# China Railways PL3

The China Railways PL3 (プレニ3, Pureni, "pure") class steam locomotive was a class of 2-6-2T steam locomotives for freight trains operated by the China Railway and the Chosen Government Railway (Sentetsu) in Korea. The "Pure" name came from the American naming system for steam locomotives, under which locomotives with 2-6-2 wheel arrangement were called "Prairie".
In all, Sentetsu owned 227 locomotives of all Pure classes, whilst privately owned railways owned another 52; of these 279 locomotives, 169 went to the Korean National Railroad in South Korea and 110 to the Korean State Railway in North Korea.

## Description

Locomotives of this design were built for the Minami-Chosen Railway in Korea, the Chosen Government Railway, and the privately owned Gyeongchun Railway in Korea, as well as for the South Manchuria Railway.

### Chosen Government Railway プレナ (Purena) class

The プレナ (Purena) class locomotive was designed by the Railway Bureau based on the experiences gained through the design of modifications leading to the Pureshi-class rebuilds, and differed considerably from the imported Pure classes. The first eight were built for the Minami-Chosen Railway, with Hitachi's Kasato factory and Kawasaki each building four units; these were bought by Sentetsu in 1936 and numbered 341-348.
The design was then modified to include a superheater, but the resulting design retained the "Purena" classification; the two subclasses were thenceforward referred to as the "Original Purena" and "Bureau Purena" (局プリナ) classes. The first six Bureau Purena locomotives were built for Sentetsu in 1931 by the Gyeongseong Works; these were numbered 321 through 326. The 14 locomotives of both Purena subtypes were lumped together in Sentetsu's general renumbering of 1938, with 341–348 becoming プレナ1 through プレナ8, and 321–326 becoming プレナ9 through プレナ14. In 1938 four more were built by Nippon Sharyō and fourteen more were built at Gyeongseong. In 1939 and 1941, a total of nine were built by Kawasaki and Hitachi Kasato for the Gyeongchun Railway; these were assembled in Korea at Sentetsu's Busan shops and numbered プレナ85 through プレナ93.

### South Manchuria Railway プレサ (Puresa) class

Nineteen locomotives of the Sentetsu Purena design were built for the South Manchuria Railway (Mantetsu) in Japan in 1935. Although under the Mantetsu classification system tank locomotives were generally given the "Dabu" (ダブ, from "double-ender") classification, Mantetsu instead designated these as プレサ (Puresa) class; eight were assigned to Mantetsu's Rajin depot for use on the North Chosen Line, whilst the other ten were assigned to depots in Manchukuo.

## Postwar

After the end of the Pacific War, the locomotives owned by Sentetsu and the Gyeongchun Railway were divided between North and South Korea, whilst those belonging to Mantetsu were divided between North Korea and China.

### Korean National Railroad 푸러7 (Pureo7) class

Many Purena class locomotives ended up with the Korean National Railroad after Liberation, which designated them 푸러7 (Pureo7) class; at least 15 are known to have been operated by the KNR. All have since been scrapped.

### Korean State Railway 부러치 (Purŏch'i) class/1700 series

The Sentetsu Purena class locomotives that remained in the North after the partition of Korea were operated by the Korean State Railway, designating them 부러치 (Purŏch'i) class, and later renumbering them into the 1700 series around the early 1970s. Three examples, numbers 1709, 1718, and 1720, were operational at the steelworks in Ch'ŏngjin as of November 2019, being used for tourist events.

### Korean State Railway 부러서 (Purŏsŏ) class/1300 series

The nine Puresa-class locomotives that Mantetsu had assigned to its Rajin depot were taken over by the Korean State Railway after the war. They were initially designated 부러서 (Purŏsŏ) class - together with the Puresa-class engines inherited from Sentetsu - and were retained in use mostly around Rajin; around the early 1970s, they were renumbered into the 1300 series, though at least one's number omitted the initial '1'. At least two have been seen operational in the 21st century; one, 1304, was seen in 2001 doing shunting work at Ch'ŏngjin, while the other, 1319, is still operational as of October 2015, kept in pristine condition for use with tourist and railfan trains.
The one unit known to have omitted the initial '1', number 307, was inspected by Kim Jong-il as a child at Rajin Station on 6 September 1954. This locomotive has also been depicted on a commemorative stamp issued by the DPRK postal service.

### China Railways PL3 class

The ten Puresa-class engines that were used by Mantetsu in Manchukuo were taken over first by the joint Chinese-Soviet "Chinese Changchun Railway" (Chinese: 中國長春鐵路, Zhōngguó Chǎngchūn Tiělù; Russian: Кита́йская Чанчу́ньская желе́зная доро́га, Kitayskaya Chanchun'skaya Zheleznaya doroga), which took over Mantetsu operations within China in 1945. In 1952, the Chinese Changchun Railway was returned to China, and they were taken over by the China Railway as class ㄆㄌ3. In 1959, they were designated class PL3, numbered 51–60.

