JNR Class C61

The JNR Class C61 is a 4-6-4 Hudson-type steam locomotive built for the JNR from 1947 to 1949.
==History==
The C61s were used mainly as passenger locomotives and were designed to combat the shortage of passenger locomotives due to the rapid surge of passenger traffic. To combat this, new passenger locomotives (namely the C57 and C58) were constructed and old freight locomotives were converted to passenger locomotives (namely the C61 and C62). The locomotives were notable as being the first JNR locomotives to feature mechanical stokers, and were retired in 1974. 
Three C61s, namely C61 2, C61 19, C61 20 are preserved at various locations around Japan; C61 2 is located at the Kyoto Railway Museum, C62 19 is located at Shiroyama Park in Kokubu, Kagoshima and C61 20 is owned by JR East. Two of the three locomotives, C61 2 and C61 20 are preserved in operational condition. The boiler front and a driving wheel of C61 18 are preserved around Japan as well; the boiler front is privately preserved while the driving wheel is located in the Hakata-ku Town Park in Fukuoka, Kyushu. C61 1 was preserved at one point but was scrapped in 1996.
==Preservation==
The following Class C61 locomotives have been preserved:
Number	Manufacturer 	Date manufactured	Serial number	Date withdrawn 	Location 	Notes
C61 20	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	31 July 1949 	659 	18 November 1973	Gunma Rolling Stock Depot, Annaka, Japan	Operational, mainline certified
C61 2 	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	31 July 1948 	641 	28 March 1978 	Kyoto Railway Museum, Kyoto, Japan 	Out of service
C61 18	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	18 June 1949 	657 	23 April 1974 	Kisha Club, Nōgata, Kyushu, Japan 	Front portion only; not usually open for public viewing
C61 19	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	28 July 1949 	658 	18 November 1973	Shiroyama Park, Kirishima, Kyushu, Japan	Displayed outdoors
The following Class C61 locomotives were preserved in the past but have since been scrapped:
Number	Manufacturer 	Date manufactured	Serial number	Date withdrawn	Last location 	Notes
C61 1 	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	30 November 1947 	640 	5 August 1966 	JR East Tōhoku Railway Academy, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan	Displayed outdoors; scrapped May 1996 with closure of facility
==Trivia==
*The C61s reused boilers from JNR Class D51 locomotives, but other than that were completely new.
==Gallery==
File:JNR C61 2 2023.jpg
==References==
*Wikipedia.org
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Mitsubishi locomotives
Category:Nippon Sharyo locomotives
Category:4-6-4 locomotives
Category:4-6-4 steam locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Narrow-gauge steam locomotives
Category:Built in 1947
Category:Locomotives
Category:Japanese locomotives
Category:Japanese steam locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives