The is a class of Japanese 2-C+C-2 wheel arrangement DC electric locomotives. 172 locomotives were built between 1946 and 1958.

The later years

In 1984, 64 out of 172 EF58 locos built were still in service or temporary storage. However, they were withdrawn en masse from Tokaido and

Sanyo Main Line , stylized as SANYO, is a Japanese electronics company and formerly a member of the ''Fortune'' Global 500 whose headquarters was located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo had over 230 subsidiaries and affiliates, and was founded b ...

freight duties in 1984, and by 1987, immediately prior to privatization of

JNR The abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987. Network Railways As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pre ...

, there were just four members of the class (EF58 61, 89, 122, and 150) remaining in service. Details of the locomotives currently in operational service are as follows.

EF58 61

Owned by

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...

and based at Tabata Depot in Tokyo, this locomotive was built in 1953 by

Hitachi () is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...

specially for use as the official Imperial Train locomotive, a role it performs to the present day. While other locos had chrome-plated “whiskers” on the cab ends, this loco was built with stainless steel whiskers extending as a thin band along the body sides. The loco remains in its original brown livery, and is maintained in immaculate condition.　

EF58 122

Owned by

JR Central is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as JR Tōkai ( ja, JR東海, links=no). ''Tōkai'' is a reference to the geographical ...

and based at

Shizuoka Shizuoka can refer to: * Shizuoka Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture * Shizuoka (city), the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture * Shizuoka Airport * Shizuoka Domain, the name from 1868 to 1871 for Sunpu Domain, a predecessor of Shizuoka Prefecture ...

Depot, this loco was built in 1957 by Hitachi. It was repainted in 1992 from the standard blue/cream livery to its current all-over brown for use on special event trains on the Tōkaidō and Iida Lines. This locomotive was cut up at Hamamatsu Works in January 2009.

Preserved examples

* EF58 36: No. 1 end section only preserved privately in Hiroshima. In very poor condition (blue livery). * EF58 66: Was stored at JR West's Nara Depot in blue livery, but was cut up in March 1996. * EF58 89: Preserved at the

Railway Museum A railway museum is a museum that explores the history of all aspects of rail related transportation, including: locomotives ( steam, diesel, and electric), railway cars, trams, and railway signalling equipment. They may also operate historic e ...

from October 2007. This loco saw mainline operation until January 1998, based at Tabata Depot. After withdrawal in 1999, it was preserved at JR East's Omiya Works. It was repainted from all-over brown to blue and cream in 2000 at Omiya. For the Railway Museum exhibition, it was again repainted to brown. * EF58 93: Preserved at JR East Omiya Works in green livery with yellow stripe along lower body. * EF58 113: Front end section only preserved at

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...

Hiroshima Depot, in blue livery. * EF58 144: No. 1 end cab preserved privately in

Saitama Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 km2 (1,466 sq mi). Saitama Prefecture borders Tochigi Prefecture ...

, in brown (primer?) livery. No. 2 end cab is preserved in front of a restaurant in Nasu-machi,

Tochigi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,943,886 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,408 Square kilometre, km2 (2,474 Square mile, sq mi). Tochigi ...

, in blue livery. * EF58 150: Built in 1958 by Toshiba, and withdrawn from service in 1985, but was reinstated in 1987 to Miyahara Depot in Osaka for use on special event trains. It was repainted into its original all-over brown livery to coincide with the restoration of observation car Maite 49 2. It was equipped with a train heating steam generator. In 2006, this locomotive was featured in the movie ''Tabi No Okurimono 0:00 Hatsu''. In 2015, it was repainted into blue livery ahead of preservation at the Railway Museum in Kyoto. * EF58 154: Cab end only preserved at JR East Omiya Works in light green livery. * EF58 157: Preserved at

SCMaglev and Railway Park The is a railway museum owned by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) in Nagoya, Japan. The museum opened on 14 March 2011. The museum features 39 full-size railway vehicles and one bus exhibit, train cab simulators, and railway model d ...

. Built in 1958 by

Mitsubishi The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...

, and withdrawn from regular service in 1985 before being reinstated to Shizuoka Depot in 1988 for use hauling special event trains on the Tokaido and Iida Lines. It was equipped with a train heating steam generator only, and operated in blue and cream livery until its withdrawal in 2007."

Japan Railfan Magazine is a Japanese-language monthly magazine for railfans covering the mainly Japanese railways published by Koyusha. It has been published in Japan since 1961. Issues go on sale on the 21st of each month, two months before the cover month (e.g. the Ma ...

" July 2008 issue, p46 * EF58 172: Preserved at

Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park The is an open-air railway museum located in Annaka, Gunma, Japan. It is operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East), and was opened on 18 April 1998 on the site of the former Yokokawa motive power depot alongside the Shinetsu Main Line ...

, Gunma, in blue livery. File:JNR-EF58-36EL-Hiroshima.JPG, EF58 36 in June 2004 File:JNR EF5889 at Saitama railway museum.jpg, EF58 89 at the Railway Museum in June 2009 File:EF58-93 of JNR.jpg, EF58 93 at Omiya Works in May 2008 File:Kyoto railway museum twilight plaza.jpg, EF58 150 (left) in the Twilight Plaza zone at the Kyoto Railway Museum in May 2016 File:EF58-154 of JNR.jpg, The cab end of EF58 154 at Omiya Works in May 2008 File:EF58157.jpg, EF58 157 in July 2010

In fiction

Alf, a character from

Robot Trains A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...

, is based on JNR Class EF58.

References

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