## Construction

Sentetsu Purena-class :
| Sentetsu running number | Sentetsu running number | Postwar | Postwar | | | |
| 1938–1945 | pre-1938 | Owner | Number | Builder | Year | Notes |
| プレナ1 | プレ341 | ? | ? | Hitachi Kasato | 1930 | Original Purena. Built for Gyeongchun Railway, bought by Sentetsu in 1936. |
| プレナ2 | プレ342 | ? | ? | Hitachi Kasato | 1930 | Original Purena. Built for Gyeongchun Railway, bought by Sentetsu in 1936. |
| プレナ3 | プレ343 | ? | ? | Hitachi Kasato | 1930 | Original Purena. Built for Gyeongchun Railway, bought by Sentetsu in 1936. |
| プレナ4 | プレ344 | ? | ? | Hitachi Kasato | 1930 | Original Purena. Built for Gyeongchun Railway, bought by Sentetsu in 1936. |
| プレナ5 | プレ345 | KNR | 푸러7-5 | Kawasaki | 1930 | Original Purena. Built for Gyeongchun Railway, bought by Sentetsu in 1936. |
| プレナ6 | プレ346 | ? | ? | Kawasaki | 1930 | Original Purena. Built for Gyeongchun Railway, bought by Sentetsu in 1936. |
| プレナ7 | プレ347 | ? | ? | Kawasaki | 1930 | Original Purena. Built for Gyeongchun Railway, bought by Sentetsu in 1936. |
| プレナ8 | プレ348 | ? | ? | Kawasaki | 1930 | Original Purena. Built for Gyeongchun Railway, bought by Sentetsu in 1936. |
| プレナ9 | プレ321 | KNR | 푸러7-9 | Gyeongseong | 1931 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ10 | プレ322 | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1931 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ11 | プレ323 | KNR | 푸러7-11 | Gyeongseong | 1931 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ12 | プレ324 | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1931 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ13 | プレ325 | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1931 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ14 | プレ326 | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1931 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ15 | - | KNR | 푸러7-15 | Nippon Sharyō | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ16 | - | KNR | 푸러7-16 | Nippon Sharyō | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ17 | - | KNR | 푸러7-17 | Nippon Sharyō | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ18 | - | KSR | 부러치18 → 1718 | Nippon Sharyō | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ19 | - | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ20 | - | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ21 | - | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ22 | - | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ23 | - | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ24 | - | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ25 | - | KNR | 푸러7-25 | Gyeongseong | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ26 | - | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ27 | - | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ28 | - | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ29 | - | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ30 | - | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ31 | - | KNR | 푸러7-31 | Gyeongseong | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ32 | - | ? | ? | Gyeongseong | 1938 | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ33 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ34 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ35 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ36 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ37 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ38 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ39 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ40 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ41 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ42 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ43 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ44 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ45 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ46 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ47 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ48 | - | KNR | 푸러7-48 | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ49 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ50 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ51 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ52 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ53 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ54 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ55 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ56 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ57 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ58 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ59 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ60 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ61 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ62 | - | KNR | 푸러7-62 | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ63 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ64 | - | KNR | 푸러7-64 | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ65 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ66 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ67 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ68 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ69 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ70 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ71 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ72 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ73 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ74 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ75 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ76 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ77 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ78 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ79 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ80 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ81 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ82 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ83 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ84 | - | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bureau Purena. |
| プレナ85 | - | KNR | 푸러7-85 | Kawasaki | 1939 | Bureau Purena; Gyeongchun Railway. Assembled in Busan. |
| プレナ86 | - | KNR | 푸러7-86 | Kawasaki | 1939 | Bureau Purena; Gyeongchun Railway. Assembled in Busan. |
| プレナ87 | - | KNR | 푸러7-87 | Kawasaki | 1939 | Bureau Purena; Gyeongchun Railway. Assembled in Busan. |
| プレナ88 | - | KNR | 푸러7-88 | Kawasaki | 1939 | Bureau Purena; Gyeongchun Railway. Assembled in Busan. |
| プレナ89 | - | KNR | 푸러7-89 | Kawasaki | 1939 | Bureau Purena; Gyeongchun Railway. Assembled in Busan. |
| プレナ90 | - | KNR | 푸러7-90 | Kawasaki | 1939 | Bureau Purena; Gyeongchun Railway. Assembled in Busan. Derelict by 1953. |
| プレナ91 | - | KNR | 푸러7-91 | Kawasaki | 1939 | Bureau Purena; Gyeongchun Railway. Assembled in Busan. |
| プレナ92 | - | KNR | 푸러7-92 | Kawasaki | 1939 | Bureau Purena; Gyeongchun Railway. Assembled in Busan. |
| プレナ93 | - | KNR | 푸러7-93 | Hitachi Kasato | 1941 | Bureau Purena; Gyeongchun Railway. Assembled in Busan. |
Mantetsu Puresa-class. Due to renumbering, original identities of the ten Chinese locomotives not yet known. :
| | Postwar | Postwar | | | |
| Mantetsu number | Owner | Number | Builder | Year | Notes |
| プレサ1 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ1 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ1 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ4 | KSR | 부러서4 → 1304 | Japan | 1935 | Active at Ch'ongjin in 2001. |
| プレサ5 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ6 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ7 | KSR | 부러서7 → 307 | Japan | 1935 | inspected by Kim Jong-il as a child at Rajin Station on 6 September 1954. |
| プレサ8 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ9 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ10 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ11 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ12 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ13 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ14 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ15 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ16 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ17 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ18 | | | Japan | 1935 | |
| プレサ19 | KSR | 부러서19 → 1319 | Japan | 1935 | Operational as of October 2015. |