International Railroad Discussion > Japanese Steam

From Niimi, Japan, January, 1973

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Very nice!

When viewing foreign railroad trains, I always look to see what type of couplers they use to connect the cars together. I note with great interest that these locomotives embrace the knuckle type couplers that are popular in several other countries.

Jim
Hatboro, PA​

glibby-san:

Thank you for sharing the photos.
I believe these were taken at the last moments of steamers usded in Hakubi line trains in Okayama.  It was very famous point to shoot a triple header D51s, Japanese 2-8-2s.  These enignes were heavily modified for the mountain route that they were assigned.  For instance they were equipmed with smork dust collecting systems instead of regular stacks.  One of these werr so called "Senji-gata" war-time-peiod production so that it had a diffenent shapr of the dorm. Nice to see these rounded up in the house.

Best Regards,
Hiroshi
 
 Wrote:
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> From Niimi, Japan, January, 1973

Hiroshi:

Your information is correct, as far as I know.  I was living in Tokyo at the time, and went to Okayama and Niimi over Shogatsu.  I beileve the steam engines in the roundhouse were dead and essentially being stored there.  I have some more photos from that excursion which I will post shortly.

Jerry

Jim:  I tend to do the same.  I don't know how, why or when Japan adopted kuckle couplers of the kind used in the U.S. 

Jerry