The Pureha-class (プレハ) locomotives were a group of steam tank locomotives with
2-6-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels, six coupled driving wheels and two trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Prairie.
Overview
The major ...
wheel arrangement of used by the
Chosen Government Railway (''Sentetsu'') in
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
. The "Pure" name came from the
American naming system for steam locomotives, under which locomotives with 2-6-2 wheel arrangement were called "Prairie".
In all, Sentetsu owned 227 locomotives of
all Pure classes, whilst privately owned railways owned another 52; of these 279 locomotives, 169 went to the
Korean National Railroad
The Korea Railroad Corporation (Korean: 한국철도공사, Hanja: ), branded as KORAIL (코레일, officially changed to in November 2019), is the national railway operator in South Korea. Currently, KORAIL is a public corporation, managed ...
in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
and 110 to the
Korean State Railway
The Korean State Railway (), commonly called the State Rail () is the operating arm of the Ministry of Railways of North Korea and has its headquarters at P'yŏngyang. The current Minister of Railways is Chang Jun Song.
History
1945–195 ...
in
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
.
Description
The プレハ (''Pureha'') class was the eighth and final class of 2-6-2 locomotives procured by Sentetsu.
They were designed by Sentetsu as the most advanced locomotives in Korea at the time of their introduction, and the first twelve were built in 1932 by the Gyeongsong Works. A further 26 were built in 1939 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 ...
and
Kisha Seizō and assembled at Sentetsu's
Busan
Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...
shops.
Unlike previous Pure class locomotives, the Pureha class had larger driving wheels, with a diameter of , which increased their maximum speed to . They were frequently used for express trains on the
Gyeongin Line
The Gyeongin Line (Gyeonginseon) is a railway mainline in South Korea, currently connecting Guro station in Seoul and Incheon. Commuter services along the line through operates into Seoul Subway Line 1.
History
The Gyeongin Line was the fir ...
.
Postwar
![PurehaDPRK](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/PurehaDPRK.jpg)
After the end of the
Pacific War
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
and the subsequent
partition of Korea
The division of Korea began with the defeat of Japan in World War II. During the war, the Allied leaders considered the question of Korea's future after Japan's surrender in the war. The leaders reached an understanding that Korea would be li ...
, these locomotives were divided between
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
and
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
.
Korean National Railroad 푸러8 (Pureo8) class
Many Pureha class locomotives were used by the
Korean National Railroad
The Korea Railroad Corporation (Korean: 한국철도공사, Hanja: ), branded as KORAIL (코레일, officially changed to in November 2019), is the national railway operator in South Korea. Currently, KORAIL is a public corporation, managed ...
after
Liberation
Liberation or liberate may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War
* "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode
* "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode
Gaming
* '' Liberati ...
, which designated them 푸러8 (''Pureo8'') class;
they were used by the KNR primarily for shunting duties, and on light local and suburban passenger services.
Korean State Railway 부러파 (Purŏp'a) class/1800 series
The Sentetsu Purena class locomotives that remained in the North after the
partition of Korea
The division of Korea began with the defeat of Japan in World War II. During the war, the Allied leaders considered the question of Korea's future after Japan's surrender in the war. The leaders reached an understanding that Korea would be li ...
were operated by the
Korean State Railway
The Korean State Railway (), commonly called the State Rail () is the operating arm of the Ministry of Railways of North Korea and has its headquarters at P'yŏngyang. The current Minister of Railways is Chang Jun Song.
History
1945–195 ...
, designating them 부러파 (''Purŏp'a'') class, and later renumbering them into the 1800 series around the early 1970s. The total number and identities of the engines that went north is uncertain, but it is known プレハ38 had gone to the north, where it was in use around
Hamheung
Hamhŭng (''Hamhŭng-si''; ) is North Korea's second-largest city, and the capital of South Hamgyŏng Province. It has an estimated population of 768,551. Located in the southern part of the South Hamgyong province, Hamhung is the main and most p ...
in 1951, still carrying Sentetsu number plates and emblems. It is unknown whether the locomotive remained in the North after the Korean War, or if it was taken by UN forces during the withdrawal.
Construction
References
{{DPRKloco
Locomotives of Korea under Japanese rule
Locomotives of North Korea
Locomotives of South Korea
Steam locomotives of China
2-6-2 locomotives
Gyeongseong Works locomotives
Hitachi locomotives
Kisha Seizo locomotives
Passenger locomotives