The China Railways JF (解放, Jiěfàng, "Liberation) class is a name given to a group of classes of steam locomotives for freight trains with 2-8-2 wheel arrangement operated by the China Railway. Originally designated ㄇㄎ壹 (MK1) class by the China Railways in 1951, the present name was assigned to them in 1959.[1]

解放
JF
JF1 1861 - previously North China Transport ミカイ1861.
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderAlco, Kawasaki, Hitachi, Sifang works, Dalian works, Qiqihar works, Shenyang works
Total produced~2000 (1918-45)
455 (1952-60)
Specifications
Gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Sources:[1][2] except where noted

Composition edit

 
"New National Big Mika"type JF1-1299 (ex Manchukuo National ミカイ1299) at Harbin, 1984
 
A dumped JF6 Steam Locomotive in Heshan, Laibin, 2014

The JF group of classes is made up of twenty different classes of 2-8-2 steam locomotives:

  • JF1 - 2027 engines; 455 built new after 1950, rest inherited from South Manchuria Railway, Manchukuo National Railway, North China Transport, Central China Railway, and private railways;
  • JF2 - 41 engines inherited from the South Manchuria Railway;
  • JF3 - 150 engines built in Czechoslovakia and inherited from the Manchukuo National Railway;
  • JF4 - 15 engines inherited from the South Manchuria Railway;
  • JF5 - inherited from North China Transport, originally built for the Jichang Railway
  • JF6 - around 475 engines; 5 built new after 1950, rest inherited from the South Manchuria Railway, the Manchukuo National Railway, and North China Transport;
  • JF7 - originally built for the Jingfeng Railway, inherited from North China Transport;
  • JF8 - originally built for the Huainan Railway, inherited from the Central China Railway;
  • JF9 - 38 engines of the Sentetsu Mikasa class, inherited from the Central China Railway;
  • JF10 - 30 engines, US Army Transportation Corps S200 class, given to China as postwar reconstruction aid from the UNRRA;
  • JF11 - 70 engines inherited from the Central China Railway, originally built for the Jinpu Railway and the Zhegan Railway;
  • JF12 - 46 engines inherited from North China Transport, originally built for the Jingsui Railway as Class 300;
  • JF13 - inherited from North China Transport, built in Czechoslovakia in 1939;
  • JF15 - 6 engines inherited from the Manchukuo National Railway, originally built for the Jihai Railway;
  • JF16 - 18 engines inherited from Central China Railway and the Manchukuo National Railway;
  • JF17 - inherited from North China Transport, originally built for the Jiaoji Railway;
  • JF18 - around 14 engines inherited from South Manchuria Railway;
  • JF21 - inherited from the Central China Railway, originally built for the Yuehan Railway.
  • JF51 - inherited from the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway.

The locomotives were used across the Chinese railway system, and were in service on the national railway system until 1996; on industrial rail networks some locomotives remained in use until the early 2000s. Several of the class have been preserved.

Preservation edit

 
JF1-1191 and JF1-304 at the China Railway Museum
 
JF2-2525 at Shenyang Railway Museum
 
JF6-3022 at former Datong Railway Museum, 1999

JF1 edit

JF2 edit

  • JF2-2525: is preserved at Shenyang Railway Museum.

JF3 edit

  • JF3-2558: is preserved at Shenyang Railway Museum.

JF6 edit

  • JF6-3022: is preserved at the China Railway Museum.
  • JF6-3329: is preserved at Shenyang Railway Museum.

JF9 edit

JF11 edit

JF51 edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b 解放型蒸汽机车, www.zztl.com (in Chinese), archived from the original on 25 December 2008
  2. ^ "JF1(ミカイ)形蒸気機関車", www.kuroganerail.jp (in Japanese), archived from the original on 2008-04-20, retrieved 2012-06-28
  3. ^ "甘肃高校学生零距离研究古蒸汽火车". sd.ifeng.com. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  4. ^ 老吴主播, "淮南车间里的解放型蒸汽机车", Sina Weibo (in Chinese)