Hidaka Takushoku Railway Class D

The Hidaka Takushoku Railway Class D was a 0-6-0 Switcher-type narrow gauge steam locomotive operated by the Hidaka Takushoku Railway and later the Japanese Government Railways from September 1924 to October 1931.
==History==
The Class D was an early steam locomotive used in Japan. The locomotives were ordered by the Hidaka Takushoku Railway, a predecessor company of what is now the Hokkaido Railway Company's Hidaka Main Line; three locomotives were manufactured in two batches, with two locomotives manufactured in 1923 and one in 1925 by the Hashimoto Iron Works, based in Otaru, Hokkaido.
The locomotives were also operated in tandem with the Class B1 locomotives operated by the Tomakomai Light Railway of which the Class D was a close copy of, although the Class D featured larger cylinders and its sandboxes and steam domes moved forward; they were also designated as such to show their close working relationship with the Tomakomai Light Railway. When the Hidaka Takushoku Railway was nationalized on 1 August 1927, the locomotives came under the ownership of the Japanese Government Railways, with the locomotives classified as the Class Ke 510 and renumbered Ke 510 through Ke 512.
With the progress of track regauging works, the class was slowly withdrawn from service. Both locomotives were withdrawn from service on 10 October 1931 with the completion of track regauging works and were struck off in December 1931; unlike the Ke 500s they were not resold to other railways.
No Class D locomotives have been preserved.
==References==
Category:Locomotives
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:0-6-0 steam locomotives
Category:Hashimoto locomotives
Category:Hidaka Takushoku locomotives
Category:Six-coupled locomotives
Category:0-6-0 locomotives
Category:Japanese locomotives
Category:Japanese steam locomotives