Breakthrough in Japanese Railways 6

Change to Domestic Production of Railway
Rolling Stock in Japan
Ichiro Tsutsumi

Railway as Force for JapaneseModernization(Imperial Government Railways or IGR), and of American

This article explains the history of domestic production of

Hokkaido, everything, from surveying and construction torailway rolling stock in Japan; it covers steam and internalmanagement, was done by Japanese. Private railways were

combustion locomotives, as well as carriages and wagons,

built in Kyushu and Shikoku under the guidance of a German

including internal combustion railcars. Electric trains forming

railway engineer who also supervised the construction of an

the heart of today’s railways in Japan are explained inindustrial line at Besshi copper mine in Shikoku.

engineers for railways for the Hokkaido Development
Commissioners used to spearhead the opening up ofBoth the IGR and the private railways were constructed toanother article.
The first railway line in Japan opened in October 1872

the narrow-gauge specification of 3 feet 6 inches (1067 mm).

between Tokyo and Yokohama under direct control of the

When railway construction first started, the Engineer-in-Chief

Meiji government. It was a public passenger and freight

E. Morell (1840–71) asked the government to select a gauge

railway modelled on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway

but they knew nothing about such matters and adopted the(L&MR) opened in Great Britain in September 1830, andgauge in Morell’s proposal. This narrow gauge still continues

brought unseen western technology to a modernizing Japanto cause technical problems for Japanese railways today.

just emerging from the feudal shogunate system.

However, Japanese railway engineers successfully achieved

In November 1871, a year before the first railway opened

high speeds and good safety on narrow-gauge tracks overin Japan, the Meiji government sent a mission of 48 people,

weak alluvial ground and on grades. They also continued to

led by the Minister of the Right Tomomi Iwakura (1825-83)

make great efforts to develop technology aimed at switching

to Europe and America. They returned 22 months later after

to ‘broad’ gauge (standard gauge) and to manufacture

crossing the Atlantic from America to Great Britain. The

rolling stock domestically.

officials, who had seen the fruits of the Industrial Revolution,

Most of the ‘officially hired foreigners’ were British

drew up a framework for Japan’s modernization based on

because the Meiji government had sought financial

the slogan of ‘Enrich the country, strengthen the military, andassistance from Great Britain as a consultant, and theencourage new industry’.

Industrial Revolution in Britain had created a surplus of‘Enrich the country, strengthen the military…’ aimed toskilled railway engineers with both specialized technicalconstruct an affluent state with mining and manufacturing as

skills and leadership skills after leading railway construction

its industrial base; ‘… encourage new industry’ aimed at thein the British colonies of South Africa, Australia, Ceylon (nowevolution in Japan of the Industrial Revolution that had begun

Sri Lanka), and India. However, these advisers graduallyin Great Britain. This meant a shift from the existing system

returned home as Japanese trainees took over the core of

based on agriculture to one based on mining, manufacturing

the practical work, such as civil engineering, operations,and trade. The goal for Japanese industry was to assure

management, and manufacturing. It was part of the terms

domestic manufacture.

of their employment, as was the high remuneration theyAt the time, there was an urgent need to introduce thereceived. Given these circumstances, there were highscientific knowledge and new technology required for the

expectations for Japan’s railways as a major force in therailway, which was essential for industry as well as for mining

country’s modernization.

and metallurgy, shipbuilding, machinery, telegraphy, electrical

Introduction of Technology for
Manufacturing Rolling Stocksupply, construction (architecture) and printing. The quickest
way was to invite engineers from the West to give on-the-job
training to Japanese who would go on to take the lead ineach industry. After the early training, using the advice ofThis section discusses the introduction of technologies

British engineers for the government-run railways on Honshu

supporting domestic production of rolling stock. ‘Domestic

Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 56 • Dec 201036

Breakthrough in Japanese Railways 5

Domestic Production of Carriages and Wagons

production’ here means the manufacture of products inJapan (by Japanese) even using imported items andmaterials. In general, introduction of new technology is aWith the exception of internal combustion railcars discussed

phased process of digestion and establishment. For rolling

later, carriages and wagons have no motive power and arestock, it consists of the following five phases.

hauled by locomotives. Their role is to carry passengers andfreight, so railways always have large fleets of both. When

Phase 1: In this phase, the new technology is introduced as

the first line between Tokyo and Yokohama opened, it used

a complete system; locomotives, carriages, and wagons are

58 carriages and 75 wagons imported from Great Britain.

imported as semi-finished products from the catalogue of

These arrived as semi-finished products. The wooden bodies

an overseas rolling-stock manufacturer and are assembled

and main-frame components, and the steel parts, suchand used under the tutelage of foreign mentors. In thisas bogies and wheel sets, were assembled by Japanesestage, the Japanese trainees mastered practical skills andtrainees working under foreign instruction, work which

technical expertise by assembling and operating products.

provided them with very beneficial practical experience. The

Use of rolling stock causes wear and tear, so spare parts forimported items were then used as patterns with only steel

maintenance and repair are imported too.

parts being imported subsequently. Four-wheeled carriages

From this point on, the technical level for domestic

were manufactured at the IGR Kobe Works in 1875, andproduction is indicated by the degree of responsibility borneat the Shimbashi Works in 1879, continuing to about 1900.

by Japanese engineers in (a) production planning, (b)The main domestically produced parts at that time were

design of mechanisms and parts, (c) parts manufacturing,wooden bodies. These were manufactured by experiencedand (d) assembly and adjustment.

carpenters who drew on skills amassed up until the Edo era
in building Japanese-style boats, houses, and furniture.

