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The JNR Class DF40 was a diesel-electric locomotive operated by the Japanese National Railways from April 1956 to February 1975.

History[]

The DF40 was a prototype diesel-electric locomotive used by the JNR, with a single locomotive prototyped while the company developed its own locomotives for domestic sales as well as potentially for export. A total of ten locomotives were prototyped; these were Hitachi's DF90, DF91 and DF93, Kawasaki's DF40, Kisha Seizō's DF41, Nippon Sharyo's DD42 and DD93, Shin-Mitsubishi's DD40 and DD91 and Toshiba's DD41.

One locomotive was built in December 1955 by Kawasaki with a serial number of 14; at the time the locomotive was unnumbered. The locomotive was purchased by the Japanese National Railways in 1956 for a trial period and numbered DF40 1; immediately after assuming ownership of the locomotive the JNR performed modifications to the locomotive and deployed it to Takamatsu Rolling Stock Depot in April 1956, where it was used on tests on the Dosan Line before being returned to Kawasaki for modification works. Kawasaki returned the locomotive to JNR in October 1956, where it was placed again at Takamatsu and assigned to pull the Minamikaze express service and freight trains.

DF40 1 was sent back to Kawasaki in March 1957 where it got upgrades; during this time, Kawasaki and Toshiba were producing the DF50 diesel-electric locomotives. DF40 1 was returned to JNR in June 1957 and was transferred to Kōchi Depot in March 1958. In August 1958, JNR purchased the locomotive from Kawasaki and used it together with the DF50s, painting it in the same color scheme as well; the fact the DF40 used the same prime mover as the DF50-500 locomotives meant it was easy to procure spare parts. In October 1961, DF40 1 was reclassified DF91 1 with the introduction of naming regulations (not to be confused with the DF91 locomotive built by Hitachi in 1959), and was used until 28 February 1975 when it was withdrawn, it having the longest service life of the ten prototype locomotives the JNR used; the locomotive was stored at Tadotsu Works and scrapped some time later.

Design[]

The DF40 features a semi-streamlined design in what is known as the "Shōnan style".

Specifications[]

The DF40 was fitted with a MAN V6V 22/30 mA V12 prime mover manufactured under license by Kawasaki and a Kawasaki K4-730A electric transmission. The prime mover produced 1,200 PS (883 kW).

Gallery[]

JR Group motive power
JNR Diesel prototype DB10DC10DC11DD10
4-axle diesel DD11DD12DD13DD14DD15DD16DD17DD20DD21DD40DD41DD42DD50DD51DD53DD54DD90DD91DD92DD93
5-axle diesel DE10DE11DE15DE50
6-axle diesel DF40DF41DF50DF90DF91 (gen 1)DF91 (gen 2)DF92DF93
Shinkansen 911912
Narrow-gauge diesel Ke DB10Ke DB11
Early 2/4-axle freight electric AB10EB10ED10ED11ED12ED13ED14ED15ED16ED17ED18 (gen 1)ED18 (gen 2)ED19ED23ED24
Early 4-axle passenger electric ED50ED51ED52ED53ED54ED55ED56ED57
Early 6-axle freight electric EF10EF11EF12EF13EF14EF15EF16EF18
Early 6-axle passenger electric EF20EF50EF51EF52EF53EF54EF55EF56EF57EF58EF59HEF10HEF50
Early 8-axle electric EH10EH50HEH50HEH150
Early Abt rack rail electric EC40ED40ED41ED42
Acquired from private railways ED20ED21ED22ED25 (gen 1)ED25 (gen 2)ED26 (gen 1)ED26 (gen 2)ED27 (gen 1)ED27 (gen 2)ED28 (gen 1)ED28 (gen 2)ED29 (gen 1)ED29 (gen 2)ED30 (gen 1)ED31ED32ED33ED34ED35ED36ED37ED38Ke ED10DeKi 1RoKo 1DeKi 501RoKo 1000
DC 4-axle ED60ED61ED62ED63ED95
AC 4-axle ED44ED45ED70ED71ED72ED73ED74ED75ED76ED77ED78ED79ED90ED91ED93ED94
DC 6-axle EF60EF61EF62EF63EF64EF65EF66EF67EF90
AC 6-axle EF70EF71
Dual-current ED30 (gen 2)ED46ED92EF30EF80EF81
Other AH100
JR Group Dual-current electric ED500EF500EF510EH500
DC electric EF200EF210EH200
DC EMU M250
AC electric EH800
Diesel DD18DD19DB500DD200DF200ENR-1000
Hybrid HD300
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