The JNR Class DD54 is a diesel-hydraulic locomotive operated by the Japanese National Railways from 1966 to June 1978.
History[]
Designed to promote JNR's campaign of a "smokeless railway" to eliminate steam locomotives on the Japanese National Railways as part of their Power Modernization Plan, the DD54s were developed as a type of freight locomotive for use on the Japanese rail network, with a haulage capacity somewhere between the DD51 and DE10 locomotives.
Using data gathered from the test running of the DD91 prototype locomotive built by Mitsubishi in 1962, a total of 40 locomotives were built from 1966 to 1971, also by Mitsubishi; the locomotives would adopt a similar appearance to that of the DD91s they were based on. To power the locomotives, Mitsubishi had also acquired a license agreement to produce the Maybach engine and transmission as used in the DD91 although they were not permitted to make changes to either. Other minor changes were made to the locomotives over the production run. The first three locomotives were placed at Fukuchiyama Rolling Stock Depot and used on the San'in Main Line, pulling express trains and freight trains. By 1971 the entire production run of 40 locomotives was completed, stationed at both Fukuchiyama and Yonago Depots, apparently due to the JNR's desperation to get rid of their last steam locomotives and "improve their image".
Prone to numerous reliability issues and breakdowns, the DD54s were reviled by engineers; accounts from engineers state that train crews operating DD54s were provided earplugs as their prime movers were so incredibly loud, and others stating that they refused to drive the locomotives knowing that something would go wrong. Another account stated that Fukuchiyama received numerous letters of complaint from angered residents who lived along the line, also unhappy with how incredibly loud the DD54s were; one possibly apocryphal account came from a farmer who wrote in to Fukuchiyama stating that the DD54s were so loud they scared his chickens and they could no longer lay eggs. It was common for inspectors to ride alongside train crews in the DD54s, replacing parts when they failed. Day-to-day maintenance for the DD54s was equally a hassle, as the locomotives had to be sent to Takatori Works for repairs, the only JNR plant with a detachment of Mitsubishi engineers; even at Takatori maintaining the locomotives was difficult, due to information scarcity and communication with Maybach being very slow or practically non-existent, so most DD54s spent their service lives out of service in storage and awaiting repairs. It was said that the DD54s, due to their continued reliability issues, were often pulled by the locomotives they intended to replace. It is also said at this point that at this point, the JNR was seriously considering retiring the DD54s from service and replacing them with further batches of DD51s which were proving to be capable and contained no foreign-built parts, as well as being significantly cheaper to maintain; estimates by JNR officials at the time state that the cost to maintain a DD54 was eighteen times higher than the cost of maintaining a DD51.
A combination of all the above factors would be the death knell for the class, with the last two locomotives, DD54 12 and DD54 33, withdrawn on 18 June 1978, significantly earlier than projected and significantly before JNR's privatization and division; as a result, the locomotives are considered a failure. After their retirement, the National Diet held a question-and-answer session with the JNR regarding their asset management; these meetings were said to be brief but intense, questioning the JNR on their apparent need to purchase these new locomotives during a time when the company was essentially in financial ruin, with things taking a sour turn when it was noted that the chief of auditing at the JNR at the time when the locomotives were procured was Yasujirō Okano, a former president of Mitsubishi, indicating potential meddling by top executives at JNR with regards to the procurement of these locomotives. Virtually all DD54s were struck from the roster and scrapped by 1 December 1978.
DD54 33, located at the Kyoto Railway Museum, is the only preserved DD54; one of the last two DD54s to run, it was apparently selected for preservation by a number of staff at Fukuchiyama and a local railway union "as an example of bad locomotive design". It was initially stored at Fukuchiyama Rolling Stock Depot before moving to the Modern Transportation Museum; when that museum closed in 2014, it was moved to the Kyoto Railway Museum, where it currently resides.
Design[]
The DD54 featured a semi-streamlined design, being painted in red with silver accents. Two sets of headlights are mounted on the sides of the cabs; the initial three locomotives featured top-mounted headlights.
Specifications[]
The DD54 was fitted with a single high-output DMP86Z V16 prime mover producing about 1,820 HP (1,357 kW), mated to a DW5 hydraulic transmission. The engine and transmission were copies of the Maybach MD870 prime mover and Mekydro K184U hydraulic transmission, produced under license by Mitsubishi.
The locomotives were designed with a B-1-B formation to reduce axle load. These were the last locomotives manufactured by JNR to use mostly foreign-made components.
Preservation[]
The following Class DD54 locomotives have been preserved:
| Number | Manufacturer | Date manufactured | Date retired | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DD54 33 | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 22 June 1971 | 1 December 1978 | Kyoto Railway Museum, Kyoto, Japan | Displayed under shelter; formerly located at the Modern Transportation Museum |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- It is believed by many Japanese railfans that the number "54" on a locomotive is jinxed. While the Class ED54 electric locomotive is often cited as the prime example for the jinx, the DD54 is also cited due to its dogged history and sharing the same classification.