The is a type of
2-6-0 steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
built in Japan from 1914 to 1929. It was Japan's first mass-produced passenger locomotive. A total of 672 Class 8620 locomotives were built.
Originally they had a symmetry of line with shapely cast iron chimneys which gave way to plainer chimneys and
smoke deflectors
Smoke deflectors, sometimes called "blinkers" in the UK because of their strong resemblance to the blinkers used on horses, and "elephant ears" in US railway slang, are vertical plates attached to each side of the smokebox at the front of a ste ...
were added in later years.
A total of 42 Class 8620 locomotives were built for Imperial Taiwan Railway from 1919 to 1928. After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, they were taken over by
Taiwan Government Railways, and were classified CT150.
Preserved examples
, twenty Class 8620 locomotives have been preserved in Japan, as follows.
(They have also been preserved in Taiwan.)
* 8620: Preserved at the
Ome Railway Park
The is a railway museum in Ōme, Tokyo, Japan. It opened in 1962, and is operated by the East Japan Railway Culture Foundation, a foundation established by East Japan Railway Company.
Exhibits
Eight steam locomotives, one electric locomotive an ...
in
Ome, Tokyo
* 8630: Preserved in working order at the
Kyoto Railway Museum
The (formerly the until 2016) is a railway museum in Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The original Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum opened in 1972, but was expanded and modernized in 2016, becoming the Kyoto Railway Museum.
The museum is owned by We ...
in
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
* 28651: Preserved in
Ono, Fukui
* 48624: Preserved in a park in
Otofuke, Hokkaido
is a town located in Tokachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.
As of September 2016, the town has an estimated population of 45,208 and a density of 97 persons per km2. The total area is 466.09 km2.
Climate
Notable persons from Otofuke ...
* 48640: Preserved in
Hirosaki, Aomori
* 48647: Preserved in
Takachiho, Miyazaki
is a List of towns in Japan, town in Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki, Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. As of October 1, 2019, the town has an estimated population of 11,959 and a density of 50.3 persons per km². The total area is 2 ...
* 48650: Preserved in
Miyoshi, Hiroshima
is a city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. ...
* 48696: Preserved at the municipal zoo in
Omuta, Fukuoka
* 58623: Preserved in
Toyokawa, Aichi
is a Cities of Japan, city in the eastern part of Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 183,930 in 72,949 households, and a population density of 1,141 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Toyokawa, famou ...
* 58654: Preserved in working order as the
SL Hitoyoshi
The SL Hitoyoshi (SL 人吉) is a named steam hauled excursion train operated by the Kyushu Railway Company ( JR Kyushu) on the Kagoshima Main Line and the Hisatsu Line since April 2009.
Overview
The SL Hitoyoshi runs a return journey between K ...
at Kumamoto Depot in
Kumamoto, Kumamoto
is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2.
had a population of 1,461,00 ...
* 58680: Preserved in a park in
Mobara, Chiba
is a city located in Chiba Prefecture. , the city had an estimated population of 88,330 in 40,869 households and a population density of 880 persons per km². The total area of the city is
Geography
Mobara is located in an inland area of north-c ...
* 58683: Preserved in a park in
Sakura, Chiba
is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 173,740 in 78,483 households and a population density of 1700 people per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Sakura is located in northeastern C ...
* 58685: Preserved in front of
Tadotsu Station
is a junction passenger railway station located in the town of Tadotsu, Nakatado District, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by JR Shikoku. The station is also a freight depot for the Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight)
Lines
T ...
in
Tadotsu, Kagawa
270px, Shorinji Kempo head dōjō
is a town located in Nakatado District, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 22,124 in 10365 households and a population density of 270 persons per km². The total area of the t ...
* 68691: Preserved in a park in
Yamagata, Yamagata
is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Yamagata Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 248,772 in 103,165 households, and a population density of 650 persons per km2. The total a ...
* 68692: Preserved in a park in
Tokushima, Tokushima
is the capital city of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 249,865 in 122085 households and a population density of 1305 persons per km².The total area of the city is .
Geography
The ...
* 78626: Preserved in a park in
Onga, Fukuoka
* 78653: Preserved at Wespa Tsubakiyama in
Fukaura, Aomori
is a town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 7,903 in 3695 households, and a population density of 16 persons per km². The total area of the town is .
Geography
Fukaura is in Nishitsugaru District ...
* 78675: Preserved in a park in
Gojo, Nara
* 78693: Preserved at Koriyama Depot in
Koriyama, Fukushima
* 88622: Preserved in
Iki, Nagasaki
is a city on the island of Iki, in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of November 2022, the city has an estimated population of 25,042 and a population density of 202 persons per km2. The total area is 138.57 km2.
Geography
Iki is located in t ...
* CT152: Preserved at Miaoli Railway Museum in
Miaoli
Miaoli City (Wade–Giles: ''Miao²-li⁴''; Hakka PFS: ''Mèu-li̍t-sṳ''; Hokkien POJ: ''Biâu-le̍k-chhī'' or ''Miâu-le̍k-chhī'') is a county-administered city and the county seat of Miaoli County, Taiwan. Miaoli has a relatively h ...
File:Jnr-8620-ome20150919.jpg, 8620 at the Ome Railway Park in September 2015
File:8630 steam locomotive at Kyoto Railway Museum 2016-08-26.jpg, Preserved 8630 in operation at the Kyoto Railway Museum in August 2016
File:Japanese-national-railways-48640-20110614.jpg, 48640 in Aomori Prefecture in June 2011
File:JNR 58654 bs-digital-go 20100904 001.jpg, Preserved 58654 in operation in September 2010
File:58685 steam locomotive preserved in Tadotsu 20041025.jpg, 58685 in Tadotsu in October 2004
File:JNR 78653 Steam Locomotive at WeSPA Tsubakiyama.jpg, 78653 in August 2007
File:CT152 Steam Locomotive in Miaoli Railway Museum in October 2020.jpg, Taiwan Railway CT152 in October 2020
In popular culture
The Class 8620 has made appearances in notable forms of Japanese media. One being
Maitetsu
is a visual novel developed by Lose, which has also been adapted into the anime series . ''Maitetsu'' was initially released in Japan in 2016, and it was released internationally by Sekai Project on Steam in 2018. Sekai Project also release ...
, a
visual novel
A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...
developed by Lose about anime girls paired with locomotives as "Raillords." Hachiroku being the raillord of class leader No.8620 is the main heroine of the novel.
See also
*
Japan Railways locomotive numbering and classification
This page explains the numbering and classification schemes for locomotives employed by the Japanese Government Railways, the Japanese National Railways and the Japan Railways Group.
Steam locomotives
Pre-nationalization
Prior to the natio ...
*
JNR Class C50
*
JNR Class C56
The Class C56 is a type of 2-6-0 steam locomotive built by the Japanese Government Railways (JGR) from 1935 to 1939, and later operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR). They were numbered C56 1-C56 164 a total of 164 were built from 1935-1939 ...
References
{{Taiwanloco
1067 mm gauge locomotives of Japan
Steam locomotives of Japan
Steam locomotives of Taiwan
2-6-0 locomotives
Hitachi locomotives
Kawasaki locomotives
Preserved steam locomotives of Japan
Railway locomotives introduced in 1914
Mixed traffic locomotives