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The JNR Class EF64 is a Japanese DC electric locomotive operated by the Japanese National Railways and its successor companies since 1964.

History[]

The EF64 was developed as a locomotive which could handle moderate gradients of 20‰ – 33‰ and feature dynamic braking to cope with these gradients. A total of 132 locomotives were manufactured for the JNR from 1964 to 1982.

When the Japanese National Railways was privatized and split into seven different companies in 1987, JR East, Central, West and Freight took ownership of the locomotives; only JR Freight operates EF64s as of 2022. Despite its age, the EF64 remains a mainstay of the Japan Railways network and can often be seen hauling freight trains. The existing locomotives have been undergoing numerous modifications to keep them up to date.

One locomotive, EF64 18, has been preserved in Yamanashi Prefecture.

Design[]

The EF64s feature large box-shaped bodies with circular headlights mounted on the top of the cars.

Specifications[]

The EF64s used a nose suspension drive as opposed to the Quill drive of more recent locomotives; the use of the nose suspension drive was due to maintenance problems involving the Quill drive, so all locomotives after the earlier EF70 would use the nose suspension drive. This however came at the cost of keeping the rated rotation speed of the traction motors low. MT52 traction motors are used on the locomotives.

Preservation[]

The following Class EF64 locomotives have been preserved:

Number Manufacturer Equipment manufacturer Date manufactured Date retired Location Notes
EF64 18 Toshiba Toshiba 18 March 1966 30 March 2005 Katsunumabudokyo Station, Yamanashi, Japan Displayed outdoors
EF64 22 Kawasaki Heavy Industries Kawasaki Denki 31 March 1966 25 March 2008 Yazu, Tottori, Japan Cab only, privately owned; exact location unknown

The following Class EF64 locomotives were preserved in the past but have since been scrapped:

Number Manufacturer Equipment manufacturer Date manufactured Date retired Last location Notes
EF64 77 Kawasaki Heavy Industries Tōyō Denki 23 January 1976 2012 Aichi Locomotive Depot, Aichi, Japan Stored on siding; removed November 2019, scrapped January 2020
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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