History of the Shinkansen of Japan "Ltd Exp ASIA"

A narrow gauge was used for the railroads of the Meiji Era in Japan because of a problem of cost. Therefore, in Japan, high speed driving like European and American railroads was not completed. The top speed of the railroads of Japan was 100km/h or less in 1950. Some Japanese politicians and engineers demanded a change of orbital width. However, it was not successful after all from a political situation, a budget problem, etc. Development of the realistic high speed train in Japan started in South Manchuria Railway before the Pacific War. It is in the north-eastern part of present China. This company was managed by capital and technology from Japan. Therefore, almost all the management and engineers were Japanese. The South Manchuria Railway of those days was steam locomotive traction. However, the width of the track was an orbit of the width of a 1,435-mm international standard. In 1934, South Manchuria Railway developed the PASINA series which is the streamlined steam locomotive set by fashion of the West of those days. The South Manchuria Railway connected organization of a streamlined coach with this engine. This is Ltd Express Asia. However, there was a train of a 180-km/h steam locomotive in the West. YASUZIRO SHIMA was in the developer of this limited express ASIA. He is a father of Shinkansen chief engineer HIDEO SHIMA. The Shinkansen was completed by the dream of these two great engineers' parent and child.