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| EMU JR West 683-4000 series, limited express Thunderbird |
Following the EMU 205 series, I'm going to show you the other JR West's train, which I found in Kyoto station last year.
The EMU 683-4000 series is a limited express train operated as "Thunderbird". It was launched in 2009 to replace an old limited express train, the 485 series. One set is composed of three motorcars and six trailers. Twelve sets in total were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Kinki Sharyo. It's an AC-DC dual system train with a maximum speed of 130 km per hour. 255 kW induction motors with an IGBT-VVVF inverter (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor - variable frequency drive) electric control system are equipped on the train. The modification of the 683-4000 series was started in 2015. The blue and black colored stripes were added on the bodies. The interior modifications such as new reclining seats and easy-access toilets were also conducted.
Thunderbird limited express train is operated between Osaka and Wakura-onsen via Kyoto station. The total operating distance is 338.6 kilometers. The trains run every 30 to 60 minutes. According to JR West, the train name, Thunderbird, officially came from a legendary bird in North America of the same name; however, I think it came from the British science-fiction TV series, Thunderbirds, which has been repeatedly broadcast throughout Japan since the middle 1960s. The reason commonly mentioned to support this was JR West's TV commercial when the Thunderbird limited express debuted. As you might guess, the Thunderbird marionette puppetry was played in the TV commercial.
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| EMU JR West 683-4000 series, limited express Thunderbird, leaves Kyoto station |