bogie, and then pulled by an EF locomotive on 1067 gauge? They can then choose a route without platforms; i.e. run through station lines and eventually reaching the depot. I'm not sure if that is feasible at all as i'm pretty sure it's not if not the Japanese would have use it long ago. Just wondering if it can be done it can save a lot of costs by shipping and transporting them via trucks...

 

By the way, noob question, I know the normal gauge is 1067, what is the shinkansen gauge? I also know about the E6 and E3 as they are 'mini' shinkansens made to run on normal 1067 and shinkansen gauges, so how did they achieve that? Sorry for the noob question...    

[Sacto1985]

Here's the thing: the original 400 Series Shinkansen had a width that made them compatible with train station platforms originally designed for zairaisen loading gauge from Fukushima to Yamagata (and eventually Shinjo). The newer E3 and E6 Series Shinkansen are also narrower to be compatible with the zairaisen loading gauge; because of this, it made it possible to deliver E6 trainsets to Akita by fitting them temporarily with 1067 mm gauge bogies.

 

Because the N700/N700A, E5 and E7/W7 series have wider carbodies designed for the 1435 mm (Standard) gauge used by Shinkansen trains, the width means you can't ship the train from the factory like they did with the E6 trainsets. That's why the E7/W7 trainsets now being built for the Hokuriku Shinkansen are shipped from KHI's factory in Hyogo near Kobe by ship.

[disturbman]

To elaborate further on Sacto's answer:

The "mini-Shinkansens" have all standard 1435 mm gauges bogies but are built to 1067 mm loading gauge; which is why they are called "mini". Their cross-section and car-length are both smaller than normal Shinkansens. The non-Shinkansen lines were rebuild to 1435 mm rail gauge to accommodate the minis. Normal 1067 gauge trains cannot run on them. Along the mini-Shinkansen line, one track is 1435 mm and the other one 1067 mm gauge.

It is impossible to run a Shinkansen on the 1067 mm network even if fitted with the correct bogies as the train will have risks to engage any piece of infrastructure on the way (think platforms but also tunnels, bridges...) and would definitely not be allowed to pass any other train.

Edited August 5, 2014 by disturbman

[Sacto1985]

An interesting little tidbit: the Yamagata Shinkansen line from Fukushima to Yonezawa and the Akita Shinkansen line from Morioka to Ōmagari are 1435 mm track gauge only but work only with the zairaisen loading gauge. As such, JR East had to buy specially-modified 701 Series EMU's with 1435 mm gauge bogies so they could stop at all the local stations on the routes I mentioned.

 

But getting back on topic,  :) I've heard that we may get full-speed testing on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line between Itoigawa and Kanazawa pretty soon, at least with the E926 East-i inspection trainset. Some time in September, the W7 trainsets will probably start testing between Kanazawa and Jōetsumyōkō Stations. I do think that JR West may try to get the Hokuriku Shinkansen line extended to Fukui on an accelerated schedule (maybe by 2020?), since this part of the line requires relatively little tunneling.

[Sacto1985]

Actually, the first tests of the W7 trainset on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line in JR West territory started today. Here are two videos posted by YouTube member whitewing681:

 

Approaching, stopping at and leaving Itoigawa Station going west to east:

 

 

Arriving at Kanazawa Station:

 

 

Note that very early in the second video, the scene looks familiar to English Wikipedia users, since this picture of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line just east of Kanazawa Station (then under construction) is one of the pictures from the Hokuriku Shinkansen article and was taken from almost the same angle as whitewing681's video:

 

Edited August 6, 2014 by Sacto1985

[katoftw]

 

Yes, they're built domestically.  But, even if they put 1067mm temporary trucks on them, the loading gauge is too wide to pass platforms and maybe other structures on the 1067mm lines.  This was possible with the E6s since they're built for the so-called mini-shinkansen lines, but these are full-width cars.

So this new Shinkansen lines doesn't link up with any other Skinkansen line? Edited August 6, 2014 by katoftw

[kvp]

 

So this new Shinkansen lines doesn't link up with any other Skinkansen line?

 

It will be, all the way to Tokyo, after March 2015... so currently the line is not there yet, but they started shipping the trains and are doing the tests on the JR East portion that is already in use. The same trick was used during the construction of the transcontinental railway in the USA. Trains were shipped to the west coast by ship by sailing around Cape Horn in South America and started building from both ends and then they met at the middle. We see something similar now, but i don't really see why this is cheaper than waiting a year for the rails to be laid and then moving the trains by rail.

Edited August 6, 2014 by kvp

[katoftw]

Which is why I asked the question. By ship and road must raise the cost. But maybe it is a time thing. Worth the extra cost to have it up and running in some way 1 year earlier.

[disturbman]

I am thinking that the plant producing the new sets is not connected to the 1435 mm gauge network. Which then makes it impossible to convoy the sets via rail as their loading gauge is larger than the one off the legacy network.

Another hurdle would be where the yard of the new line is located, if it is isolated, then you cannot really produce until it is reachable, I would believe that Shinkansen yard space is at a premium and that there is not so much empties able to receive 27 12-cars sets. If you wait until completion of the line to produce your sets then you have a line that will sit unused for a while, costing you money because you still need to maintain it.

Also testing of a new infrastructure takes quite a long time and it is better to start as soon as possible. I have seen many projects that starts like that, first an isolated portion which give you time to test the first portions of the infrastructure and the train sets while construction of the last unfinished elements go on. I do not know how it goes in Japan but, usually, you start finishing a new line around it's yard so it can receive the new sets and start testing everything. At least that is what I have often observed.

Edited August 6, 2014 by disturbman

[Ronny]

Hokuriku Shinkansen not connected? Where? For what i know is connected but non in use.

[Sacto1985]

There's a reason why the KHI plant building the E7/W7 trainsets is located right next to the Inland Sea at Hyogo--this allows the shipping of trainsets by boat. So far, every E7 trainset is (I believe) shipped to a port near Sendai, and the W7 trainsets are shipped to Kanazawa Port, then each trainset car are shipped by truck to the Hakusan General Rolling Stock service yard southwest of Kanazawa for final assembly into the full trainset.

 

(A little aside: does anyone know where the Nippon Sharyo assembly plant is located near Nagoya? How does JR Central do the final setup for the N700A trainsets--do they ship by truck the individual rail cars from the Nippon Sharyo plant to the Hamamatsu General Rolling Stock yard for final trainset setup?)

[miyakoji]

Nippon Sharyo's plant is in Toyokawa: http://www.n-sharyo.co.jp/company/toyokawa_e.htm  All the Tokaido Line shinkansen cars are sent by road, one at a time, to Hamamatsu, yes.

 

http://wikimapia.org/9024503/Nippon-Sharyo-Toyokawa-Plant

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nippon_Sharyo