683 series

The 683 series, more famously known as the Thunderbird, is a Japanese limited express electric multiple unit operated by the West Japan Railway Company since March 2001. They are mostly used in a similar pool of services to the 681 series.
==History==
Branded a variety of names from Snow Rabbit Express, White Wing and most famously Thunderbird, the 683 series began service on 3 March 2001 with the introduction of the revised timetable for that year.
From 2005, Hokuetsu Express operated two 683 series sets (one six-car set, N03, and one three-car set, N13) on Snow Rabbit Express services; all four sets were withdrawn in March 2015 and ownership was transferred back to JR West.
Various cars within the entire 683 series fleet were refurbished beginning in 2015, with blue stripes added to the areas near the bottom of their headlights; their accents also changed from gray to black. 82 683-2000 series cars were converted to become 289 series cars starting in 2015; those entered service in October 2015.
Two cars were scrapped during a set's conversion to 289 series cars as the two cars were deemed to not be required for the conversion. Two 289 series sets were reconverted back to 683 series sets in 2019, returning to service with the numbers R14 and R15; they were renumbered N01 and N02 in March 2024.
==Design==
The 683 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 a friction stir-welded double-skinned aluminum alloy using the Hitachi A-Train concept. End cars are 21.6 meters long while intermediate cars are 20.6 meters long. Traction motors are three-level insulated gate bipolar transistor variable frequency drives manufactured by either Mitsubishi or Toshiba; drives manufactured by Mitsubishi make a wooshing sound that steps up in pitch as the train accelerates, while the Toshiba drives make a quieter wooshing sound.
The 683 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==
683 B38 2023.jpg|Gangwayed end of B38 in August 2023
==References==
*Wikipedia.org
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Electric trainsets
Category:Hitachi locomotives
Category:Kawasaki locomotives
Category:Kinki Sharyo locomotives
Category:Nippon Sharyo locomotives
Category:Niigata Transys locomotives