Phase 2: In this phase, some machine parts are manufactured

The standard four-wheel carriage had a length between

under the tutelage of skilled mentors; carriages and wagons

23 ft (7010 mm) and 25 ft (7620 mm), and a wheelbase of

are remodelled and manufactured because these processes

12 ft (3658 mm) or 12.5 ft (3810 mm). Domestic steel for therequire only low skill levels. Locomotives are not handledcarriage main frame had to wait until 1904, when government

because they require advanced technological competencesteelworks started producing steady supplies; the same was

acquired through both technical training and on-the-job

true for materials for rails and bridges.

training in inspection and repair.

Meanwhile, nine large four-wheel bogie wooden carriages
were used at the opening of the IGR line between Osaka

Phase 3: This phase builds on the experience from phaseand Kobe; one third-class carriage was manufactured at

2. Although foreign-made products are used for major

the Kobe Works. It consisted of two, linked four-wheel, third-

rolling-stock components, other parts are manufactured

class cars with 10 seats in each divided open passenger

domestically and the rolling stock is assembled andspace and a total capacity of 100 passengers. It had acompleted. Manufacture of rolling stock during the mid-Meiji

prototype Adams Bogie with a composite structure of wood

era by IGR and private railways comes in this category.

and iron. Four-wheel bogie carriages had better runningstability and ride comfort than four-wheel carriages, making

Phase 4 : In this phase, everything from materials tothem better suited to mass transport, so demand increased

parts as well as essential machine tools is manufactured

yearly. Fifty-six were imported from Great Britain when thedomestically. Japan started mass-production of steel from

Tokaido main line opened in July 1889. In addition to the IGR

government steelworks in 1904 and it was supplied to

Shimbashi and Kobe works, the works of private railways

domestic manufacturers of rolling-stock main frames andsuch as San’yo Railway, Kansai Railway and Nippon Railway

running gear.

built many distinctive carriages and wagons. The designers
and builders were all Japanese.

Phase 5: In this last phase, the mastered technologies and

The very best of these carriages belonged to the Imperial

expertise are exported and technical assistance is provided

Household for private use. The first Imperial carriage (Markto other countries.

1) was a four-wheel wooden carriage built at the IGR Kobe
Works under the supervision of W. M. Smith (1842–1906),

Based on this background, we will discuss examples

the first locomotive superintendent (chief mechanicalof the manufacturing of coaches and wagons first, andengineer or CME). It is a masterpiece combining thethen locomotives.

latest technology of the day with the elegance of beautiful
Japanese ornamentation. The Meiji Emperor made the return
trip in it at the opening of the IGR line between Kyoto and37

Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 56 • Dec 2010

Kobe in 1877. It was designated as a ‘railway monument’ by

reinforcements) were still being fitted on both sides of thethe former Japanese National Railways (JNR) in 1958, andunderframe. These carriages were manufactured by three

as a ‘national cultural property’ in 2003. It is the oldest extant

Railway Agency-designated companies: Kisha Seizo (Tokyo

four-wheel Japanese wooden carriage.

Works, formerly Hiraoka Works), Nippon Sharyo Seizo (nowAt the end of the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, the Diet

Nippon Sharyo), and Kawasaki Shipyard Co.

promulgated the 1906 Railway Nationalization Act to create

In response to freight demands, the wagon capacity was

the IGR network as quickly as possible by nationalizing

also increased from 10 to 15 tons or more, and large four-

the lines of 17 private railway companies, including Nippon

wheel bogie wagons appeared. The wagon main frames

Railway, San’yo Railway, and Kyushu Railway. Nationalization

and bodies were initially wood and steel, but changed to

had two objectives: to connect and develop the regions, anddomestic steel, and various wagons tailored to shippers’

to secure rapid military transport in emergencies. A unified

needs appeared on lines across Japan.

transport network required railways throughout Japan to

Carriage design changed when the Ministry of Railways

adopt the same narrow gauge but the private railways had

was created in 1920. After some tragic accidents, plans

used unique designs so the use of standardized rollingwere made to strengthen the bodies of wooden carriages;

stock had to wait for rolling stock standards from the Railway

a fishbelly underframe and semi-steel body with frame andAgency established in 1908.

