The Tomakomai Light Railway Class B1 was a 0-6-0 Switcher-type narrow gauge steam locomotive operated by the Tomakomai Light Railway and later other railway companies from October 1913 to December 1951.
History[]
The Class B1 was an early steam locomotive used in Japan. The locomotives were ordered by Ōji Paper for use on the Tomakomai Light Railway, a predecessor company of what is now the Hokkaido Railway Company's Hidaka Main Line; five locomotives were manufactured in two batches, with three locomotives manufactured in October 1906 and two in March 1908, all by H.K. Porter, Inc. 1 through 3 were owned by Mitsui & Co. (the parent company of Ōji Paper) while 4 and 5 were owned by Ōji Paper.
The Saru Tramway would also open in 1922, with the Tomakomai Light Railway commissioned to operate the line as essentially an extension of the existing Tomakomai Light Railway Lines as they did not have their own rolling stock. The locomotives were also operated in tandem with the similar Class D locomotives operated by the Hidaka Takushoku Railway. When the Tomakomai Light Railway was nationalized on 1 November 1927, the locomotives came under the ownership of the Japanese Government Railways, with the locomotives classified as the Class Ke 500 and renumbered Ke 500 through Ke 504.
With the progress of track regauging works, the class was slowly withdrawn from service. Ke 503 was withdrawn in July 1930 while Ke 501 was withdrawn in February 1931; both locomotives were resold to the Saru Tramway, where they operated until 11 December 1951 with the closure of the railway. The remaining locomotives were withdrawn in December 1931.
No Class B1 locomotives have been preserved.