The Class C59 is a type of

4-6-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles and two trailing wheels on one axle. The locomotiv ...

steam locomotive built by Japanese National Railways. The C classification indicates three sets of driving wheels. The C59 could haul 17 passenger cars. World War II limited their use as express trains, a function for which they were designed. C59s were transferred to

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

after electrification of the trunk lines after the war. They were rebuilt into 47

Class C60 The is a 4-6-4 wheel arrangement steam locomotive type born from the rebuilding of 47 out of 173 surplus Class C59 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives. Hideo Shima redesigned 47 C59s between 1953 and 1961 at the JNR Hamamatsu and Kōriyama factories ...

Hudson Rebuilds between 1953 and 1961 at the railway's Hamamatsu works and Koriyama works. In 1970, the locomotives were retired. Only three are preserved. C59 1 is preserved at the Kyushu Railway History Museum on display. C59 164 is preserved at the Kyoto Railway Museum. C59 161 is preserved at the Hiroshima Children’s Museum. They were designed by

Hideo Shima was a Japanese engineer and the driving force behind the building of the first bullet train (Shinkansen). Shima was born in Osaka in 1901, and educated at the Tokyo Imperial University, where he studied Mechanical Engineering. His father was p ...

References

{{Japanloco 4-6-2 locomotives Steam locomotives of Japan 1067 mm gauge locomotives of Japan Passenger locomotives

See also

References