Kiso Forest 0-4-2 Locomotives in Japan

Class 11 (Locobase 14412)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines, as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 60, p. 63, 65. See also William Viekman, "The Baldwins of Upper Pine," Trains (October 1959), pp. 26. Works numbers were 56632 in May 1923 and 58612 in August 1925.

Locomotive broker Frazar & Company frequently ordered such locomotives for a variety of Japanese industrial and forest-management companies. These two were essentially repeats of the 1921 tanks (Locobase 14411), although they weighed a bit more. All used the Rushton Improved spark-arresting stack.

When the 6 left Kiso service in 1960, it was brought back to the United States in 1960, converted to oil burning and regauged to 3 feet (914 mm). It is on display at the California State Railroad Museum.

Class 15 (Locobase 14413)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines, as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Vol 60, p. 63, 65 and Vol 79, p. 415+ . See also William Viekman, "The Baldwins of Upper Pine," Trains (October 1959), pp. 26- , archived at [] . Works numbers were 60069 in June 1927, 60539 in June 1928, and 60873-60874 in June 1929.

Locomotive broker Frazar & Company frequently ordered such locomotives for a variety of Japanese industrial and forest-management companies. Viekman reported in 1959 that Kiso Forest had no intention, and really no need, to dispose of the Baldwins it had acquired between 1915 and 1929 (Locobases 14410, 14412-14413). Each engine could manage 10-20 carloads of timber downhill (empties traveled uphill). Engine crews, praised said Viekman, "the excellent performance and, thanks to sturdy springs, a well-cushioned ride."

Class 2 (Locobase 14410)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines, as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 60, p. 71. See also William Viekman, "The Baldwins of Upper Pine," Trains (October 1959), pp. 26, archived at [] . Works numbers were 41997 in April 1915 and 54837-54839 in January 1921.

Although the railway was new, penetrating as it did into the cypress and chestnut woods of Central Honshu's Japanese Alps, the locomotive design had already been tried by the Japanese Imperial Forestry Bureau several years before (see Locobase 13226). All of the engines could burn coal or wood, but all were fitted with spark-arresting stacks. the 1915 locomotive used a diamond stack of unspecified design, while those of 1921 used the Rushton Improved, which was derived from the long-used Radley & Hunter.

When it was complete, the Kiso's total track mileage came to 62.86 miles (101 km) of which 30.13 (48.5 km) was the main line, a stretch of "rugged mountain railroading, curves, trestles, tunnels, and some breath-taking altitudes." (Viekman had already noted that the Kiso's headquarters town of Agematsu (Upper Pine) lay at about 2,500 feet/762 metres above sea level.) Between Takagoshi and Miura at the end, the ruling grade ran 4% and curves were extremely tight. Miura's station was 4,406 feet (1,343 metres) above sea level.

The main line had 70 trestles and 25 tunnels as well as 4% grades

Locomotive broker Frazar & Company frequently ordered such locomotives for a variety of Japanese industrial and forest-management companies.

7 returned to California where it steamed for a while on Philip Goldman's Goleta & Shore Line Railroad before being donated to the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum for restoration.