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The JNR Class ED40 is a Japanese DC Abt rack rail boxcab electric locomotive operated by the Japanese National Railways from 1919 to 1952.

History[]

The ED40 was an early type of electric locomotive used on the Japanese National Railways. Fourteen locomotives were produced by the JNR at their Ōmiya Works as a sort of "expansion" on the Class EC40 locomotives; these were the first domestically-manufactured electric locomotives in Japan. The locomotives, initially named the Class 10020, were put into service in 1919 on the Shin'etsu Main Line which at the time featured a rack rail system on one portion of the line.

The locomotives were stationed at the Yokogawa Depot (now the Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park). They were operated most commonly between Yokogawa and Karuizawa; there exist records of ED40 13 being operated on other lines apart with its rack system removed. The class was renamed to the Class ED40 with a rule enacted in October 1928 to standardize locomotive naming. The ED40s were replaced by the Class ED42 locomotives starting in 1943 due to aging, and all ED40 locomotives were out of service on the JNR by 1952. These were later sold to private railways.

Three private railways received a number of Class ED40 locomotives; the Tobu Railway received two locomotives, renaming them the Class ED600 in the process, the Sunzu Railway (now the Izuhakone Railway) received three locomotives and the Nankai Electric Railway received two locomotives, renaming them the Class ED5161 in the process.

Two of the Class ED40 locomotives on the Sunzu Railway would be sold to the Gakunan Railway, which operated them until 1972. The remaining Class ED40 on the Sunzu Railway would be rebuilt extensively at the Seibu Tokorozawa Works to become the Class ED11 and renumbered ED11. ED11 would be transferred to the Gakunan Railway in 1967, renamed the Class ED311 and was taken out of service in 1973 and scrapped. ED5162 (ex-ED40 4) of the Nankai Electric Railway would be transferred for use by Akita Chuo Kotsu and renumbered ED40 1; by then it had undergone an extensive rebuild at Teikoku Sharyō. The locomotive was taken out of service in 1953 and scrapped in August that year.

One Class ED40 locomotive, ED40 10 (ex-Tobu Railway ED602), is preserved. After being taken out of service, the Tobu Railway donated ED602 back to the JNR; by this time the locomotive had its Abt rack systems removed. The locomotive was stored at Ōmiya Depot until 2019, when it was relocated to the Railway Museum in Saitama; at the museum, work was done to recreate the Abt rack system on the locomotive. The locomotive has since been designated an Important Cultural Property in Japan.

Design[]

The ED40 featured a boxcab design. A large protrusion could be found at the rear of the locomotive.

Specifications[]

The ED40 features resistor-controlled traction motors and a steel body construction. Two MT3A traction motors can be found on the train; one to control the driving wheels and the other the rack system. The resistor room extends over the rear coupler. As with many of JNR's rack rail electric locomotives it features a jackshaft.

The ED40s are fitted with both pantographs and collector shoes.

Preservation[]

The following Class EC40 locomotives have been preserved:

Number Manufacturer Equipment manufacturer Date manufactured Date retired Location Notes
ED40 10 Ōmiya Works Ōmiya Works March 1921 March 1968 The Railway Museum, Saitama, Japan Displayed indoors; rack system can be viewed from bottom of locomotive

Gallery[]

References[]

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

Template:TobuMotivePower Template:IzuhakoneMotivePower Template:GakunanMotivePower Template:NankaiMotivePower

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