Hokkaido Cho 2-6-0 Locomotives in Japan

Class 27 / 7500 (Locobase 10966)

Data from Record of Recent Construction #54 (Baldwin Locomotive Works, 1905), p.22-23; DeGolyer, Volume 26, p. 139 and Volume 27, p. 107; and from []. Works numbers were 23090 in October 1903; 23114, 23129-23130 in November; and 24548-

24549 in August 1904.

The latter pair was a repeat of the 1903 engines with some addition. In particular, Baldwin had to provide for the fitting of an 8 ft wide snowplow on the front of the pilot. (Winter scenes from Japan's most northern Home Island explain such a necessity.) The plow had to be "easily disconnected from engine when necessary."

The earlier spec had specifically advised: "no square heads on stay bolts and no chippping or shearing of ends after stay bolts in place." Reflecting some customer annoyance, the message in the same location in the second order peremptorally stated: "Give special attentioni to details. Special care to be taken with finish."

The stipulations apparently reflect remarks in a 20 July 1904 letter from SMV Jr (possibly Samuel Vauclain himself?) "about the details of these engines." Another spec note insisted that the maximum axle loading should be no more than 11 metric tons ("24,600 lb) and adds: "this must be strictly adhered to. [last three words underlined]."

Locobase supposes the verbal version of these comments might have had a blunter, crisper edge to them. In any case, he wasn't surprised to read: "S M V will inspect in addition to inspection by Joseph W Crawford. Send Mr Crawford copies of all orders for materials, also notify him so that he can be present to witness boiler test."

Class B5/Ea/7300 (Locobase 10964)

Data from []; and from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 25, p. 137. See also "JGR Class 7300" in Steam Locomotives, Locomotive Wiki at [], last accessed 21 January 2024. Works numbers were 21610-21613 in February 1903

This quartet joined several other batches of Moguls with very similar dimensions on Japan's northernmost main island. Hauling freight at first Asahikawa near the island's center and Fukagawa, roughly 15 km to the southwest. Once incorporated into the Japanese Government Railways as Class 7300, they shunted rolling stock in Muroran, south of Sapporo on the northern shores of Uchiura Bay.

All were reiterd by 1933.