The MLU002N (Magnetic Levitation, U-shaped guideway) is an experimental maglev trainset. Built in 1993, the vehicle was based on the older MLU002 and was used by the Railway Technical Research Institute solely for experimental purposes.
History[]
The car was built in 1993 for experimental purposes only. The car was built to replace the older MLU002 which burned up during testing, but had more features aimed for commercial use, such as wheel disc brakes and other things to help improve ride comfort even further. The car, similar to the older MLU001, had airbrakes.
Of note was the MLU002N's abnormally high consumption of liquid helium used to cool the magnets; to combat this, the coils in the guide rails were replaced with "figure 8"-shaped coils which are used today. In 1995, the MLU002N clocked a speed of 411 km/h (255 mph). After testing, the car was stored at the Miyazaki Test Track's facilities, where it remains today.
Specifications[]
The car is 10.1 meters long, 3 meters wide and 3.3 meters high. The car rode on a U-shaped guideway and can seat up to 12. The MLU002N was the very last experimental maglev train used on the Miyazaki Test Track; the track was later used to experiment with "ground effect trains", but has since been disused.
