The JNR Class ED42 is a Japanese DC Abt rack rail boxcab electric locomotive operated by the Japanese National Railways from 1934 to September 1963.
History[]
The Class ED42 was an early type of electric locomotive used on the Japanese National Railways. A total of 28 locomotives were produced by various Japanese locomotive builders from 1934 to 1948; they were put into service in 1934 on the Shin'etsu Main Line which at the time featured a rack rail system on one portion of the line. Their main purpose was to serve as a replacement for the Class EC40 locomotives that were used on that same portion.
The locomotives were stationed at the Yokogawa Depot (now the Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park). They were operated most commonly between Yokogawa and Karuizawa. Modifications were made to the class over its length of service, most notably the addition of regenerative braking. In their later years the Class ED42 locomotives were used to assist the KiHa 57 and KiHa 82 series diesel multiple units up the Yokogawa and Karuizawa portion of the Shin'etsu Main Line. Said portion of the line was switched to an adhesion railway system on 30 September 1963, with the Abt rack system removed, and thus the Class ED42s were no longer needed. Scrapping of surplus locomotives was complete by December 1963. These were the last Abt rack rail system locomotives to run on the JNR.
Two Class ED42s, ED42 1 and ED42 2, have been preserved.
Design[]
The Class ED42 featured a boxcab design. There were some minor changes between Class ED42s that were manufactured pre- and post-war.
Specifications[]
The Class ED42s feature resistor-controlled traction motors and a steel body construction. Three MT27 traction motors can be found on the train; two were used to drive the wheels and one for the rack system. As with many of JNR's rack rail electric locomotives it features a jackshaft. The Class ED42s were broadly based on the Class ED41 locomotives that were imported from Switzerland; some have argued that the Class ED42s are a locally-produced copy of said locomotive. Compared to the Class ED41s a few design changes were made to the Class ED42s.
The Class ED42 featured both a pantograph and collector shoes to allow them to collect power from both overhead and from a third rail.
Preservation[]
The following Class ED42 locomotives have been preserved:
| Number | Manufacturer | Equipment manufacturer | Date manufactured | Date retired | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ED42 1 | Hitachi | Hitachi | 29 March 1934 | 9 December 1963 | Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park, Gunma, Japan | Displayed indoors, serviceable; occasionally wheeled out for special events, formerly located at Yokogawa and Ōmiya Works |
| ED42 2 | Kisha Seizō | Shibaura Seisakushō | 30 March 1934 | 9 November 1963 | Karuizawa East Elementary School, Nagano, Japan | Displayed under shelter on school grounds; permission required for viewing |
Gallery[]
