JNR Class C11 No. C11 227

JNR Class C11 No. C11 227
C11 227 in October 2020
Technical specifications
Serial number(s)	1108
Manufacturer(s)	Nippon Sharyo
Build date	9 September 1942
Rebuilder	Ōigawa Railway
Rebuilt	1975 – 1976
Classification	2-6-4T
Model	C11
Dia. of Drivers	1,520 mm
Dimensions	12,650 mm × Unknown × 3,900 mm
Weight	66.1 t (145,615 lbs)
Rail gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Valve gear	Walschaerts
Firegrate area	1.6 m2
Fuel type	Coal
Service information
Years in-service	10 October 1942 – 25 June 1975 9 July 1976 – 28 September 2021 (excursion service)
Disposition details
Disposition	Out of service; based on the Ōigawa Railway

Japanese National Railways No. C11 227 is a Class C11 2-6-4T Adriatic-type side tank steam locomotive built for the Japanese National Railways by Nippon Sharyo in September 1942.

History

C11 227 was built by Nippon Sharyo; the locomotive was completed on 9 September 1942 at their Nagoya Plant, with a serial number of 1108. Entering service on 10 October 1942, C11 227 was assigned to Naebo Depot in Hokkaido, where it remained for most of its service life; C11 227 pulled a celebratory train on 3 November 1953 to celebrate the reopening of the (now-closed) Urausu-Uryu section of the Sasshō Line, which was closed during World War II to aid in Japan's war efforts. C11 227 was moved to Oiwake Depot on 2 February 1969, with its last move being to Kushiro Depot on 11 March 1974. C11 227 was taken out of service on 31 March 1975 and withdrawn on 25 June 1975.

Around the 1970s, the Ōigawa Railway had been preserving steam locomotives at Senzu Station and desired to have a steam locomotive operate on its main line; C11 227 was selected for this purpose, making it Japan's first steam locomotive to be preserved operationally for excursion services. C11 227 was transferred to the Ōigawa Railway in November 1975 for a fee of ¥1 million, in addition to a ¥300,000 freight cost, just a few months after it had been withdrawn from service; C11 217 arrived at the Ōigawa Railway on 22 November 1975, with restoration work commencing shortly thereafter. The locomotive's design was approved on 19 April 1976, with C11 227 beginning operation on 9 July 1976 on a Kawaneji service.

C11 227 was long considered the Ōigawa Railway's flagship steam locomotive. In 2003, the Ōigawa Railway acquired a second Class C11, C11 190, with both locomotives in service in tandem. The locomotive's boiler and whistle were replaced with that of C11 312 in 2007 after the latter was withdrawn from service and later used as a source of spare parts for both C11 190 and C11 227. In recent years, C11 227 was repainted to masquerade as Thomas from Thomas & Friends for use in events. C11 227 was taken out of service on 28 September 2021 in anticipation of its boiler ticket expiring in March 2022; during this time, C11 190 was repainted as Thomas and used to complete its scheduled runs.

C11 227 remains out of service as of 2025. Spare parts from another locomotive owned by the Ōigawa Railway, C11 217, are likely being used to repair C11 227 with a view of returning it to service "as soon as possible".

Trivia

• C11 227's whistle (originally that of C11 312's) features a distinctive squeak when blown at full intensity.

Notable steam locomotives of the Japanese National Railways
Class 10	17
Class 110	110
Class 150	150
Class 160	165
Class 230	233
Class 400	403
Class 860	860
Class 1275	1275
Class 1290	1292 Zenkō
Class 2100	2109
Class 7100	7101 Benkei • 7105 Yoshitsune • 7106 Shizuka
Class 7150	7150 Taishō
Class 8620	8620 • 8630 • 58654
Class 9600	9608 • 9633 • 49671
Class 9850	9856
Class B20	B20 10
Class C10	C10 8
Class C11	C11 1 • C11 64 • C11 123 • C11 171 • C11 190 • C11 207 • C11 227 • C11 312 • C11 325
Class C12	C12 66 • C12 164
Class C51	C51 5 • C51 239
Class C53	C53 43 • C53 45
Class C55	C55 1
Class C56	C56 31 • C56 44 • C56 135 • C56 160
Class C57	C57 1 • C57 135 • C57 180
Class C58	C58 1 • C58 239 • C58 363
Class C59	C59 1 • C59 164
Class C61	C61 2 • C61 20
Class C62	C62 2 • C62 3 • C62 17 • C62 48
Class D50	D50 140
Class D51	D51 1 • D51 146 • D51 200 • D51 498 • D51 827
Class D52	D52 1 • D52 468
Class E10	E10 2

Ōigawa Railway rolling stock
Active	Electric multiple unit	6000 • 7200 • 16000 • 21000
	Steam locomotive	C10 (8) • C11 (190 • 227) • C56 (44)
	Diesel locomotive	DD20
	Electric locomotive	E10 • E31 • ED90 • ED500
Withdrawn	Electric multiple unit	KuHa 86 • MoHa 200 • MoHa 300 • 310 • 420 • KuHa 500 • 1000 • MoHa 1100 • SaHa 1411 • MoHa 1900 • 3000 (gen 1) • 3000 (gen 2) • 3800 • 6010 • KuHa 6050
	Diesel multiple unit	KiHa 10 • KiHa 50 • KiHa 100
	Steam locomotive	1 • 5 • 6 • 15 (gen 1) • 15 (gen 2) • 16 • 17 • 1275 (1275) • 2100 (2109) • C11 (312) • C12 (gen 1)
	Diesel locomotive	DB1 • DB51 • DB100
	Electric locomotive	ED10 • E31 • ED90 • ED500
Future	Steam locomotive	C12 (gen 2) (164) • C56 (135)