GCT01

The GCT01 is an experimental high-speed EMU. The first generation of the Gauge Change Train, the set was built for the Japan Railways Group and tested from 1998 until 2006, after which it was pulled from service.
==History==
The GCT01 was built in October 1998 and was designed to be capable of at least 300 km/h (185 mph) on normal Shinkansen lines and at least 130 km/h (80 mph) on conventional narrow-gauge lines. It was originally tested on JR West tracks in January 1999, but was shipped to the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado in April 1999 where high-speed endurance test running was performed on the GCT01 for two years until January 2001. During its time in the United States, the GCT01 recorded a maximum speed of 246 km/h (153 mph), ran a total of 600,000 km (370,000 mi) and had approximately 2,000 axle gauge changing cycles.
On the Nippō Main Line on Kyushu Island, a narrow gauge line, the train recorded a maximum speed of 130 km/h (80 mph). In 2002, the GCT01 was supposed to begin testing on the San'yō Shinkansen; testing did not actually begin on the line until 23 August 2004. A set of 15 return test runs were conducted during the night from 23 to 27 August 2004; the maximum speed for the runs started at 70 km/h (45 mph), increasing to 100 km/h (60 mph) on the second day and increased to 210 km/h (130 mph) by the final day.
Testing ended in 2006 and the set was moved to JR Kyushu's Kokura Works for storage, but was later moved to JR Shikoku's Tadotsu Works in April 2007. While the set was at Tadotsu Works, two cars were scrapped in July 2013, while the remaining car, GCT01-01, was moved to Kawasaki Railcar Manufacturing's Kobe Factory in 2014, where it is now on display.
==Design==
The trainset's end cars were radically different to the first generation of Shinkansen. Their shape departed the "bullet" shape of the first generation and replaced it with "wedge-like" head and tail cars which somewhat resemble the end cars of the E3 Series Shinkansen.
==Specifications==
The end cars are 23.075 meters long, and the intermediate cars are 20.5 meters long. They run on 25 kV, AC 60 Hz power. Output is 2,280 kW (3,057.5 hp). Traction motors are IGBT thyristor variable frequency drives which produce 12 × 250 hp (190 kW) each. The train is treated as a "maintenance-of-way" vehicle; when this train runs all sections of track where the train is to be run have to be closed.
As hinted by the name, the GCT01 has variable gauge axles which allow it to run on both cape gauge (1,067 mm, 3 ft 6 in) and standard gauge (1,435 mm, 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) rails.
==Preservation==
The following GCT01 cars have been preserved:
Car number	Manufacturer 	Date manufactured	Date retired	Previous sets	Location 	Notes
GCT01-1 	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	October 1998 	2006 	N/A 	Kawasaki Railcar Manufacturing Kobe Factory, Kobe, Japan	Formerly stored at JR Kyushu's Kokura Works, then moved to JR Shikoku's Tadotsu Works; moved to Kobe in February 2014
The following GCT01 cars were preserved in the past but have since been scrapped:
Car number	Manufacturer 	Date manufactured	Date retired	Previous sets	Last location 	Notes
GCT01-2 	Kinki Sharyo 	October 1998 	2006 	N/A 	JR Shikoku Tadotsu Works, Kagawa, Shikoku, Japan	Formerly stored at JR Kyushu's Kokura Works, then moved to JR Shikoku's Tadotsu Works, coupled back to back; scrapped July 2013
GCT01-3 	Tokyu Car Corporation	October 1998 	2006 	N/A 	JR Shikoku Tadotsu Works, Kagawa, Shikoku, Japan	Formerly stored at JR Kyushu's Kokura Works, then moved to JR Shikoku's Tadotsu Works, coupled back to back; scrapped July 2013
==References==
*Wikipedia.org
Category:Locomotives
Category:Unique locomotives
Category:Prototype locomotives
Category:Electric trainsets
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Kawasaki locomotives
Category:Kinki Sharyo locomotives
Category:Tokyu Car locomotives
Category:Built in 1998