China Railways JF6

解放6
JF6

Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Kawasaki, Hitachi, Dalian works, Kisha Seizo Kwaisha, Shenyang works, Nippon Sharyo Total produced ~475 (1933-1959)

Specifications Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) Driver dia. 1,370 mm (53.94 in) Length 21.200 m (69 ft 6.6 in) Height 4.244 m (13 ft 11.1 in) Loco weight 150 t (150 long tons; 170 short tons) Tender cap 9.6 t (9.4 long tons; 10.6 short tons) (coal), 24 m^3 (848 cu ft) (water) Cylinders 2 Cylinder size 530 mm × 710 mm (20.866 in × 27.953 in) bore x stroke

Performance figures Maximum speed 80 km/h (50 mph) Power output 1,258 hp (938 kW) (at wheels) Tractive effort 240.3 kN (54,000 lbf)

Career Operators China Railways

The China Railways Liberation 6 (解放6) type steam locomotive (transliteration Jie Fang Liu: JF6) was a type of 2-8-2 mainline general purpose steam locomotive.

History

A JF6 Steam Locomotives in Heshan, Laibin, China, 2014

From 1933 locos were also supplied to the Japanese controlled South Manchurian and Manchurian National Railways in north-east China and classified MiKaRo (Japanese:ミカロ; MiKa = Mikado, Ro = 6). In 1935, construction of a modified design with a larger firebox commenced (an asterix^{[note 1]} is used to identify the original design in the statistics on the right). Production continued until the end of Japanese occupation in 1945. A final batch of five JF6 were built in China between 1958 and 1960. The well known SY class, built in China until 1999, is a development of the JF6 design.^[1]

China is thought to have supplied JF6 to North Korea and North Vietnam during the '50s and '60s. Around 70 locos are thought to have gone to North Korea during the Korean War with up to 60 going to North Vietnam as class GP6(Vietnamese: Giải phóng 6) during the Vietnam War.^[2] This number aligns fairly well with the missing numbers above 3475 but it is unlikely that China would send its newest JF6 abroad en-masse. Two dumped locos at Laibin^{[note 2]}, which are said to be ex-Vietnam, are early examples.^[1]

Numbering

Although Chinese sources quote a number series of JF6 3001 - 3600, only locos numbered between JF6 3018 and 3475 have actually been reported.^[3] It is probable that the last 120 locos were never built as the highest number reported, JF6 3475 is one of the final batch and carries Shenyang 1959 plates.^[1]

Preservation

• JF6 3022:is preserved at the China Railway Museum^[1]
• JF6 3329:is preserved at the Shenyang Railway Museum^[1]

See also

• China Railways JF
• China Railways SY
• China Railways SL7

Notes

1. Indicates original design built pre 1935
2. Actually three JF6s in Heshan.^[1]

References

1. Duncan Cotterill, JF6 Class 2-8-2s, Railography
2. Standard Gauge JF6/GP6 Class _Railways in Vietnam
3. JF6 3001 to JF6 3475, Railography: Chinese Locomotive Lists.

External links