The JNR Class ED19 is a Japanese DC electric locomotive operated by the Japanese National Railways from 1926 to June 1976.
History[]
The ED19 is an early electric locomotive operated by the Japanese National Railways. The locomotives were intended as passenger locomotives for use on the Tōkaidō Main Line.
Six locomotives were built in 1926; the locomotives's mechanical equipment was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works while their electrical equipment was built by Westinghouse. They were originally classified as the Class 6010 and numbered 6010 through 6015, but were reclassified to Class ED53 when a rule regarding the standardization of locomotive names was enacted in 1928.
When the locomotives entered service in 1926, they were used to pull passenger trains and were based at Kōzu Rolling Stock Depot. Well-liked for their excellent reliability, they were used to pull the imperial train in 1931. A number of electric locomotives that came after the ED53s were heavily based on them, such as the EF51 which was essentially a stretched version of the ED53, as well as the later EF52; the locomotives were relocated to Tokyo in 1936. Starting in 1937 with the anticipated opening of the Senzan Railway Tunnel, ED53 3 through ED53 6 were rebuilt into Class ED19 locomotives and given modifications to allow them to operate in mountainous and colder regions; ED53 3 through ED53 6 were renumbered ED19 1 through ED19 4 respectively.
ED53 1 and 2 continued to be used, but were transferred to Kōfu Rolling Stock Depot in 1940, where they were rebuilt as ED19 5 and ED19 6. During the war, the ED19s were used to pull freight trains. In their later years, the locomotives were used to pull freight trains on the Iida Line due to their lower weight. The ED19s were withdrawn on 17 June 1976.
ED19 1 (ex-ED53 3), located in front of a museum in Minowa, Nagano, is the only preserved ED19.
Design[]
The ED19s featured large box-shaped bodies with large top-mounted headlights.
Specifications[]
The ED19s used a nose suspension drive system. MT13 traction motors were used on the locomotives.
Preservation[]
The following Class ED19 locomotives have been preserved:
| Number | Manufacturer | Equipment manufacturer | Date manufactured | Date retired | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ED19 1 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Westinghouse Electric Company | September 1926 | 18 September 1975 | Minowa History Museum, Nagano, Japan | Ex-6013, ex-ED53 3; displayed outdoors within fence, museum temporarily closed for renovations |
Gallery[]
