JGR Class 160 No. 165

Japanese Government Railways No. 165 is a Class 160 2-4-0T Porter-type side tank steam locomotive built for the Japanese Government Railways by Sharp, Stewart and Company in 1874. It is one of the oldest operational steam locomotives in Japan.
==History==
165 was built by Sharp, Stewart and Company in Manchester, England for the Japanese Government Railways; the locomotive was completed in 1874, with a serial number of 2421. Initially numbered 23, 165 was the last locomotive of its class manufactured; it, along with 22 (later 164) were considered part of the "later batch" of that class of locomotives. 23 entered service in 1874 and assigned to Yokohama. 23 was involved in an accident on 18 November 1878 when it was hit by a rock intentionally placed on a track near a bridge. 23 was lent to the Nippon Railway in July 1883 for construction work in the Ueno area and returned in May 1885.
With its return, the locomotive was assigned to Shimbashi (now Shiodome) in 1894; it was reclassified as a Class B locomotive while retaining the same number; on 18 November 1898 the locomotive was again reclassified as a Class A7 locomotive, while retaining the same number. With the enactment of vehicle naming regulations on 1 October 1901, 23 was reclassified as a Class 160 locomotive and renumbered 165. 165 was withdrawn from JGR service on 9 March 1911 and resold to the Bisai Railway, where it was renumbered 12.
On 1 August 1925, the Bisai Railway merged with the Nagoya Railway, with ownership of 165 going to the Nagoya Railway; it would subsequently merge with the Mino Electric Tramway and become the Maigi Railway, with the locomotive still operating on the Bisai Line. The railway merged again with the Aichi Electric Railway on 1 August 1935, with the company renamed the Nagoya Railroad. 165 was withdrawn from service on 2 October 1957 and moved to the Inuyama Amusement Park (now the Japan Monkey Park) for preservation. The locomotive was moved again to Meiji-mura, an open-air architectural museum, around April 1965, where it was restored to operating condition in 1973; it remains at the site today. The locomotive commenced service in April 1974 alongside Nippon Steel No. 9, an American-built steam locomotive also preserved at the park; many regard this locomotive as a "marvelous achievement" as it is a rare example of a genuine Okajoki (colloquial nickname for a Meiji-era steam locomotive) which remains in operation.
Due to deterioration, 165's original boiler was removed in April 1985 and replaced with a strengthened replica of its original boiler; its original boiler remains on display in Meiji-mura. 165 was taken out of service in December 2010 for an overhaul, with No. 9 replacing it in its duties; the overhaul was completed in October 2012, with 165 reentering service on 8 November 2012. 165 was most recently taken out of service for a major overhaul and rebuild in October 2019; Tōkai Kikan would perform the overhaul and rebuild of the locomotive. This overhaul was completed on 14 October 2022, with trial runs conducted; operations of 165 resumed from 20 April 2023. 165 is currently the main form of motive power at Meiji-mura, with No. 9 having been sent for an overhaul in July 2023; this overhaul is expected to take two years.
==Gallery==
JGR 165 Boiler.jpg|165's original boiler
File:JGR 160.jpg|165 in February 2017
Category:Tank locomotives
Category:Four-coupled locomotives
Category:2-4-0 locomotives
Category:2-4-0 steam locomotives
Category:2-4-0T locomotives
Category:2-4-0T steam locomotives
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Sharp Stewart locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Narrow-gauge steam locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Preserved locomotives
Category:Preserved steam locomotives
Category:Japanese locomotives
Category:Japanese steam locomotives
Category:Sole survivor
Category:Built in 1874