Overview of Series 385 “Shinano” is a limited express train that runs between Nagoya and Nagano via the Chuo Main Line and Shinonoi Line. The current Series 383 in service was introduced in 1994, so it is the first new model in 32 years. There are three types of Series 383 trains: 2-car, 4-car, and 6-car, but Series 385 trains are only 8-car trains. One of these cars is a green car and seven are standard cars, with a capacity of 400 passengers. Of course, since these are new trains for the 2030s, AC outlets are standard equipment in all seats. In addition, each car has a large 1,000 mm wide cargo bay in the entry/exit platform, and the cargo racks in the passenger compartment have also been expanded in space (+60%). The undercarriage mechanism has been improved in order to run faster and more comfortably on the Chuo Main Line and Shinonoi Line, which have many curving sections. However, this is not visible to passengers, so I will give an overview later.
Exterior of Series 385 The exterior of Series 385 was based on the theme of “fresh winds soaring over the Alps. In the Series 383, only the lead car of the Nagano side of the six-car train formation was non-through streamlined, while all other cars were of the through-flow type, so that the train could be extended to the Nagoya side as needed. In contrast, Series 385 trains are streamlined and have no through-carriage. In other words, there is no intention of adding cars to the train. In fact, Series 385 trains have the same number of cars, overall length, and side door positions as the latest general-purpose Series 315 trains used at the Nagoya exit of the Chuo Main Line. This is because some stations in the Nagoya area are installing movable platform fences, and the position of the openings is aligned with that of the Series 315.
Other Highlights While we have covered the standard and green cars, we will also introduce some other highlights. Barrier-free facilities also meet the latest guidelines. There are three wheelchair spaces in Car 6, two of which are located adjacent to the windows. A multi-functional restroom is also located in the same car.
Train for running faster in mountainous areas “Shinano” began operating as a limited express train from the October 1968 timetable revision. At that time, Series 181 diesel trains were used, and it took about 4 hours between Nagoya and Nagano. However, when the Series 383 began regular service in December 1996, the time between Nagoya and Nagano was reduced to a minimum of 2 hours and 43 minutes. How was this dramatic reduction in travel time achieved? For trains running in mountainous areas with many ups and downs and curves, the question is not how to increase the maximum speed unnecessarily, but how to run without slowing down. Since the maximum speed and curve passing speed of both the 383 and new 385 Series trains are the same, it is assumed that the time required will also be at the same level. The key, however, is to achieve that speed in a “more comfortable” manner. Both Series 383 and Series 385 are so-called “pendulum cars. This is a type of train equipped with a mechanism that tilts the car body inward when passing through a curved section. This is a device to mitigate the effects of excess centrifugal force that occurs when running fast through curves, and to prevent the deterioration of riding comfort. Incidentally, the maximum tilt angle is 5 degrees. A pneumatically operated cylinder assists at the point where the vehicle enters a curve to smoothly start the incline. Furthermore, the centrifugal force generated when the vehicle passes through a curve increases the inclination of the vehicle body, causing it to tilt inward up to a maximum of 5 degrees. Conversely, when exiting a curve, the assist function is used to pull the vehicle back, resulting in smooth behavior. When entering a curve, the car body tilts inward and then tilts back again to run through the curve without slowing down, which can also be experienced on the current Series 383. In this press release, the assist function was used to actually tilt the car body. In fact, the assist control has been improved in the Series 385, which has information about the curvature of the curve ahead and where it is located. It then makes a prediction based on the information about the current position and the curve ahead. It then uses a gyro sensor to detect the movement of the car body as it enters the curve, and assists in tilting the car body accordingly. In other words, the system assists by detecting when the vehicle enters a curve, not when it thinks it has entered a curve, so the starting position will not deviate. The specific control details will be further tuned through repeated driving tests in the future. Tuning for optimum operation is essential for a new system.
© Source travel watch