outer panels of steel and wood interior were adopted. TheseIn 1910, the Railway Agency designed carriages with ainclude the general-purpose Oha 30 and the wide-window

length of 17 m, such as the Hoha 12000, which had a larger

express Oha 35. Private rolling stock works designatedbody cross-section than existing carriages. From 1919, itby the Ministry of Railways built them. When JNR was

designed four-wheel bogie standard carriages with a lengthestablished in 1949, Suha 42 was designed for main-lineof 20 m, such as the Naha 22000, serving lines throughout

expresses, and the next surge in demand for passenger

Japan. Domestic steel was used for the main frames andtransport led to mass-production of Naha 10 for express

running gear of the Railway Agency-designed wooden

trains using a monocoque structure to lighten the bodyfour-wheel bogie carriages, but truss rods (main-frame

and the underframe. Pallet- and container wagons became

Hoha 12000 carriage built in 1910

(The Railway Museum)Wamu 1 covered wagon with 15-ton capacity

(The Railway Museum)Oha 35 wide-window express carriage

(The Railway Museum)Taki 50000 tank wagon for transporting gasoline

(The Railway Museum)Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 56 • Dec 201038

Breakthrough in Japanese Railways 5

widespread with mass-production of the large Wamu 80000

technology, design and manufacture. Instead, the Ministry

covered wagons, container wagons, refrigerator cars andof Railways designed Kihani 5000, a unique, small, four-wagons exclusively for car transport; these were used towheel internal combustion railcar, which was manufactured

transport freight between hubs. Tanker wagons for chemical

by Nippon Sharyo in 1929. However, Kihani 5000 design

and petroleum became increasingly bigger. A new designconcept differed from that of the small lightweight internalof light bogie was developed with a roller bearing to makecombustion railcars of private manufacturers. The bodytransportation more efficient. This system became central tosteel thickness was the same as the steel four-wheel

freight transport and is still in use today.

bogie carriage stipulated by the Ministry. The engine andrunning gear followed Ministry policy of using domestic

Internal Combustion Railcars

parts, but there was no suitable large automotive engine,

The 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake inflicted tremendous

so a remodelled gasoline marine engine (40 PS) by Ikegai

damage on Tokyo and other cities including the railways.

Tekkosho was installed under the floor. The transmission

As alternative transport to the devastated trams, the Tokyo

was mechanical and the radiator was installed in front of theMunicipal Electric Bureau made an emergency import ofroof like German internal combustion railcars. The running

800 Ford model-T truck chassis to build buses with wooden

gear was a four-wheel single bogie (bearing spring withbodies. These buses were convenient and cheap to operatesliding bearing) with improvements for comfort. However,compared to railways and trams, so bus operators grew

despite its small size Kihani 5000 weighed 15.5 tons due tothroughout Japan. The impact was felt most strongly by

the sturdy body and main frame. This weight did not match

small to medium local private railways. As a countermeasure

the low output of the remodelled Ikegai Tekkosho marine

to buses running along roads parallel to tracks, railways

engine, and performance was poor. Although there werecreated new stops and started operating cheap, cost-foreign engines with large horsepower, the requirement toeffective, single railcars powered by internal combustion.

use domestic goods doomed Kihani 5000 to failure. In 1931,

The kidojidosha (automobile type railcar) developed by

Nippon Sharyo and Kawasaki Sharyo each manufactured a

Nippon Sharyo is a good example.

Kihani 36450 large internal combustion/electrical railcar. A

The same phenomenon occurred on the Ministry ofgasoline engine (200 PS) by Ikegai Tekkosho was installed

Railways regional lines where carriages and wagons wereand connected directly to a 135-kW DC generator powering

hauled by steam locomotives. However, the Ministry did

two 80-kW traction motors in the bogie. This was the first

not ask for help from private rolling-stock manufacturers,

domestic internal combustion (petrol)/electrical railcar but

who were ahead in terms of internal combustion engine

it was scrapped later because the 49.1-ton weight was tooheavy for the power output.
Kiha 36900 (later Kiha 41000) is an example of adomestic medium-size internal combustion (petrol) railcar
with lighter weight matching the four-wheel bogie engine
output. The Ministry’s policy on internal combustion (petrol)
railcar design was threefold. First, it should operate as asingle-car train without considering impact at the front of themainframe; when out of service it should be coupled to theback of a train. Second, the construction and compositionof all parts should be lightened, regardless of compatibility
with existing parts or standards. Third, the Ministry itself
would develop a petrol underfloor engine using domestic
parts. The 36 Kiha 41000 railcars completed in April 1933
had a body length of 15,500 mm and an unladen weight of
20.0 tons. The Ministry-designed GMF13 petrol engine (100PS) was installed under the floor and the bogie was a TR26
bar-truck constructed of band steel with roller bearings. Kiha
41000 performed well and 136 units were mass-produced byprivate rolling stock works by 1936. They were in widespread
operation throughout Japan, mainly on provincial lines. In
1935, Kiha 42000 appeared with a body length of 19,000 mm
and higher passenger capacity. The front was streamlined,

Wamu 80000 covered wagon

and an underfloor GMH17 (150 PS) petrol engine was fitted.

