The Jiha (Japanese ジハ, Korean 디하) class railcars were a pair of Diesel-powered railcars of the Chosen Government Railway (''Sentetsu''). After Liberation, they all remained in the

South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

, where they were operated 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 ...

; none were preserved. Following the experiences with the Keha class petrol railcars, in 1931 Sentetsu decided, in the interests of reducing fuel costs, to design and introduce a railcar powered by a diesel engine. Two Jiha1 (ジハ1) diesel railcars were therefore built in 1933 at the

Gyeongseong Works Seoul has been known in the past by successive names, including Wiryeseong () and Hanseong (Baekje era), Bukhansangun (Goguryo era), Hanyang (North and South states period), Namgyeong (, Goryeo era), Hanyangbu (Goryeo under Mongol rule), Hanseong ...

. The structure and interior of the diesel railcars was similar to the gasoline-powered Keha railcars, but they were more streamlined at both ends, and were powered by a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Motoren Werke Mannheim SS17S diesel engine with cylinders of bore; the pistons were made of light alloy, and the cylinder head was cast iron. The

fuel injector Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines. All comp ...

and the injection timing mechanism were almost identical to those used today. The engines were imported from Germany and were installed at Gyeongseong. The diesel railcars, producing much less smoke than the gasoline-powered ones, were well received by the public and became quite popular. However, increasing oil shortages during 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 ...

led to their use being curtailed. Therefore, the engines were modified to use other fuels such as

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

and benzene; experiments were conducted with wood gas, as well. However, these proved unsatisfactory, and the experiments ceased in 1944. Both railcars survived the Pacific War, remaining in the South 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 ...

, where they were operated by the Korean National Railroad until the early 1960s, when they were replaced by the DC-class diesel-hydraulic railcars built by Niigata Sharyō, Kinki Sharyō and Kawasaki.

References

{{Korail rolling stock Railcars of Korea Railcars of South Korea Railway locomotives introduced in 1933 Gyeongseong Works locomotives