Umekoji Steam Engine Museum
Umekoji Steam Engine Museum
By
Anthony Robins
Hiroshi Naito
Umekoji in Kyoto first opened as a shed in 1914 and for a long time was a major engine depot on the heavy Tokaido main line with a roudhouse. To commemorate the hundredth anniversary of railways in Japan, it became a museum and opened as such in October 1972. It features the following locomotives (in chronological order):
Type 8620, 2-6-0, 48.8 tonnes,
built by Kisha in 1914. The 8620, nicknamed Hachiroku (Eight-six), became
the first domestic standard. Its duties were mainly for passenger
work. 687 8620s were produced for 17 years.
Type 9600, 2-8-0, 60,4 tonnes,
built by Kawasaki in 1914. The 9600, nicknamed Kyuroku (Nine-six), became a
domestic standard as well as 8620, but this class was for freight-haulingas.
770 Kyurokus were produced.
No less than 50 others of this 9600 type are preserved as static exhibits, including three in China.
Type D50, 78.1 tonnes,
2-8-2 built by Hitachi in 1926. Formed basis for the D51 type. It was the
first domestic Mikado and became a second generation standard like the
C51. Its duties were mainly freight hauling. Photo by Paul Moylan.
Type C51, 69.6 tonnes, 4-6-2 built by Kisha in 1927. It was the first domestic Pacific and, as the second standardized engine, displaced all of the US made 8900 class, which was the first Pacific in Japan, from express-hauling duties on the Tokaido main line. 289 of this type were built by 1923.
Type C53, 4-6-2, 81 tonnes, three-cylinder built by Kisha in 1928. One of 97
in the class built by Kisha (44) and Kawasaki (53) between 1928 and1930. C53
45 entered service in November 1928 and worked on semi-fasts and expresses
on the Tokaido and Sanyo Main Lines. It was progressively allocated to
Hamamatsu, Hiroshima, Maibara, Miyahara, Nagoya, Ogori, Shimonoseki and
Shizuoka. It finished service at Umekoji in June 1950. Others were withdrawn
between 1948 and 1950.
After retirement, it was in the custody of JNR Takatori works in Kobe. In
1962, as one of the commemorative projects for the 90th anniversary of
Japanese railways, it was restored to its original form to be an exhibit at
the newly opened Osaka Transport Museum. Prior to transfer, it was operated
on the main line around Kobe-Osaka-Kyoto. In 1972, upon opening of the
Umekoji Museum, it was finally settled in the Umekoji roundhouse.
The following photos were taken at Osaka Transport Museum in 1963 by Hiroshi
Naito.
Type C55, 4-6-2, 66 tonnes,
built by Kawasaki in 1934. It has spoke type wheels as opposed to others
which are more similar to Bulleid's designs. 21 out of 62 C55s first featured
as streamliners, but later they were all converted to a regular boiler form.
This light Pacific formed the first modern steam and led to the emergence of
the popular C57 class.
2-6-4 tank built by Kawasaki in 1935. A large class constructed between 1932 and 1947, members were used throughout Japan on local duties. The Oigawa Railway operates two in working order and another 50 are static exhibits throughout Japan.
Two of 1115 2-8-2s built between
1936 and 1945. The class was Japan's first standardized modern engine, as
well as C57, and was used mainly for freight service. They were built by five
companies: Kawasaki (D51 1 from 1936), Kisha (Seizo), Hitachi, Mitsubishi and
Nippon Sharyo, as well as JNR (D51 200 from 1938) itself. They weigh 78.4
tonnes, had a top speed of 85 kms/hr and have dome variations. D51 200 is in
JR West's operational fleet, as is D51 498 in the case of JR East, at
Takasaki. 178 others are exhibited at various places around Japan.
Type C58, 2-6-2, 58.7 tonns,
built between 1938 and 1947 by Kawasaki and Kisha. The class was developed
as a standardized general purpose engine. Duties were both passenger and
freight train hauling on local light lines, including work on the Yamanote
Freight Line in Tokyo. 427 C58s were produced.
Type D52, 2-8-2, 85.1 tonnes, built by Mitsubishi in 1946. Six others are static exhibits around Japan. The D52 class was the most powerful steam in Japan. This type was first produced during war time (in 1943) and 285 were built in total.
Type C59, 4-6-2, 80.3 tonnes, built by Hitachi in 1946. Class first introduced in 1941 as the forth generation standardized modern engine following D51, C57 and C58. 100 C59s were built before the war and 73 more were additionally manufactured between 1946 and 1947 after the war.
Type C61, 4-6-4, 79.5 tonnes, built
by Mitsubishi in 1948 as Japan's first Hudson. One of 33 of a class introduced
between 1947 and 1953. They combined a D51 boiler with elements from the C57
class. New wheel arrangement reduced the weight on the traction axles of the
class, thus allowing the engine to serve lighter lines.
C61 2 is in JR West's operational fleet.
Top Speed: 100kms/hr
Type C62, 4-6-4, 88.8 tonnes, was
the heaviest passenger steam. A fleet of 49 Hudsons converted from D52s
between 1948 and 1953. Both C62 1 (D52 74) and C62 2 (D52 455) date from
1948 and were constructed by Hitachi. C62 2 is in working order, as was JR
Hokkaido's C62 3 until recently. They often hauled the glorious
limited-express 'Tsubame' on the Tokaido main line (Tokyo-Kobe) during its
non-electrified
period. After electrification, they were transferred to Hokkaido island, and
often hauled express 'Niseko' (Sapporo-Hakodate) until the final stage of
steam days.
Top Speed: 100 kms/hr
Type C56, 2-6-0, 37.6 tonnes,
built by Kawasaki in 1939. The class is a tender version of light tank C12.
From 1935 to 1939, 160 C56s were manufactured. Nicknamed 'Pony'. Running here
in October 1994.
Type C57, 4-6-2, 67.5 tonnes, built by Kawasaki in 1937. Following the D51,
this Pacific became a definite standard for Japan's modern steam. A lot of
railfans were attracted to its noble figure. 201 C57s were buit between 1937
and 1947.
It was damaged during the 1995 Kobe Earthquake while being overhauled but successfully repaired.
Refer to the Steam in Japan page.