(The Railway Museum)

39

Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 56 • Dec 2010

Kiha 41000 medium-size gasoline railcar (The Railway Museum)Series Kiha 82 DMU for limited express services

(The Railway Museum)

Kiha 17 diesel railcar (The Railway Museum)Series Kiha 58 DMU for ordinary express services

(The Railway Museum)End car of Asakaze limited express (Tokyo–Hakata) composed of Series 20
air-conditioned sleeping carriage
(The Railway Museum)Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 56 • Dec 2010

The other end car of Asakaze with power generator for lighting andair-conditioning
(The Railway Museum)40

Breakthrough in Japanese Railways 5

It was used widely for passenger transport, along with Kiha

around cities. The series of internal combustion railcars was

41000, and 62 units were manufactured by 1937.

manufactured by private rolling stock works, such as Niigata

The successors to Kihani 36450 internal combustion

Tekkosho, Hitachi Limited, Fuji Heavy Industries, Kisha(petrol)/electrical railcar were the two Kiha 43000 railcars

Seizo, Tokyu Car Corporation, Nippon Sharyo, Kinki Sharyo,completed by Kawasaki Sharyo in 1937 inspired by

Teikoku Sharyo, and Kawasaki Sharyo.

successful operation of the streamlined Fliegende Hamburger

At the same time, high-power engines were being

diesel/EMU express in Germany in 1933. Kiha 43000 was adeveloped to replace two-engine installations. Kiha 60

streamlined diesel electrical railcar with a directly connectedwith 400-PS engine appeared in 1960, and a prototype

150 -kW generator and underfloor 240 - PS horizontal

internal combustion railcar with 1050-PS CT58 gas turbine

supercharged engine designed in collaboration by thewas built as a Japan Association of Rolling Stock Industries

Ministry, Niigata Tekkosho, Ikegai Tekkosho, and Mitsubishi

project; it did not get as far as practical use. 1968 marked

Shipyard. Three-engine models were manufactured; two 80-

the start of mass-production of Series Kiha 181 internal

kWDC motors were mounted on the bogie on the coupled

combustion express railcar with a two-shaft drive and 500-

side and they were operated as multiple units consisting ofPS diesel engine. It is still used today. However, the internal

three carriages with an intermediate trailer between.

combustion railcars designed in the postwar years are

Fuel rationing started as WWII intensified and there

wearing out. Some still remain or are preserved, but thewas a sharp drop in the operation frequency of internal

railcars that underpinned Japan’s modernization are coming

combustion railcars as the war drew to an end. With theto the end of their days.

1949 creation of JNR and improvements in fuel supply, large

Steam Locomotives

diesel railcars replaced models using substitute fuels, suchas natural gas and coal gas during fuel rationing. This wasfollowed by completion of Kiha 44000 in August 1952, an

The construction and mechanisms of steam locomotives

internal combustion (diesel)/electrical railcar fitted with aare much more complex than carriages and wagons.

Ministry-designed standard DMH17 diesel engine (150 PS).

Since domestic production is difficult without advanced

In addition, an improved version of the torque-convertermechanical engineering, practical skills and technicalhydraulic transmission developed before the war was fitted

expertise acquired through first-hand experience, domestic

to Kiha 42500 and Kiha 44500. Its good performance inproduction proceeded gradually, starting with remodelling ofmultiple unit control meant that postwar Japanese internal

imported locomotives. The extension of the IGR line to Kyoto

combustion railcars were configured with hydraulicin 1876 led to a shortage of locomotives for passenger trains

multiple unit control combining DMH17 diesel engines withso the Kobe Works under the supervision of W. M. Smith,hydraulic transmissions (TC-2, DF115). Series Kiha 10 wereconverted two freight 7010 0-6-0 tender locomotives tomanufactured from 1953 as the first mass-produced hydraulicpassenger 5100 4-4-0 tender locomotives. The remodellingtransmission internal combustion railcar. It was followed in

involved dismantling the first driving wheels, removing part

1956 by Series Kiha 55 for local expresses and Kiha 20 forof the main frame, and fitting a four-wheel lead bogie. The

general use; both had a larger body cross-section. The next

existing 43-inch (1092 mm) driving wheels were replaced byrailcars (Kiha 50, 51, and 52) had two built-in engines for

55-inch (1397 mm) wheels but the boiler was unchanged.

higher power output on lines with steeper grades.

That a locomotive could be remodelled only 4 years after

1960 marked the start of the high economic growth

Japan’s first railway opened is an indication of the skills of

period. As living standards rose, line electrification and

the Japanese trainee engineers. In 1884, two 4-4-0 tankthe change to internal combustion traction for top-classlocomotives manufactured in 1882 were remodelled intotrains led to more frequent and faster services as well as

4-4-0 tender locomotives at the Kobe Works under the

repeatedly revised railway timetables. The ‘bonneted’ Kiha

supervision of B. F. Wright, the second CME.

