#2696
JNR Class C59
🇯🇵 Japan ·built by Kisha Seizo· from 1941· class of 173 Japanese 4-6-2 locomotives
.jpg)
.jpg)
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. C59-1 kyushu 1: photo by ja:User:MK Products , image correction by ja:User:Kone· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. 2014-09-01 C59 1 steam locomotive: Cheng-en Cheng· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 3. C59 1: SL LIKE!· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 4. C59-1 Kyushu Railway History Museum 2018-01-08 (24850164227): tak.wing· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 5. C59-1 Kyushu Railway History Museum 2018-01-08 (25847693378): tak.wing· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 6. C59-1: Rsa· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 7. Royal Engine C59-108: 博麗 霊夢· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 8. C59 161 at Hiroshima Children's Museum: Saigen Jiro· CC0
- 9. C59-2: Taisyo· CC BY 3.0
- 10. C59-3: Taisyo· CC BY 3.0
what is it?
The Class C59 is a type of 4-6-2 steam locomotive designed by Hideo Shima and built by Japanese National Railways. The C classification indicates three sets of driving wheels. The C59 could haul 17 passenger cars.
who runs it
base stats
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 85 years ago, in 1941.
- Weighs about as much as 13 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 21.6 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
- 1941–1947
- retired
- 1970
- status
- preserved
- number built
- 173
- kind
- Steam
- traction
- steam
- origin
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- builders
- Kisha Seizo, Kawasaki Railcar Manufacturing, Hitachi
- operators
- Ministry of Railways, Japanese National Railways
- top speed
- 100 km/h
- power
- —
- gauge
- 1,067 mm Cape gauge
- length
- 21.6 m
- weight
- 79.8 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q6108592, Wikipedia: JNR Class C59 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.