China Railways JF

解放 JF
JF1-1861 - previously North China Transport ミカイ1861.
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Alco, Kawasaki, Hitachi, Sifang works, Dalian works, Qiqihar works, Shenyang works Total produced ~2000 (1918-45) 455 (1952-60)
Specifications Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Sources:[1][2] except where noted

The China Railways JF (Chinese: 解放; pinyin: Jiěfàng; lit. 'Liberation') class is a name given to a group of classes of steam locomotives for freight trains with 2-8-2 wheel arrangement operated by the China Railway. Originally designated ㄇㄎ壹 (MK1) class by the China Railways in 1951, the present name was assigned to them in 1959.[1]

Composition

"New National Big Mika" type JF1-1299 (ex Manchukuo National ミカイ1299) at Harbin, 1984

A dumped JF6 Steam Locomotive in Heshan, Laibin, 2014

The JF group of classes is made up of twenty different classes of 2-8-2 steam locomotives:

• JF1 - 2027 engines; 455 built new after 1950, rest inherited from South Manchuria Railway, Manchukuo National Railway, North China Transport, Central China Railway, and private railways;
• JF2 - 41 engines inherited from the South Manchuria Railway;
• JF3 - 150 engines built in Czechoslovakia and inherited from the Manchukuo National Railway;
• JF4 - 15 engines inherited from the South Manchuria Railway;
• JF5 - inherited from North China Transport, originally built for the Jichang Railway
• JF6 - around 475 engines; 5 built new after 1950, rest inherited from the South Manchuria Railway, the Manchukuo National Railway, and North China Transport;
• JF7 - originally built for the Jingfeng Railway, inherited from North China Transport;
• JF8 - originally built for the Huainan Railway, inherited from the Central China Railway;
• JF9 - 38 engines of the Sentetsu Mikasa class, inherited from the Central China Railway;
• JF10 - 30 engines, US Army Transportation Corps S200 class, given to China as postwar reconstruction aid from the UNRRA;
• JF11 - 70 engines inherited from the Central China Railway, originally built for the Jinpu Railway and the Zhegan Railway;
• JF12 - 46 engines inherited from North China Transport, originally built for the Jingsui Railway as Class 300;
• JF13 - inherited from North China Transport, built in Czechoslovakia in 1939;
• JF15 - 6 engines inherited from the Manchukuo National Railway, originally built for the Jihai Railway;
• JF16 - 18 engines inherited from Central China Railway and the Manchukuo National Railway;
• JF17 - inherited from North China Transport, originally built for the Jiaoji Railway;
• JF18 - around 14 engines inherited from South Manchuria Railway;
• JF21 - inherited from the Central China Railway, originally built for the Yuehan Railway.
• JF51 - inherited from the Kunming–Haiphong railway.

The locomotives were used across the Chinese railway system, and were in service on the national railway system until 1996; on industrial rail networks some locomotives remained in use until the early 2000s. Several of the class have been preserved.

Preservation

JF1-1191 and JF1-304 at the China Railway Museum

JF2-2525 at Shenyang Railway Museum

JF6-3022 at former Datong Railway Museum, 1999

JF51-738 at China Railway Museum

JF₁

• JF₁-194: is preserved at Lanzhou Jiaotong University[3]
• JF₁-304, JF₁-1191, JF₁-2101, JF₁-2121, JF₁-4101: are preserved at the China Railway Museum.
• JF₁-522: is preserved at Zhan Tianyou Park, Harbin.
• JF₁-747: is preserved at Huainan Servicing Workshop, Hefei Locomotive Depot, Shanghai Railway Bureau.[4]
• JF₁-886: is preserved at Hengdaohezi Locomotive Depot, Mudanjiang.
• ㄇㄎ1-1115: is preserved at Dandong Korean War Memorial Hall.
• JF₁-1861: is preserved at Manzhouli.
• JF₁-2023: is preserved at Linglong Park, Beijing
• JF₁-2102: is preserved at CSR Sifang Co Ltd.

JF₂

• JF₂-2525: is preserved at Shenyang Railway Museum.

JF₃

• JF₃-2558: is preserved at Shenyang Railway Museum.

JF₆

• JF₆-3022: is preserved at the China Railway Museum.
• JF₆-3329: is preserved at Shenyang Railway Museum.

JF₉

• JF₉-3673: is preserved at the China Railway Museum.

JF₁₁

• JF₁₁-3773: is preserved at the China Railway Museum.
• JF₁₁-3787: is preserved at the China Railway Museum.

JF₅₁

• JF₅₁-738: is preserved at the China Railway Museum.

References

1. 解放型蒸汽机车, www.zztl.com (in Chinese), archived from the original on 25 December 2008
2. "JF1(ミカイ)形蒸気機関車", www.kuroganerail.jp (in Japanese), archived from the original on 2008-04-20, retrieved 2012-06-28
3. "甘肃高校学生零距离研究古蒸汽火车". sd.ifeng.com. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
4. 老吴主播, "淮南车间里的解放型蒸汽机车", Sina Weibo (in Chinese)