100 Series Shinkansen

As a full-scale redesign of the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen, a total of 1,056 cars were manufactured and put into service between 1985 and 1992, consisting of 66 16-car sets. The train was the first to incorporate the double-decker cars used in Kintetsu Railway's Vista Cars and in railways in Europe and the United States, and was the first to be used in JNR and Shinkansen trains, leading to increased seating capacity and improved service, which helped promote the Shinkansen and improved its image. In terms of interior and technology, many of the equipment and technologies were later installed in Shinkansen trains produced thereafter. The train capacity and manufacturing costs were set to be the same as those of the 0 Series, and the aim was to shorten travel times while minimising improvements to ground facilities. In addition, it was developed with the intention of being a "symbol of JNR reform," and the development goal was set to be "customers first, crew members second". This model was the mainstay on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines from the end of the JNR era until the launch of JR, but with the introduction of successor vehicles, it was withdrawn from service on the Tokaido Shinkansen on 16 September 2003, and from service on the Sanyo Shinkansen on 16 March 2012. ==Design==

They differed visibly from the earlier 0 series in that the nose profile was more pointed. Another less obvious difference with the 16-car sets was that not all the cars were powered; the driving cars on each end were unpowered, as were the two bi-level centre cars. Some later production sets had powered driving cars and four unpowered bi-level trailers in the middle instead. The bi-level trailer cars contained a combination of restaurant cars, and first class compartments, or open-plan first class seating and first class compartments, or open-plan first class seating and refreshment cars. The arrangement of the lights in the signal lights has been changed from two vertical lights in the 0-series to two horizontal lights, giving it a long, narrow shape. This design was proposed by Kinki Sharyo and adopted. When the front signal lights are on, they remain on, and when the rear signal lights are on, a red filter is automatically attached, making them appear to be on in red. The external livery was white (White No. 3) and blue (Blue No. 20). Following their removal from front-line service, 100 series sets were later reformed into shorter four- and six-car sets for the slower Kodama services on the Sanyo Shinkansen line. These four- and six-car trains did not have bi-level cars. ==Variants==

Pre-series unit Originally numbered X0, the pre-series set X1 was delivered in 1985, with test running commencing from 27 March that year. The X1 set entered revenue service for passenger evaluation trials on the Hikari services from 1 October 1985. Set X1 was withdrawn in March 2000. File:100 X1 Hamamatsu 19981020.jpg|Pre-series unit X1 on a Kodama service in October 1998 File:100 ns mark.JPG|Bilevel dining car 168-9001 carrying the original "NS" ("New Shinkansen") logo stickers in September 1985 File:Shinkansen 168-9001-inside-2F.jpg|Interior of bilevel restaurant car 168-9001 preserved at SCMaglev and Railway Park in April 2011 16-car X sets Following passenger evaluation trials with the pre-series set X1, a total of seven X sets were built for use on Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen Hikari services. The first four production units entered service from 13 June 1986 as 12-car sets without bilevel trailer cars, numbered G1 to G4, and were used on Tokaido Kodama services until October in the same year. Cars 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 were each fitted with cross-arm pantographs. Formation Cars 2 and 4 were equipped with cross-arm pantographs. P2's role as a training set ended in March 2013. The last P sets in revenue service were withdrawn by 11 March 2011. 6-car K sets The first six-car K set (K51) was formed in January 2002 for use on Sanyo Shinkansen Kodama services from February 2002. These sets feature 2+2 abreast seating throughout, utilizing former Green class seats from withdrawn 100 series cars. Sets started appearing in the new JR-West Kodama livery from August 2002, with all ten sets (K51–K60) similarly treated by August 2004. The first set treated, K53, was returned to traffic on 14 July 2010. These sets were withdrawn from service on 16 March 2012. Formation Cars 2 and 6 were equipped with cross-arm pantographs. ==Preserved examples==

• 123-1 (set X2) and 168-9001 (set X1) at the SCMaglev and Railway Park in Aichi Prefecture since March 2011. • 122-5003 (from set K54, formerly 122-3003 from set V3) preserved at the Kyoto Railway Museum, which opened in April 2016. • 168-3009 and 179-3009 (both from set V9) at Hakata General Depot in Fukuoka Prefecture File:123-1 SCMaglev and Railway Park 20120722.jpg|Preserved car 123-1 (from set X2) at the SCMaglev and Railway Park in July 2012 File:Kyoto railway museum 122-5003 20160508.jpg|Preserved car 122-5003 (from set K54) at the Kyoto Railway Museum in May 2016 File:Shinkansen 168-9001.JPG|Preserved bilevel restaurant car 168-9001 (from set X1) at Hamamatsu Works in July 2007 ==See also==