WIN350

The 500-900 Series Shinkansen, branded WIN350 (acronym for West Japan's Innovation for operation at 350 km/h), is an experimental high-speed electric multiple unit operated by the West Japan Railway Company from June 1992 to March 1996.
==History==
The WIN350 was built in 1992 to be a trainset that could effectively compete with modern airline services, which had been the Shinkansen's purpose since its inception in 1964. The lone trainset, designated W0, was delivered to Hakata Shinkansen Depot in April 1992.
The trainset recorded a national speed record of 345.8 km/h (214.8 mph) on 6 August 1992, breaking the record of 319 km/h (198 mph) as set by the Class 961 Shinkansen in December 1979. The WIN350 would then break its own record two days later, with a speed of 350.4 km/h (217.7 mph) on the San'yō Shinkansen; this record would stand until being broken by the STAR21 set in October 1992. The set conducted its last run on 25 May 1996.
==Design==
The trainset was radically different to the first generation of Shinkansen. Their shape departed from the "bullet" shape of the first generation and replaced it with "shark-like" head/tail cars; both end cars were slightly different, with car 500-906 having a more cockpit-like cab with a raised profile. The 500-900 Series is sometimes considered the prototype of the 500 Series Shinkansen due to similar designations, even though both trains are completely different in terms of exterior design. Only car 4 was fitted with seats.
==Specifications==
Construction is of an aluminum alloy. The end cars are 26.55 meters long, and the intermediate cars are 25 meters long. They run on 25 kV, AC 60 Hz power. Output is 7,200 kW (9,655 hp). Traction motors are 3-level GTO thyristor variable frequency drives manufactured by Toshiba which produce 24 x 400 hp (300 kW) each; this technology would later be implemented in the 500 Series Shinkansen. These produced a wailing sound and were of the same specification as used in the 300 Series Shinkansen.
==Preservation==
The following 500-900 Series Shinkansen cars have been preserved:
Car number	Manufacturer 	Date manufactured	Date retired	Previous sets	Location 	Notes
500-901 	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	June 1992 	May 1996 	W0 	Railway Technical Research Institute wind tunnel facility, Maibara, Japan	Flat front cab, preserved alongside 952-1 and 955-1; not usually open for public viewing
The following 500-900 Series Shinkansen cars were preserved in the past but have since been scrapped:
Car number	Manufacturer	Date manufactured	Date retired	Previous sets	Last location 	Notes
500-906 	Hitachi 	June 1992 	May 1996 	W0 	Hakata Shinkansen Depot, Hakata, Japan	Raised "cockpit" cab, not usually open for public viewing; scrapped March 2024
==Gallery==
WIN350 W0 Flat 1990s.jpg|Set W0 on test in the 1990s with lozenge pantographs; note the different cab end
==References==
*Wikipedia.org
Category:Prototype locomotives
Category:Electric trainsets
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Unique locomotives
Category:Hitachi locomotives
Category:Kawasaki locomotives
Category:Built in 1992