The is a B-2-B wheel arrangement
diesel-hydraulic locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels ...
type operated in Japan since 1962. 649 locomotives were built between 1962 and 1978 by
Kawasaki Sharyo,
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 ...
, and
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 ...
. The class was designed for mainline passenger and freight use with more power than the
D51 and a higher maximum speed than the
C62 steam locomotive
The is a type of 4-6-4 steam locomotive built by Japanese National Railways (JNR) in Japan and designed by Hideo Shima. The C classification indicates three sets of driving wheels. The C62 was built with a 4-6-4 frame, upon which was mounted th ...
classes. This was achieved by installing two 1,100 hp engines in an 18 metre long centre-cab design, unusual for mainline operation. The V12 DML61 engines were developed from the 6-cylinder inline DMF31 engines used in the
Class DD13 locomotives.
, 29 locomotives remained in operation.
Variations
Locos numbered from DD51 501 to 799 and from 1001 to 1186 were equipped to operate in
multiple, and locos numbered DD51 800 to 899 and 1801 to 1805 were built without
steam generators
A steam generator is a form of low water-content boiler, similar to a flash steam boiler. The usual construction is as a spiral coil of water-tube, arranged as a single, or monotube, coil. Circulation is once-through and pumped under pressure, ...
for train heating.
Liveries
All locomotives numbered from DD51 2 onwards were finished in the standard diesel livery of orange/red with grey upper surfaces separated by a white stripe. Re-engined locos operated by
JR Freight
, or , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It provides transportation of cargo nationwide throughout Japan. Its headquarters are in Shibuya, Tokyo near Shinjuku Station.
The Japan Railways Group was foun ...
in
Hokkaido
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
sport a livery based on the
Class DF200 colour scheme, with no white stripe. These locomotives were used in pairs
double-heading
In railroad terminology, double heading indicates the use of two locomotives at the front of a train, each operated individually by its own crew. The practice of triple-heading involves the use of three locomotives. The practice of multi-headin ...
freight trains.
JR Hokkaido
The is one of the constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group), and is often referred to using its official abbreviation of . It operates intercity and local rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a sm ...
locos were all finished in the "Hokutosei" livery of blue with a gold stripe and shooting star logo. These were used in pairs for hauling sleeper trains (''
Hokutosei
The was a limited express sleeping car train service in Japan which operated between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Sapporo Station in the northern island of Hokkaido, taking approximately 16½ hours. It was operated jointly by East Japan R ...
'', ''
Cassiopeia'', and ''
Twilight Express
The was a limited express sleeping car train service operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in Japan from 1989 until March 2015. It ran between the city of Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido and Osaka in south-western Honshu, ...
'') between
Hakodate
is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of 412.8 ...
and
Sapporo
( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous city ...
.
DD51 592 (now withdrawn), and now DD51 791, was repainted in the "Euroliner" livery of pale blue with dark blue stripes for use with JR Central's "Euroliner"
Joyful Train
is the name given to railway rolling stock or train sets operated by the JR Group in Japan primarily for charters, special events, tourist excursions, and other similar purposes.
History
The "Joyful Train" concept can be traced back to 1960, whe ...
set.
DD51 842 was designated as the Imperial Train locomotive. Whereas regular members of the class have white handrails and edges to the running boards, they are polished stainless steel on this particular locomotive, as are the exhaust shrouds. Based at Takasaki Depot, it is also used for special excursion trains.
File:JNR DD51 842 20011014.jpg, DD51 842 on an Imperial Train working in October 2001
File:JNR DD51 041.JPG, DD51 1095 in JR Hokkaido ''Hokutosei'' livery in February 2010
File:JNR-dd51 791 euroliner.jpg, JR Central DD51 791 in ''Euro Liner'' livery
File:JRF-DD51 1166.jpg, DD51 1166 in JR Freight blue livery initially applied to refurbished locomotives, July 2006
File:JRF DD51 1803 20070812.jpg, DD51 1803 in JR Freight red livery applied to refurbished locomotives, August 2007
Refurbishment
Many of the JR Freight locomotive underwent life extension refurbishment, which included removal of steam generator equipment where still fitted. These locos are distinguished by a new livery of blue with grey upper surfaces separated by a white stripe, and cream end panels.
DD51 class locomotives also formed the basis for the DD17, DD18, and DD19 self-propelled
snow plough
A snowplow (also snow plow, snowplough or snow plough) is a device intended for mounting on a vehicle, used for removing snow and ice from outdoor surfaces, typically those serving transportation purposes. Although this term is often used to re ...
units.
Fleet allocation
Following the privatization of
Japanese National Railways
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 pref ...
