681 series

The 681 series, most famously known as the Thunderbird, is a Japanese limited express electric multiple unit operated by the West Japan Railway Company since December 1992.
==History==
Branded a variety of names from Snow Rabbit Express, White Wing and most famously Thunderbird, the 681 series began service on 26 December 1992 after testing was performed on the pre-production set in July that year.
From 1997, Hokuetsu Express operated four 681 series sets (two six-car sets, N01 and N02 and two three-car sets, N11 and N12) on Snow Rabbit Express services; all four sets were withdrawn in March 2015 and ownership was transferred back to JR West.
The sets are currently undergoing a period of refurbishment that was started in 2015; prototype sets T07 and T18 are not within the scope of the refurbishment and will be scrapped when time permits. Set V01 was also scrapped in September 2015, likely due to aging.
==Design==
The 681 series uses a streamlined design with a white body and gray accents; sets operated by Hokuetsu Express had white bodies and red accents. Each set has both a streamlined and a gangwayed cab car which has a vastly different appearance.
==Specifications==
Construction is of steel. End cars are 21.6 meters long while intermediate cars are 20.6 meters long. Traction motors are thyristor choppers with pulse width modulation converters and gate turn-off thyristor elements manufactured by Toshiba which make a rather melodic wail when accelerating from idle.
The 681 series is equipped with a musical horn that plays a simple do-mi-so-do tune. This musical horn is standard on most of JR West's limited express fleet.
==Gallery==
681 V13 Gangway 2023.jpg|Gangwayed end
==References==
*Wikipedia.org
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Electric trainsets
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Category:Kawasaki locomotives
Category:Kinki Sharyo locomotives
Category:Niigata Tekkō locomotives