Ministry of Railways 2-8-2 Locomotives in China

Class MK3/JF3 (Locobase 20946)

Data from "Freight Locomotives, Chinese Government Rys", Locomotive Magazine, Volume 37, No 465 (15 May 1931). p. 155. See also "China Railways JF3" online in Wikipedia at [], last accessed 26 October 2021. Works numbers were 2551-2700 in 1929.

According to Wikipedia, this class of Mikados was originally delivered to three Manchurian railways--Qike, Huhai, and Sitao. When the Japanese took over Manchuria, they renamed the class Minani and later Mikasa.

Maximum speed was set at 60 kph (38 mph). Sharpest curve was a relatively moderate 492 ft radius.

A sturdy design, many of the class survived to work for the Chinese Communist system. The last left the railway in 1990.

Class unknown (Locobase 20310)

Data from "Chinese Government Railways - Freight Locomotive", Engineering, Volume 155 (6 January 1933) and 24 February 1933) , p.4 (photograph and builder's card) and 200. Works numbers were 62208-62217 in 1937.

These Mikados headed to a railway in China that featured only moderate challenges including 1% maximum grades and curves with radii of only 980 feet (299 metres) or 6 degrees. The round-top boilers contained a firebox with a short combustion chamber.

Class unknown (Locobase 14358)

Data from DeGolyer, Volume 82, pp. 415+. Works numbers were 62208-62217 in 1937.

These Mikados headed to a railway in China that featured only moderate challenges including 1% maximum grades and curves with radii of only 980 feet (299 metres) or 6 degrees. They appear to have been built to the same specifications used by Nasmyth Wilson in 1932 (Locobase 20310) with only minor modifications.

The combustion chamber contributed 46 sq ft (4.27 sq m) and the fire brick tubes 23 sq ft (2.14 sq m) to the firebox heating surface area. 11" (279 mm) piston valves supplied steam to the cylinders. Their boilers were described in the specs as the "inverted slope" type, meaning a "straight top, wagon bottom". Whatever the terminology, the boiler was "to be well designed, thoroughly braced and stayed, thoroughly reinforced at opening and of best workmanship."