81 internal combustion express railcar with two horizontal

A historic project to build the first domestic steam

DMH17H engines (180 PS), appeared in 1960, and was

locomotive at the Kobe Works was launched in 1888 bymodified and improved to Kiha 82 with gangways and highRichard F. Trevithick (1845 –1913), the third CME anddriver’s cab for the October 1961 timetable revision. Kiha

grandson of the inventor of the steam locomotive, Richard

58 was mass-produced for express trains; diesel expresses

Trevithick (1771–1833). The Class 860 (dubbed No. 221 andwere operated on non-electrified lines throughout Japan and

No. 137 before becoming the Class 860) used parts and steel

the increased speeds improved rail services. Meanwhile,

imported from Great Britain. Its manufacture took 8 months

Series Kiha 30 commuter internal combustion railcar withand it was completed in 1893. It ran between Kyoto, Osaka

horizontal DMH17H engine was mass-produced from 1961 toand Kobe and achieved good results in trials comparing its

transport commuters from rapidly growing residential areas

performance with imported locomotives. It had the standard

41

Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 56 • Dec 2010

2-4-2 wheel arrangement of the day but it was a compound
cylinder locomotive, making maintenance difficult. After
operating between Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe, it was transferredto the Sakhalin Railway where it ended its service. As the first
domestically built steam locomotive, it could be called anational treasure and its loss without preservation is a gap inJapan’s industrial technology history.
Trevithick eventually returned to Great Britain in 1904
but the Kobe Works manufactured as many as 34 steam
locomotives under his supervision, a testament to thehard work and perseverance of his trainees, Mori Hikozo

Class 9600 freight locomotive (2-8-0)

(The Railway Museum)Class 8620 passenger locomotive (2-6-0)

(The Railway Museum)(1867–1958) and Ota Kichimatsu (18??–1927). In 1896, Moribecame manager of the Kobe Works and was in charge ofinspection of completed Class 230 steam locomotives, 41of which were mass-produced by Kisha Seizo from 1902.
Both men transferred to the Shimbashi Works when the
Kobe Works closed in 1915. Mori then worked for the South
Manchurian Railway before becoming headmaster of Nagoya
Technical College in 1920. Ota transferred to Kawasaki
Shipyard’s Hyogo factory where he worked on the design
and manufacture of the Classes 6700 and 6760 passenger
train steam locomotives using the Railway Agency’s standard
4-4-0 wheel arrangement, and the Classes 9550 and 9600
freight train steam locomotives with the 2-8-0 arrangement.
Design of a standard steam locomotive began
in 1908 when the Railway Agency was created after the
1906–07 railway nationalization. The main reasons were
because the first imported steam locomotives were wearing
out, and because maintenance of the diverse types wasdifficult and costs were mounting. First, the Railway Agency
manufactured Class 6700 saturated steam passenger train
tender locomotives at Kisha Seizo and Kawasaki Shipyard. It
was then decided to build a larger, high-performance steam
locomotive than existing types to haul limited express trains
between Shimbashi and Shimonoseki. The Railway Agency

conditions. First, a Class 6750 superheated version of thesent specifications to locomotive manufacturers in the Westsaturated passenger train tender locomotive Class 6700

for a ‘superheated (steam generated by boiler superheated

was manufactured at Kawasaki Shipyard from 1913. Then, ato 350° to 400°C in superheated tubes) tender locomotive

Class 6760 improved version of the 6750 was manufactured

with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement, and a wheel diameter ofat Kawasaki Shipyard from 1914. What is more, 687 Class

1600 mm’ to import samples for use as reference designs.

8620 passenger 2-6-0 tender locomotives were built at

In 1911, just 2 months after the order was placed, a Borsig

Kisha Seizo and Kawasaki Shipyard from 1914. To save

Class 8850 arrived from Germany, followed by a Schwarzkopf

costs, the leading bogie was connected to the first driving

Class 8800, and North British Class 8700 (saturated steam).

wheel by a linkage, a design that took operation on curves

However, the American ALCO Class 8900 that arrived had ainto consideration.

different 4-6-2 wheel arrangement. Class 8850 had a main-

The same process was followed for freight locomotives.

bar underframe cut from thick steel plates and the boiler was

A Class 9550 saturated steam tender locomotive was

located over the driving wheels. Class 8800 performed well

produced at Kawasaki Shipyard from 1912. Furthermore, 770

and the superiority of its superheating was clear. The firebox

superheated Class 9600 tender locomotives were built atof Class 8900 was located over the trailing wheels and the

Kawasaki Shipyard and Kisha Seizo from 1913. Class 6760

fire grate was large.

and 8620 for hauling passenger trains had standardized main

The Railway Agency adopted all the good points of theseparts, including boiler, cylinders and 1600-mm wheels forsample locomotives to design a series that suited Japaneseservice compatibility. Unlike the Meiji era, locomotive building

Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 56 • Dec 201042

Breakthrough in Japanese Railways 5Class C51 4-6-2 express passenger locomotive ( The Railway Museum)

Modified version of Class C51 with smoke deflectors
(The Railway Museum)Class D51 locomotive

Class D51 locomotive photographed in Mito Yard in 1942
(The Railway Museum)(The Railway Museum)was entrusted to private works chosen by the Railway Agency.

driving wheels made of a single piece of cast steel. Class C59

The person in charge of allocating work was the Machining

passenger locomotives, and D51 freight locomotive came

Section Chief of the Railway Agency, Yasujiro Shima (1870–

out in quick succession. The design of this series of Ministry1946), the first and second chairman of The Japan Society

locomotives proceeded through collaboration between theof Mechanical Engineers (JSME) established in 1924. This

Ministry and private builders and was not confined to steam

method was chosen to promote domestic manufacture bylocomotives; the same procedure was followed for EF52 DC

boosting technical skills in mechanical engineering, andelectric locomotives and EF53 onward.

