JNR Class EF61

The JNR Class EF61 was a Japanese DC electric locomotive operated by the Japanese National Railways and its successor companies from 1960 to 1991.
==History==
The EF61 and EF60 were designed as the JNR's first new DC electric locomotives. The EF61 was designed as a replacement for the EF58 locomotives. It featured sufficient performance to pull freight trains but was finicky at high speeds, nor were the locomotives fitted with heating systems for passenger car usage. With a plan to convert passenger trains to electric multiple units as opposed to having locomotives haul passenger cars, only eighteen locomotives were built.
Assigned to Miyahara Rolling Stock Depot when introduced into service, the EF61s were used to pull express trains and often substituted for the EF58s they were intended to replace. The locomotives were withdrawn from pulling sleeper trains in 1963 following the introduction of the EF60-200 locomotives but remained in use pulling express trains until 10 March 1975 with the opening of the full San'yō Shinkansen line when they were relegated to freight services.
EF60 1 through 14 were intended to be converted into EF61-200 banking locomotives in 1977, although due to problems being discovered with the locomotives conversion was canceled after eight cars had been converted. Withdrawals began in the early 1980s, with all EF61-0 locomotives retired by 1984. The eight EF61-200 locomotives were retired by 1991.
EF61 201 was the only preserved EF61; it was scrapped in 1998 with the closure of the roundhouse in the Suita Rolling Stock Depot. The cab of EF61 4 was also preserved at Hiroshima Rolling Stock Depot but it was scrapped in 2022.
==Design==
The EF61s featured large box-shaped bodies with large headlights mounted on the roof.
==Specifications==
The EF61 locomotives utilized a Quill drive system; due to maintenance problems involving the Quill drive, future locomotives reverted to using a nose suspension drive system. This however came at the cost of keeping the rated rotation speed of the traction motors low. MT49B traction motors were used on the locomotives. The locomotives themselves were largely based on the EF60 locomotives.
==Preservation==
The following Class EF61 locomotives were preserved in the past but have since been scrapped:
Number 	Manufacturer 	Equipment manufacturer	Date manufactured	Date retired 	Last location 	Notes
EF61 201	Kisha Seizō 	Tōyō Denki 	22 January 1960 	19 February 1991 	Suita Locomotive Depot, Osaka, Japan 	Ex-EF60 1, stored in roundhouse; scrapped 1998 with demolition of roundhouse
EF61 4 	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	Kawasaki Denki 	20 October 1961 	11 September 1984	Hiroshima Rolling Stock Depot, Hiroshima, Japan	Cab only, displayed outdoors alongside cab of EF59 16; scrapped 2022
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Electric locomotives
Category:B-B-B locomotives
Category:Narrow-gauge
Category:Narrow-gauge locomotives
Category:Kawasaki locomotives
Category:Kisha Seizō locomotives
Category:Japanese locomotives
Category:Scrapped electric locomotives