Hideo Shima joined the Ministry of Railways (
Japanese Government Railways) in 1925, where, as a rolling-stock engineer, he designed steam locomotives. Using new techniques to balance the
driving wheels and new
valve gear designs, he helped design Japan's first 3-cylinder locomotive - the
Class C53, which was based on the
Class C52 imported from the United States. Shima also participated in the design and fabrication of a standard heavy duty truck which was mass-produced by
Isuzu when
World War II broke out. This experience helped in the rapid growth of the Japanese automobile industry after the war. In addition to its innovative propulsion system, the Shinkansen also introduced features like air suspension and air-conditioning. Shima's team designed the sleek cone-shaped front from which the bullet train got its name. The building of the first line, which needed 3,000 bridges and 67 tunnels to allow a clear and largely straight path, led to such huge cost overruns that he resigned in 1963, along with the president, Shinji Sogō, who had backed Shima's ideas, even though the line proved to be popular and well-used. ==Post JNR career==