The Class C62 is a type of 4-6-4

4-6-4

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles .Other equivalent classifications are:UIC classification:...

 steam locomotive built by Japanese National Railways

Japanese National Railways

, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987.-History:The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization...

. The C classification indicates three sets of driving wheels. The C62 was built with a 4-6-4 frame, upon which was mounted the boiler of the JNR Class D52

JNR Class D52

The Class D52 is a type of 2-8-2 steam locomotive built by the Japanese Government Railways and various manufacturers from 1943 to 1946. The name consists of a "D" for the four sets of driving wheels and the class number 52 for tender locomotives that the numbers 50 through 99 were assigned to...

 2-8-2 locomotives.

These were the largest and fastest steam passenger locomotives to run in Japan, and hauled the Tsubame express on the Tōkaidō Main Line

Tokaido Main Line

The is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities...

 between Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

 and Osaka

Osaka

is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

. Forty nine were built from 1948 to 1949. The last examples in regular service were withdrawn in 1973.

A class C62 locomotive, C62 17, broke the speed record for a narrow-gauge steam locomotive

Land speed record for railed vehicles

Determination of the fastest rail vehicle in the world varies depending on the definition of "rail".Official absolute world record for conventional train is held by the French TGV...

 on 15 December 1954 when it reached 129 km/h (80.2 mph) on the Tōkaidō Main Line

Tokaido Main Line

The is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities...

. This locomotive was preserved in a park in Nagoya, and later moved to the SCMaglev and Railway Park in Nagoya.

Preserved examples

• C62 2: Preserved in working order by JR West at the Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum
  Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum
  is a railway museum located in Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan. Opened in 1972, the locomotive depot preserves 19 steam locomotives.The museum is owned by West Japan Railway Company and is operated by Transportation Culture Promotion Foundation.-Facility:...
  
   in Kyoto
• C62 17: On display at the SCMaglev and Railway Park in Nagoya
• C62 26: On display at the Modern Transportation Museum
  Modern Transportation Museum
  The is the corporate museum of the West Japan Railway Company in Osaka, Japan. It opened in 1962, next to Bentencho Station on the Osaka Loop Line...
  
  in Osaka

External links