Japanese National Railways 2-8-4 Locomotives in Japan

Class D60 (Locobase 3839)

Data from Hiroshi Takagi, both from his website ([]) and personal communication August 2000. His indispensable assistance is gratefully acknowledged. See also A Profile of Japanese Steam Locomotives website put up in 2007 by "Toki S." at [], last accessed 26 September 2015.

Information from Ejii Nozawa's web site ([]) shows that these were rebuilt as Berks from D50 Mikes(Locobase 3838) in 1951-1956 by JNR's Works at Hamamatsu, Nagano, and Tsuchizaki.

The JNR's Hamamatsu shops began these conversions from the 1923-era D50 2-8-2s in 1951 to compensate for the retirement of the 9600-class 2-8-0s. The extra axle under the firebox allowed a redistribution of axle loadings and reduced the maximum load to that of the 9600s. Toki S says only some of the D60s actually worked on lines that were so lightly metaled (the Okoku (Kitakami), East-Banetu, Yamaguchi, and Kyudai lines). Instead, the class was scattered among several depots.

Withdrawals from service began in 1963 and 30 had been retired by 1966. By 1969, only 23 were still in service. The last was withdrawn in 1974.

Class D62 (Locobase 3842)

Data from Hiroshi Takagi, both from his website ([]) and personal communication August 2000. See also "JNR Class D62" in Wikipedia at [], last accessed 19 September 2022.

These are the heavyweight 2-8-4s, converted from D52 wartime Mikes.Wikipedia explained that accelerated wear in D52 boilers led famed designer Hideo Shima to convert the class into a Berkshire arrangement. See 3843 for the lighter variant.

Takagi's tables showed that this boiler had a large combustion chamber. He offered two values 1000 mm (39.4") and 920 mm (36.2"), but didn't provide an additional explanation for the two values. (See Locobase 3841 for a short discussion of combustion chambers in Japanese locomotives.)

Information from Ejii Nozawa's web site ([]) says that the D62s were converted in 1950-1951 at JNR's Hamamatsu Works.

JNR had retired all 20 locomotives by 1966.

Class D62/light (Locobase 3843)

Data from Hiroshi Takagi, both from his website ([]) and personal communication August 2000.

Information from Ejii Nozawa's web site ([]) says that the D62s were converted in 1950-1951 at JNR's Hamamatsu Works.

A slightly smaller cylinder (with the same 250 mm piston valve) was fitted to the D52 Mike and an additional trailing axle to turn it into a light version of the D62 Berkshire. Note that the axle loading dropped by almost 1 1/2 short tons (1,361 kg).