JNR Class EF62

The JNR Class EF62 is a Japanese DC electric locomotive operated by the Japanese National Railways and its successor the East Japan Railway Company from 1962 to January 1999.
==History==
The EF62 was developed specifically to haul freight trains up the steep 66.7‰ gradients of the Usui Pass; prior to this, ED42 Abt rack rail locomotives were used for the steep sections. The EF62s began service in 1962 on the Shin'etsu Main Line. Unlike the similar EF63 locomotives introduced about a year later, the EF62s were designed specifically for use as auxiliary banking locomotives for the Usui Pass section of the Shin'etsu Main Line and featured optimizations for traction and braking power.
An initial prototype, EF62 1, was produced in 1962; a total of fifty-three additional locomotives would be produced from 1963 to 1969. Initially used to pull passenger trains up the pass, these were relegated to freight services in 1975 with electric multiple units such as the 489 series taking over limited express operations and the 80 and 115 series taking on local trains. They were subsequently relegated to baggage train operations, replacing the aging EF58 locomotives in this role.
Most locomotives had been scrapped by JNR's privatization and split in April 1987, with the remaining six locomotives taken under JR East's ownership. Under JR East, the EF62s pulled the Noto sleeper train and the occasional freight train, with regular operations ceasing on 18 March 1993, with the 489 series taking over Noto operations. With the closure of the rail section of the Shin'etsu Main Line in 1997, the locomotives were thus no longer needed, with the remaining locomotives withdrawn from service; their final duties were hauling EF63s for scrapping before being withdrawn themselves. EF62 54, the last locomotive in service, was withdrawn from service on 4 January 1999.
Two locomotives, EF62 1 and EF62 54, the first and last EF62s built respectively, are preserved at the Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park. EF62 3 was preserved at Nagano General Rolling Stock Center in the past but was scrapped in September 2019.
==Design==
The EF62s featured large box-shaped bodies with large top-mounted headlights.
==Specifications==
The EF62s used a nose suspension drive as opposed to the Quill drive of more recent locomotives; the use of the nose suspension drive was due to maintenance problems involving the Quill drive, so all locomotives after the earlier EF70 would use the nose suspension drive. This however came at the cost of keeping the rated rotation speed of the traction motors low. MT52 traction motors were used on the locomotives, as well as an adhesion system for use on the Usui Pass.
==Preservation==
The following Class EF62 locomotives have been preserved:
Number 	Manufacturer 	Equipment manufacturer	Date manufactured	Date retired 	Location 	Notes
EF62 1 	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	Kawasaki Denki 	16 May 1962 	10 February 1986	Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park, Gunma, Japan	Prototype locomotive, painted brown; displayed outdoors
EF62 54	Kisha Seizō 	Tōyō Denki 	13 December 1969 	4 January 1999 	Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park, Gunma, Japan	Last EF62 built and last in service; displayed indoors
The following Class EF62 locomotives were preserved in the past but have since been scrapped:
Number	Manufacturer 	Equipment manufacturer	Date manufactured	Date retired 	Last location 	Notes
EF62 3	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	Kawasaki Denki 	21 March 1963 	2 February 1987	Nagano General Rolling Stock Center, Nagano, Japan	Scrapped September 2019
==Gallery==
File:JNR EF62 54 2022.jpg
File:JNR EF62 1 2022.jpg
File:JNR-EL-EF62-3-830805.jpg
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Electric locomotives
Category:C-C locomotives
Category:Narrow-gauge
Category:Narrow-gauge locomotives
Category:Kawasaki locomotives
Category:Kisha Seizō locomotives
Category:Toshiba locomotives
Category:Japanese locomotives