railway works became specialized in maintenance and repair

The Ministry designers took Japan’s topography withof rolling stock. As mentioned before, forty-one Class 230 2-

many alluvial plains and grades into account. Before

4-2 tank engines were built from 1902 at Kisha Seizo; Class

installing the large boilers used in Western locomotives, it

230 was the first mass-produced tank engine manufactured

gave due thought to axle loads that would suit all stretches

by Japanese.

of lines. Efficient maintenance work was important as

When the Railway Agency became the Ministry of

was standardization of driving wheel diameters andRailways in 1920, new steam locomotives were designed tocompatibility of major parts; the Walschaerts valve gear

run on narrow gauge with the same performance as standard

was also standard. In other words, this group of locomotives

gauge. First, Kisha Seizo and Mitsubishi Shipyard built 289

prioritized economics in the design, and it was left to theunits of Class C51 4-6-2 tender passenger locomotive withadvanced technical skills of railway engineers to use themlarge driving wheels of 1750 mm from 1919, followed fromon the various lines.

1923 by 380 units of Class D50 2-8-2 tender freight locomotive

The same was true of tracks. Trains were operated

built by Kawasaki, Kisha Seizo, Hitachi and Nippon Sharyo.

thanks to the tremendous efforts of skilled engineers working

These locomotives had a larger boiler than previously, and theon each track section. The age of the steam locomotive truly

fire grate in the firebox over the following wheels was larger towas an age when technical skills were central. Of the many

generate more steam. A main-bar underframe cut from thick

Ministry-designed steam locomotives, the most numerous

steel plates was used for the first time in Class D50. These

was Class D51 2-8-2 tender freight locomotive with 1115

were expanded upon in classes C53 (three cylinders), C55,

units built from 1926. It was a very significant locomotive inand C57, which changed from spoked driving wheels to boxedwhich all parts were produced domestically. Yasujiro Shima’s

43Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 56 • Dec 2010

oldest son, Hideo Shima (1901–98), who is also famous as

DC11 had an Esslingen/MAN electric system (MAN 600-PS

the father of the shinkansen, was in charge of its design.

engine and two 190-kW traction motors driven by a 380-kW

Such experience and excellent results made a tremendous

generator). As soon as they arrived at Kobe Port, they were

contribution to the postwar mass-production of rolling stock

taken to Takatori Works where data was collected for design

and the growth of Japanese industry. After WWII, classesof domestically built locomotives by carefully dismantling

C60, C61 and C62 passenger tender locomotives (all 4-

them, drawing the parts and then reassembling them. They

6-4) and Class D62 freight tender locomotive (2-8-4) weretook a long time to reach Japan because they were war

built based on the Ministry-designed steam locomotives.

reparations and also because diesel locomotive design andHowever, they were soon decommissioned as more lines

manufacturing technologies were not fully established inbecame electrified and internal combustion engines

Germany and they were difficult to manufacture. German

replaced steam. In recent years, passenger operators in the

diesel locomotive engines were either submarine (U-boat)

JR groups are bringing back some old steam locomotives

engines or modified submarine engine designs; apparently

due to demand for industrial tourism.

there were no diesel engines for railway use even by

As a side note, a steam railcar based on a steam

1924 because the size, mass and operational reliability oflocomotive towing carriage with a small engine room withsubmarine engines made them ideal for railway engines,

boiler and running gear (cylinders and driving wheels) atdemonstrating the excellent and reliable performance ofthe front was manufactured by Kisha Seizo and adopted by

motors designed for military purposes.

some provincial private railways. The patent belonged to

These German diesel locomotives were used to shunt

Kisha Seizo’s Kudo Heijiro and the design was known as thewagons on the Kobe Port Line and to haul freight trains

Kudo Steam Railcar or Kiha 6400 and 6450. They were used

between Takatori and Himeji. However, they often broke

for local transport because they carried less water and coal

down and were taken out of service in 1935 to be scrapped

than larger steam locomotives. They are the predecessors

in Takatori Works during the war.

of internal combustion railcars, but did not play a prominent

Design of Japanese-built diesel locomotives beganrole and were gradually decommissioned and transferred tobased on the dismantling and assembly of the German

provincial private railways.

classes DC10 and DC11 locomotives, and on theiroperational performance. The background was economizing

Internal Combustion Engines

on running costs and other expenses due to the recession in

Instead of steam boiler, internal combustion locomotives getdiesel locomotives were built by Kawasaki Sharyo, Nippon

their motive power from an internal combustion engine. They

Sharyo and Hitachi Limited as yard shunters and to haul

are generally classified into petrol, diesel, or gas-turbine

very short trains. However, fuel rationing forced them out of

locomotives, depending on the engine, and into mechanicalservice in 1938 and they were scrapped in 1943. They hador hydraulic, according to the transmission. However,a 0-4-0 wheel arrangement, weighed 10.5 tons, were fitted

electric locomotives, where a generator is powered bywith a 60-PS engine made by Ikegai Tekkosho and Kobe

an internal combustion engine to drive an electric motor,

Steel, and had a mechanical transmission.

