#1813

China Railways JF1

🇯🇵 Japan ·built by American Locomotive Company· from 1918· 2-8-2 steam locomotive

what is it?

The China Railways JF1 (解放1, Jiěfàng, "liberation") class steam locomotive was a class of 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotives for freight trains operated by the China Railway. They were originally built in the United States, Japan and Manchukuo between 1918 and 1945 for the South Manchuria Railway (Mantetsu), the Manchukuo National Railway, the North China Transportation Company, and the Central China Railway. After the end of the Pacific War, they were taken over by the China Railway, the Korean State Railway in North Korea and by the Korean National Railroad in South Korea, and more were built in China after 1949 for the China Railway, which ultimately operated over 2,000 of the type.

who runs it

South Manchuria Railway Manchukuo National Railway North China Transportation Company Central China Railway North Chōsen Colonial Railway China State Railway Group Korean State Railway Korea Railroad Corporation

base stats

speed 80 km/htop speed
power 1.5 MWpower output
weight 98.7 tin working order
built 70made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

First built 108 years ago, in 1918.
1.5 MW is about 17 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
Weighs about as much as 16 African elephants (~6 t each).
23.8 m long: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.

steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.

spec sheet

built: 1918–1960
status: preserved
number built: 70
kind: Steam
traction: steam
origin: 🇯🇵 Japan
builders: American Locomotive Company, Schenectady Locomotive Works, CRRC Dalian Co., Ltd., Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Kisha Seizo, Nippon Sharyo, Hitachi, CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd.
operators: South Manchuria Railway, Manchukuo National Railway, North China Transportation Company, Central China Railway, North Chōsen Colonial Railway, China State Railway Group, Korean State Railway, Korea Railroad Corporation
top speed: 80 km/h
power: 1.5 MW
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
wheel arrangement: 2-8-2
length: 23.8 m
weight: 98.7 t

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q39059987, Wikipedia: China Railways JF1 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.