(JNR) on 1 April 1987,
JR Hokkaido
The is one of the constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group), and is often referred to using its official abbreviation of . It operates intercity and local rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a sm ...
received 25 locomotives,
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 ...
received 29,
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 ...
received 4,
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 ...
received 63,
JR Kyushu
The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan and the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait ...
received one locomotive, and
JR Freight
, or , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It provides transportation of cargo nationwide throughout Japan. Its headquarters are in Shibuya, Tokyo near Shinjuku Station.
The Japan Railways Group was foun ...
received 137.
, 29 locomotives remained in operation, including 17 locomotives operated by JR Freight, four by JR East, and eight by JR West.
Overseas operations
Myanmar
A number of Class DD51 locomotives have been shipped to Myanmar for use on the
Myanmar Railways
Rail transport in Myanmar consists of a railway network with 960 stations. The network, generally spanning north to south with branch lines to the east and west, is the second largest in Southeast Asia, and includes the Yangon Circular Railway ...
.
, the status of DD51s shipped to Myanmar is as follows.
Conversion included re-gauging from to and lowering the cab roof profile.
Locomotives DD51 1070 and DD51 1001 were heavily rebuilt with parts from other locomotives to form four Bo-Bo wheel arrangement locomotives used for depot shunting work.
Thailand
Two former Hokutousei DD51s were sent to Thailand for use during the conversion of some lines to
double track
A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.
Overview
In the earliest days of railways in the United Kingdom, most lin ...
. These were numbers DD51 1137 and DD51 1142.
Preserved examples
, seven class DD51 locomotives are preserved:
* DD51 1: Preserved at the
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
...
in
Gunma Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,362 km2 (2,456 sq mi). Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima ...
.
* DD51 548: Preserved at Crawford Park in
Mikasa, Hokkaido
is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of September 2016, the city has an estimated population of 9,056, and the density of 30 persons per km2.
Geography
The total area is 302.64 km2. It is bordered on three sides ...
.
* DD51 610: Preserved at the Mikasa Railway Village in Mikasa, Hokkaido.
* DD51 615: Preserved at the Otaru Museum in
Otaru, Hokkaido
is a city and port in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces Ishikari Bay and the Sea of Japan, and has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical buildings, Otaru is a popular to ...
.
* DD51 756: Preserved 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 since April 2016.
* DD51 1040: Preserved at the Railway History Park next to
Namikawa Station
is a passenger railway station located in the city of Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West).
Lines
Namikawa Station is served by the San'in Main Line (Sagano Line), and is located from the termin ...
in
Kameoka, Kyoto
is a city in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 87,518 in 29,676 households and a population density of 390 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
Geography
Kameoka abuts Kyoto to the east and is loca ...
.
* DD51 1187: Preserved at the
Tsuyama Railroad Educational Museum
is a railway museum in Tsuyama, Okayama, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) since 2 April 2016. It is based around the former Tsuyama Depot roundhouse, which was used to house a number of preserved locomotives since 2007.
...
in
Tsuyama, Okayama
is a city in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 102,294 and a population density of 200 persons per km². The total area was 185.73 km². The area increased in 2005 as the result of a merger with adjacent to ...
.
The prototype, DD51 1, with its unique, more rounded appearance, was moved to the
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
...
in April 1998 and repainted in its original livery of brown with white lining. This locomotive was withdrawn March 1986, and was subsequently stored at Takasaki Depot from March 1987.
File:JNR-DD511-01.jpg, Prototype DD51 1 preserved at the Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park in April 2011
File:DD51 548 Mikasa Railway Village 20150808.jpg, DD51 548 preserved at the Mikasa Railway Village in Hokkaido in August 2015
File:JNR DD51 610.JPG, DD51 610 preserved at the Mikasa Railway Village in Hokkaido in May 2007
File:DD51 615 Otaru Museum 20090830.JPG, DD51 615 preserved at the Otaru Museum in Hokkaido in August 2009
File:DD51 756 Kyoto Railway Museum 20161017.jpg, DD51 756 preserved at the Kyoto Railway Museum in October 2016
File:DD51 849 RTRI 20011013.jpg, DD51 849 at the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) facility in Kokubunji, Tokyo in October 2001
File:Dd51-1040-2014-04-12.jpg, Preserved DD51 1040 in April 2014
Classification
The DD51 classification for this locomotive type is explained below.
* D: Diesel locomotive
* D: Four driving axles
* 51: Locomotive with maximum speed exceeding 85 km/h
References
{{Jrkyushuloco
Diesel locomotives of Japan
DD51
DD51
DD51
DD51
DD51
1067 mm gauge locomotives of Japan
Hitachi locomotives
Kawasaki diesel locomotives
Railway locomotives introduced in 1962
B-2-B locomotives
Mixed traffic locomotives