the early Showa period (1930s). In 1932, eight Class DB10

were also used. Foreign-built internal combustion (petrol)

Meanwhile, collaboration started between the Ministry,

locomotives were used by industrial and provincial lines

private builders and engine manufacturers to design ato replace steam locomotives earlier than on main lines.

new domestic diesel electric locomotive for yard shunting

A small internal combustion locomotive fitted with aand hauling freight trains on main lines. The participating

domestically produced Niigata Tekkosho diesel engine wascompanies were Niigata Tekkosho, Shibaura Seisakusho,

manufactured at Amemiya Seisakusho in 1927. In 1931, a

Kawasaki Sharyo, Mitsubishi Electric and Hitachi Limited;

small internal combustion locomotive fitted with an Ikegai

the first Class DD10 locomotive with 2-2-2·2-2-2 wheel

Tekkosho marine diesel engine was built at Hitachi Limited

arrangement was completed at Kawasaki Sharyo in 1935.

for Narita Railway, and again at Nippon Sharyo in 1937 for

After test runs, it was put into service at the Oyama Works

Kashima Sangu Railway.

but was taken out of service and decommissioned due to

The Ministry patterns were classes DC10 and DC11

fuel rationing. It was stored in the grounds of the Omiya

imported from Germany as WWI reparations. They wereWorks and dismantled after WWII. It weighed 71.0 tons,

ordered by the Ministry, and DC11 arrived in Japan in

had a Niigata Tekkosho engine (500 PS) and an electrical

1929 and DC10 in 1930. Both had a 2-6-2 rod drive wheeltransmission with four 100-kW traction motors powered by aarrangement and were fitted with a diesel engine with the

300-kW generator.

same output, but different transmission. DC10 had a Krupp

Following WWII, JNR built Class DD50 diesel electricmechanical system (600-PS engine and gearbox) andlocomotive (4-4) from 1953 and Class DF50 (4-4-4) fromJapan Railway & Transport Review No. 56 • Dec 201044

Breakthrough in Japanese Railways 5

1956. They were used to haul both passenger and Freight

countries. The purpose was to obtain technical skills intrains on secondary main lines. DD50 had a driver’s cab

design and manufacturing, and to manufacture prototypes

on one side and was fitted with a diesel engine (900-PS)

for export. JNR would borrow and use the locomotives

by Shin Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (now Mitsubishi Heavyfor some period of time, so they were called ‘borrowed

Industries) through a technical partnership with Sulzer oflocomotives.’ Loan periods were broken down mainly into

Switzerland. Four 130-kW traction motors were powered

two periods: 1954 to 1962 and 1959 to 1965, and someby a 580-kW main generator connected directly to theborrowed locomotives formed the foundation of JNR

engine. The first production run was three units, with twostandard locomotives. These borrowed locomotives were:operating in tandem on the Hokuriku main line. An improved

DD40 (4-4 diesel hydraulic locomotive built in 1960 by Shinmodel was built in the second production run of three

Mitsubishi fitted with a 665-PS Mitsubishi Sulzer engine,units in 1955. DF50, meanwhile, was an improved version

borrowed from 1960 to 1962, and renamed DD92); DD41 (4-of DD50 with the supercharged diesel engine producing

4 diesel electric locomotive built in 1954 by Tokyo Shibaura

1060-PS and fitted with a steam generator for heating

Denki (now Toshiba) fitted with a 660-PS Cooper-Bessemer

the carriages. Furthermore, Hitachi and Kawasaki Heavy

engine, borrowed from 1956 to 1958, purchased in 1958,

Industries produced 1200-PS supercharged diesel engines

and renamed DD90); DD42 (4-4 diesel hydraulic locomotive

through a technical partnership with MAN AG of Germany.

built in 1957 by Nippon Sharyo fitted with two 900-PS Kobe

Locomotives with these engines (called DF50-500) were

Steel engines, and borrowed from 1957 to 1958); DD91 (4-2-

mass-produced from 1958.

4 diesel hydraulic locomotive built in 1960 by Shin Mitsubishi

Meanwhile, the 4-4 DD11 diesel hydraulic locomotive for

fitted with a 1820-PS Maybach engine, borrowed from 1962

shunting (two DMH17B 160-PS engines) appeared in 1954.

to 1965, and forming the foundation for DD54 manufactured

From 1957, it was mass-produced as the larger Class DD13

from 1966); DD93 (4-4 diesel hydraulic locomotive built(with two DM31S 3700-PS engines although later models

in 1961 by Nippon Sharyo fitted with a 1100-PS MAN

had two DMF31SB 500-PS engines). At this time, diesel

Mitsubishi engine, and borrowed from 1962 to 1965); DF90

locomotive manufacturing companies in Japan built one(6-6 diesel electric locomotive built in 1956 by Hitachi fitted

model of locomotive each using either their own technology

with a 1680-PS MAN engine, borrowed from 1957 to 1961,

or through a technical partnership with companies in otherand purchased in 1961); the initial DF91 (6-6 diesel electricClass DF50 diesel electric locomotive

