0-6-0 Steam Locomotives in Japan

Class D/1020 (Locobase 3224)

Data from "Dickson Locomotives for India and Japan", Railroad Gazette, Volume XXX [30], No 22 (3 June 1898), p. 391; and "JGR Class 1020" inSteam Locmottves, Locomotive Wiki at [], last accessed 19 January 2024.. See also "Discover Yoro-Keikoku Valley-one of Chiba's best-kept hiking secrets" at , last accessed 19 January 2024. Works numbers were 987-988 in May 1898.

Three-domed side-tanker obviously designed for slow-speed work. When the Sanyo's motive power was taken into the Japanese Government Railways in 1909, the JGR created Class 1020 to accommodate this pair.

By 1912, however, such small locomotives didn't suit JGR needs, so the railway sold them to the Yoro Railway. Opened in 1913, the railway served the Miei and Gifu Prefectures Yoro Valley runs across the center of the Boso Peninsula east of Yokohama and across Tokyo Bay,

Locomotive Wiki notes that the two engines had several owners, but added that details were sketchy. As late as 1962, a railfan saw the 1021 but reported that it was soon scrapped.

Class H/Zenko (Locobase 7620)

Data from the Kotsu Hakubutsukan Japanese transportation museum site [], last accessed 3 July 2006. See also [] and the Japanese-language blogging site [] and []. Works numbers were 431, 435

The museum site says that this inside-cylinder saddle-tanker, a rarely used type in Japan, was unloaded near the Zenko temple in Kawaguchi and acquired its name accordingly. At first used in pulling work trains during the construction of the Ueno-Takasaki section of the railway. Train load was rated at 124 tons up a 1% grade at 20 mph. Described as a "ballast engine", which means it pulled trainloads of rock to renew track ballast for the maintenance-of-way crew.

1290 lasted long enough to be reclassed. In 1958, #1291 of this class was declared a national historical monument and preserved.

Class I/B3/1100 (Locobase 10931)

Data from [] and the Japanese-language blogging site [] and [].

The diagram shows that 6 were built by Nasmyth Wilson and one by Beyer Peacock; there were likely to have been others. Trailing load rated at 180 tons up a 1% grade at 20 mph.

Class Mitsui & Company (Locobase 20485)

Data from the Tyne and Wear Archives at [], last accessed 4 November 2018. Works numbers were 2892-2900

A nonet of small six-coupled tanks yielding very little in appearance to their service on an Asian railway 10,000 miles (16,100 km) away.

Class U/7010 (Locobase 11030)

Data from []; nd "JGR Class 7010" in Steam Locomotives, Locomotive Wiki at []. .Kitson works numbers were 1914-1917 in 1874.

Of the four six-coupled freight locomotive, only two (14,16) retained that wheel arrangment. As such, they trailed 160-ton loads 160 tons on a 1% grade at 32 kph (20 miles) an hour. By 1876, the other two (18, 20) had been converted to Class N 4-4-0s, which later formed JGR Class 5100.

The 7010s ended their days hauling trains on Hokkaido.

(Vulcan produced a second quartet in 1876. These received JGR class ID 7030 in 1909.)

Class U/E1/7030 (Locobase 11037)

Data from [] and the Japanese-language blogging site [] and []. Kitson built 2 of the locomotives and 4 from Vulcan Foundry (these were works numbers 742-745).

Trailing load of 197 tons up a 1% grade at 20 mph and 98.5 tons up a 2 1/2% grade at 20 mph.

Class YZ / 1850 (Locobase 11038)

Data from [] and the Japanese-language blogging site [] and []. Dubs and Company supplied 14 of the engines and Kitson and Company produced 8.

Trailing load of 218 tons up a 1% grade at 20 mph and 109 tons up a 2 1/2% grade at 20 mph.