JNR Class EF67

The JNR Class EF67 is a Japanese DC banking electric locomotive operated by the Japanese National Railways and its successor the Japan Freight Railway Company from November 1982 to March 2022.
==History==
The EF67 was developed as a replacement for the previous EF61-200 banking locomotives intended to bank trains up steep gradients, as well as the aging EF59 and EF60 locomotives. A pilot batch of three EF60 locomotives, 104, 129 and 88, were rebuilt at JNR's Hiroshima Works to become EF67 1 through 3. Operation of this series commenced on 1 November 1982 after a trial run on 12 April 1982; the locomotive's first job was to assist in the banking of a 40-car freight train from Hatao to Shiodome.
A second set of five locomotives were converted at Hiroshima Works from EF65 locomotives 131 through 135, numbered EF67 101 through 105. Due to the locomotive's running characteristics, two locomotives could not be run in tandem; as a result these were restricted to banking trains of 1,000 tons or less and full-scale production halted after eight locomotives were built. EF67 101 through 105 commenced service on 1 March 1990 after an inauguration ceremony was held the previous day.
Starting 2013, the EF67 locomotives were replaced with EF210-300 locomotives to take their place as banking locomotives; withdrawals began in 2014 and were completed by 2022. Two locomotives, EF67 1 and EF67 105, the first and last of the class respectively, have been preserved.
==Design==
The EF67s featured large box-shaped bodies with circular headlights mounted on the top of the cars. They feature a red body design.
==Specifications==
The EF67s 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 are used on the locomotives.
==Preservation==
The following Class EF67 locomotives have been preserved:
Number 	Manufacturer 	Equipment manufacturer	Date manufactured	Date retired 	Location 	Notes
EF67 1 	Kisha Seizō 	Tōyō Denki 	30 September 1964	2016 	Hiroshima Rolling Stock Depot, Hiroshima, Japan	Ex-EF60 104, first locomotive of class; viewing possible on depot open days
EF67 105	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	Fuji Electric 	20 August 1970 	29 March 2022	Hiroshima Rolling Stock Depot, Hiroshima, Japan	Ex-EF65 135, last locomotive of class; viewing possible on depot open days
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Electric locomotives
Category:B-B-B locomotives
Category:Narrow-gauge
Category:Narrow-gauge locomotives
Category:Japanese locomotives