# a l f a - x



## zubi (May 14, 2009)

nothing short of a spaceship...








best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

So is it a train?


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Pete;

I am guessing that it is a car similar to the ones that are run in a straight line on salt flats to smash the latest land speed record.

Perhaps Zubi will elaborate.

Best,
David Meashey


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

David, you are close;-)..., but Pete is right. This is E956（ALFA-X) Shinkansen test train under construction. It is going to be ready for testing this May. Note that it will have 10 cars and two different cars on both ends. This is for the testing purpose only. I believe that we may see both styles on the Tokyo-Aomori route in a year or two. The is some new technology on this machine which is quite amazing, such as air-brakes! These are for rapid breaking in case of an earthquake, there are several other novel earthquake safety features to prevent the cars from derailing. And on top of this even specially developed aerodynamically profiled silent pantographs - as if the Shinkansen trains which already run were not quiet enough... But E956 will travel at 360km/h which is 40km/h more than the present ones on JR East (E5, E6), so the new pantographs will aim to reduce noise from increased speed. Please see some more info here: https://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2018/20181003.pdf Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Zubi, thanks for the update and photos. It looks a bit big for my garden!


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

Pete, it would look quite impressive in 1:32, but I hope that KATO will make it in N-scale, that will fit in my garden;-)... 
These are computer renderings which I showed, the real thing is still under construction. Here are the first videos:












And some photos of the progress:
https://travel.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/photo/1169073.html
https://railf.jp/news/2018/12/12/113000.html
The interesting thing is that one nose of the train is made by Hitachi (22m nose - Aomori side) while the other by Kawasaki (16m nose - Tokyo side).
https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/asia/single-view/view/alfa-x-nose-is-22nbspm-long.html
Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Interesting.


There's a Washington (DC) club running Japanese trains on an N scale layout - the bullet trains are fascinating.


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

Pete, yes, the ones already running in Japan are 'out of this world' designs and of unmatched performance. The ALPHA-X project takes this perfection even further. But I am less convinced by these two future Shinkansen designs... I must be becoming old-fashioned... Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi
















https://raillab.jp/news/article/8045


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Is there a reason behind such a long "nose" on the locomotive? Aerodynamics is one thing, but that seems a bit long for that to be the only consideration. My other thought would go to a healthy "crumple zone" to protect the engineer in the event it derails and hits something at 200mph.

Later,

K


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

K, the reason is the sonic boom generated when travelling through tunnels https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p074bhmx/the-unexpected-inspiration-behind-japan-s-bullet-train Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

zubi said:


> K, the reason is the sonic boom generated when travelling through tunnels https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p074bhmx/the-unexpected-inspiration-behind-japan-s-bullet-train Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi


Great little video!


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

Pete, series 500 actually has an unofficial nickname 'Kingfisher'. I had a pleasure to ride in a green class (first class) car in 2003. This was a fantastic design of 1995 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/500_Series_Shinkansen

Not many were made so they were always 'rare' and now these beautiful trains have been entirely replaced by series 700 on JR West. 700 is an excellent train but I enjoyed seeing the streamlined, futuristic design of 500 series (second from the right):









500 'Kingfisher' is in front in this photo:








Of course, these are historical lineups, the trains operating these days on JR West are different versions of the 700 series:

It is interesting that both branches of Japanese Railways (JR) operate independently and develop their own trains. JR East makes more futuristic models. Note that E6 and E7 are missing in this lineup, the photo was taken in 2012 a year before the introduction of E6 and two years before E7:









At Tokyo station, JR East and JR West meet, so you can do nose to nose comparison;-)





Of course one should not forget the Kyushu 800 series which I have never seen, Kyushu is a southern island. The 800 has an official name "Swallow" and an impressive nose too! 









It is JR East which is behind the ALFA-X. 

Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Zubi;

It must be the power of advertising. My brain keeps wanting to rearrange ALFA-X into Aflax, an insurance company in the USA that covers lost income during medical emergencies.

Regards,
David Meashey

P.S. The Aflax mascot is a white domestic duck - another streamlined bill.


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## ddrum31 (Aug 30, 2017)

Dave, I was thinking it just didn’t say it lol

Jason


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

There was a guy here in Fort Myers making a gauge-1 bullet train from extruded aluminum, etc. I wonder if he ever finished it.


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

David, that is a funny coincidence. Actually, the post-Kingfisher noses are more like duck nose! 700 series used on JR West is neither pointed nor very long. 








On the other hand E5 and E6 of JR East both strongly resemble swan noses;-)... 








As for the name, ALFA-X is only the name for the experimental train due to being launched in a month or so. When the actual trains are built based on this prototype they will have different names. Perhaps E8 or E9, or both. Time will tell, best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi 
PS if you wonder why JR East and JR West are separate systems who develop their own trains - JR East runs on 50 Hz, while JR West on 60Hz - this frequency division is also true for domestic appliances!


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## Taperpin (Jan 6, 2008)

Well I thought the Italians had been subcontracted to build them, sort of a rough connection to the Cars..


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

Gordon, It is true that in the US Italian company has been chosen to build the route in Texas, I have no idea why since the technology and the designs are all Japanese to the best of my knowledge: http://www.globalconstructionreview.com/news/italian-firm-help-build-japan-style-bullet-train-t/
In fact, there is a reverse Japan -> Italy link regarding Ferrari design, Kiyoyuki (Ken) Okuyama worked as a designer for Pininfarina (on Ferrari designs a.o.). I only know of his involvement in E3-1000 series for Yamagata ( mini-)Shinkansen. These are relatively slow but you get extra features, such as tatami mats and foot baths;-) https://soranews24.com/2014/03/06/n...onal-shinkansen-has-tatami-floors-foot-baths/
He has also been involved in the design of E7, which is not my favourite - no 'long nose' and slower operating speed of 260km/h https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E7_Series_Shinkansen
Although he is said to have been involved in the design of the beautiful E6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Okuyama#Railway_vehicles the prototype for both 'long-nosed' superfast E5 and E6 was the experimental Fastex 360 train which was already built by the time Okuyama moved back to Japan in 2006 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fastech_360 
Interestingly, a German designer has been involved in the Kingfisher 500 series, most likely only as a consultant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/500_Series_Shinkansen The design of the peaked nose was already present on the prototype WIN350: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WIN350
To make the long story short, I do not know who is/are behind the amazing long-nosed Shinkansen designs. As is often the case in Japanese corporations, such information hardly ever surfaces since these are team works attributed to the company's name. 
So much for my 1000th post;-) Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

A day when you don't learn anything new is a day wasted. Today is _not _a day wasted. Thanks!

Later,

K


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

It is already May 10 and ALFA-X is ready and on the rails: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/japan-fastest-bullet-train-alfax-scli-intl/index.html Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi


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## Taperpin (Jan 6, 2008)

And of course the code name derives from fast Italian Cars!


Gordon.


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