JNR class C62
| JNR class C62 | |
|---|---|
 C62 2 under steam in January 2007
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| Number: | 49 |
| Manufacturer: | Kisha Seizō , Hitachi , Kawasaki |
| Year of construction (s): | 1948/1949 |
| Retirement: | 1971-1973 |
| Type : | 2'C2 'h2 |
| Gauge : | 1067 mm ( cape track ) |
| Length over coupling: | 21,475 mm |
| Service mass with tender: | 143 t |
| Friction mass: | 48.23 t |
| Wheel set mass : | 16 t |
| Top speed: | 110 km / h |
| Indexed performance : | 1620 PSi |
| Starting tractive effort: | 138 kN |
| Coupling wheel diameter: | 1,750 mm |
| Impeller diameter front: | 870 mm |
| Rear wheel diameter: | 870 mm |
| Control type : | Heusinger-Walschaert |
| Cylinder diameter: | 520 mm |
| Piston stroke: | 660 mm |
| Boiler overpressure: | 157 N / cm² |
| Grate area: | 3.85 m² |
| Superheater area : | 77.4 m² |
| Evaporation heating surface: | 161.1 m² |
The vehicles of the class C62 ( Japanese C62 形 蒸 気 機関 車 , C62-gata jōki kikansha , dt. "Steam locomotive type C62") of the Japanese National Railways (JNR) were steam locomotives with the wheel arrangement 2'C2 '("Hudson").
The 49 locomotives were created in 1948 and 1949 through a very extensive conversion from redundant 1'D1 ' class 52 locomotives and were the largest and most powerful steam locomotives of the JNR. One of the locomotives is said to have reached 127 km / h, making it one of the fastest narrow-gauge steam locomotives in the world after class 16E of the South African Railways . In normal operation, with a power of over 1200 kW, it was possible to stop over 100 km / h in front of a 300-ton train without any problems. The external features of the locomotives were box pok wheels on the driving and coupling axles, including disc wheels on all running axles and the large smoke deflectors . Steam and sand domes sat under a common panel. This gave the locomotives a modern look. A stoker was also installed for the first time in Japan .
The locomotives were initially used to transport the Tsubame Express on the main route between Tokyo and Osaka , the JNR's parade train at the time, making them the most famous locomotives in the country. As a special detail, small, flying swallows - the logo of the Tsubame - were placed on the smoke deflectors of the C62 2 machine during this era , which are still there today as their trademark.
The last line of operation of the C62 was the Hakodate main line on Hokkaido . The machines pulled the Niseko Express from Otaru to Hakodate there. Because of the demanding uphill sections from 1:40 to Oshamambe, the lead had to be driven in front of the heavy trains on this section of the route . In winter, the locomotives often struggled through heavy snowdrifts. The line and the C62 achieved cult status among Japanese railway enthusiasts in those years, comparable to the popularity of the 01 series on the Inclined Plane at the same time in the Federal Republic of Germany. On September 15, 1971, the last run of the Niseko and thus a steam-driven express train took place at the JNR .
The last C62, which were only used sporadically in subordinate services, were decommissioned at the end of 1973. A total of five class C62 2 locomotives have been preserved, including the operational museum locomotives C62 2 and C62 3.
The popularity of this Japanese parade express steam locomotive is also reflected in its appearance as the “space locomotive” of the Galaxy Express 999 in the manga / anime of the same name by Leji Matsumoto , a science fiction story that is still extremely popular in Japan.
literature
- Wilhelm Reuter: record locomotives . Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart ISBN 3-87943-582-0
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Naotaka Hirota: Steam Locomotives of Japan . Kodansha International Ltd., Tokyo 1972, ISBN 0-87011-185-X .
- ↑ SLNET Time Traveler (Japanese Steam Locomotives) The Niseko Express. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on August 2, 2018 ; accessed on August 1, 2018 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
