373 series

The 373 series is a Japanese limited express electric multiple unit operated by the Central Japan Railway Company since October 1995.
==History==
Jointly built by Hitachi and Nippon Sharyo, forty-two cars were built from August 1995 to January 1996 to replace aging 165 series cars. The first sets were introduced on 1 October 1995 on Wide View Fujikawa Limited Express services, and have plied that service ever since.
The trains are normally used on Wide View Fujikawa services, though they also ply the Inaji, Home Liner Numazu, Home Liner Hamamatsu and Home Liner Shizuoka services; they were also formerly used on Moonlight Nagara services and Wide View Tōkai services until they were replaced by 185 series sets on the Moonlight Nagara service, while the Wide View Tōkai service was discontinued.
The sets are based at Shizuoka Depot. They are the recipient of the 1995 Good Design Award.
==Design==
The set uses a design language that was started by the gangwayed cab cars of the KiHa 85 series sets. The sets, just like the 185 series sets, were designed to be highly versatile and can be adapted to perform a variety of different roles; the 373 series sets can not only pull limited express services, but also have the capability to pull local or Rapid services if the need arises.
==Specifications==
Construction is of stainless steel. The sets use a gate turn-off thyristor variable frequency drive as its traction system which produces a melodic wail when the train accelerates from idle. This same traction system is also used on the 383 series sets.
The 373 series sets were one of the first JR trains to use single-arm pantographs.
==Gallery==
File:373 F10 Home Liner Numazu Shizuoka 2016.jpg|373 series set F10 on a Home Liner Numazu service at Shizuoka Station in June 2016.
==References==
*Wikipedia.org
Category:Electric trainsets
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Hitachi locomotives
Category:Nippon Sharyo locomotives