Class 912 Shinkansen

The Class 912 Shinkansen was a diesel-hydraulic locomotive operated by the Japanese National Railways and later the West Japan Railway Company from 1963 to 2011.
==History==
The Class 912 was a type of locomotive used for maintenance-of-way operations on the Shinkansen network. Between 1963 to 1977, twenty DD13 locomotives were modified by JNR, with the locomotives regauged to standard gauge for the purpose. The locomotives were split into two subseries; the 912-0 and 912-60 subseries, the latter being compatible with multiple general control systems as well as specially modified for use in the Kanmon Tunnel. All locomotives were withdrawn by 2011.
No complete Class 912 locomotives have been preserved; only the front end of 912-64 is preserved at the Kyoto Railway Museum.
==Design==
The Class 912 featured a steeplecab-like design, giving it an appearance similar to that of a switcher locomotive; this design was chosen to help the locomotive reduce its weight by reducing its axle load.
The couplers are attached to a U-shaped frame on their front pilots which is lowered when the locomotive needs to couple to something.
==Specifications==
The Class 912s were fitted with two V12 prime movers, designated the DMF31S. From 1961, all DD13s manufactured (DD13 111 onwards) would use the DMF31SB prime mover, equipped with a turbocharger. Total output was about 1,000 PS (736 kW). Total power output is about 2,200 PS (1,600 kW). The Class 912 used a Shinko DS1.2/1.35 hydraulic transmission; the transmission works similarly to a Lysholm-Smith hydraulic torque converter and features two speeds and a single direct gear. 
==Preservation==
The following Class 912 locomotives have been preserved:
Number	Manufacturer 	Date manufactured	Date retired	Location 	Notes
912-64	Nippon Sharyo	14 March 1967 	2011 	Kyoto Railway Museum, Kyoto, Japan	Ex-DD13 629, last Class 912 converted; front portion only
Category:JR Group trains
Category:B-B locomotives
Category:Diesel locomotives
Category:Diesel-hydraulic locomotives
Category:Japanese locomotives
Category:Scrapped diesel locomotives