(The Railway Museum)Class DD13 diesel hydraulic Shunting locomotive (The Railway Museum)Class DD51 diesel hydraulic locomotive

(The Railway Museum)Class DE10 2-2-2-4 diesel hydraulic locomotive (The Railway Museum)

45

Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 56 • Dec 2010

locomotive built in 1959 by Hitachi fitted with a 1560-PS

Today, although Japan has reached the stage where

MAN engine, borrowed in 1959, and manufactured for export

it exports high-speed rail systems to other countries, weto Taiwan); DF40 (6-6 diesel electric locomotive built in 1960

should remember that this is founded on the successive

by Kawasaki Sharyo fitted with a 1200-PS MAN engine,

efforts of railway engineers since the Meiji era to perfect andborrowed from 1956 to 1958, purchased in 1958, andexpand technical systems.

renamed DF91); DF41 (6-6 diesel electric locomotive built in1964 by Kisha Seizo fitted with a 1320-PS Mitsui Burmeister

Acknowledgement

engine, borrowed from 1959 to 1962, and renamed DF92);

I would like to thank Mr Tatsuhiko Suga (former head ofand DF93 (6-6 diesel hydraulic locomotive built in 1960 by

the Transportation Museum, Japan) for his guidance in

Hitachi fitted with a 1100-PS MAN engine, borrowed fromcompleting this article.

1962 to 1964, forming the foundation for DF50-500).
The 4-4-4 Class DD51 diesel hydraulic locomotive

Further Reading(with two DML61L 1000-PS engines although later models

Ichiro Tsutsumi, ‘The Gauge Revision Controversy – Is the Japan National
Railway Gauge Narrow or Wide?-’, The Japan Society of MechanicalEngineers Journal, Vol. 113, No. 1097 (2010), pp. 248–249

had two DM61Z 1100-PS engines) was mass-produced
from 1962 for use on main lines and played a major role

Ichiro Tsutsumi, ‘Japanese Technology (2) Meiji and Taisho -The Introduction
and Establishment of Modern Western Technology, Focusing on the Railway-’,
The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers Journal, Vol. 109, No. 1057
(2006), pp. 990–991

throughout Japan on non-electrified lines. Also, the 4-2-4
DD54 diesel hydraulic locomotive for secondary main lines
with a lower output than DD51 was manufactured from 1966

Ichiro Tsutsumi, Wooden Carriage Manufacture of Japanese Imperial
Government Railway Works and Japanese Railway Engineer Cultivation in the
Meiji Period, Transactions of the Mechanical Engineers C, Vol. 74, No. 746,
JSME, 2008, pp. 2388–2389

by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries based on DD91. It was adiesel hydraulic locomotive fitted with a Mitsubishi Maybach
1820-PS engine and was added by the second production
run in 1967.

Ichiro Tsutsumi, ‘Railway, An Ensign of Japanese Modernization’, Yamakawa
Publishing, 2001, pp. 26–27

For shunting internal combustion locomotives, theYukitaka Ishii, ‘A History of the Development of Japan’s Internal Combustion
Rolling Stock: Japan National Railways Internal Combustion Rolling Stock’,
Japanese Internal Combustion Rolling Stock (1969), p.15 and pp. 992–993

successor to DD13 was Class DE10 with 2-2-2-4 wheel
arrangement and DML61Z engine; it was mass-produced from1966 and used on lines throughout Japan. These locomotives‘The German National Railway’s 120 0 Horsepower Compressed Air
Transmission Diesel Locomotives’ The Mechanical Engineers Journal, Volume
33, Issue 159 (1930), pp. 255–258

can still be seen today but they are wearing out and rollingstock from the 1960s and 1970s is fast disappearing.

Karoku Hanai, The Ministry of Railway DC10 and DC11 Diesel Locomotives’
The Mechanical Engineers Journal, Volume 34, Issue 175 (1931), pp.
1533–1535

Conclusion
This article has briefly explained the changes in domestic
production of steam and diesel locomotives, carriages,
wagons, and internal combustion railcars in Japan from thefirst days until now. Around 70% of Japan is mountainous,
and the flat land is largely alluvial coastal plains createdby rivers, so there are limits on use of heavy-axle trains,such as those in the West. In addition, narrow-gauge tracks
posed many different technical problems from standard
gauge. However, such drawbacks were brilliantly overcome,for example by adopting the large cross-sections typicalof standard gauge in design of narrow-gauge locomotives,
carriages and wagons, making high-speed operations
possible. Manufacture of rolling stock was shared between
railways’ workshop and private builders and the boost thisgave to Japan’s industrial capabilities is an essential part ofour technological history. Design and manufacture of rollingstock is the product of mechanical engineering as well as

Ichiro Tsutsumi

various other technologies; it enriches individual technical

Dr Tsutsumi is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Vocational
Training of the Polytechnic University of Japan. Prior to his current
position, he was a Senior Researcher at the Japan Institute of Labour(JIL). He earned a doctorate degree in history of technology from
Ashikaga Institute of Technology in 2009.

fields and combines with other fields as it spreads out. It has
been a comprehensive industrial bottom-up led by integrated
technical systems required for rolling stock manufacturing.

Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 56 • Dec 201046