what is it?
The China Railways JF18 (解放18, Jiěfàng, "liberation") class steam locomotive was a class of 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotives operated by the China Railway, built by the American Locomotive Company in the United States in 1914. The original owner of these locomotives is unknown. After the Japanese established the puppet state of Manchukuo, the privately owned railways in the territory of Manchukuo were nationalised to create the Manchukuo National Railway, which designated these the Mikai (ミカイ) class, becoming Mikana (ミカナ) class after the classification reform of 1938.
who runs it
fun facts
- First built 112 years ago, in 1914.
- 20.4 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
- 1914
- retired
- 1975
- status
- retired
- number built
- —
- kind
- Steam
- traction
- steam
- origin
- 🇨🇳 China
- builders
- American Locomotive Company
- operators
- Manchukuo National Railway, China State Railway Group
- top speed
- —
- power
- —
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 2-8-2
- length
- 20.4 m
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q41715166, Wikipedia: China Railways JF18 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.