Sentetsu Pureni-class locomotives

The Pureni-class (プレニ) locomotives were a group of steam tank locomotives with 2-6-2 wheel arrangement of used by the Chosen Government Railway (Sentetsu) in Korea. The "Pure" name came from the American naming system for steam locomotives, under which locomotives with 2-6-2 wheel arrangement were called "Prairie".[1]

Chosen Government Railway Pureni class (プレニ)
Korean National Railroad Pureo2 class (푸러2)
Korean State Railway Purŏdu class (부러두)
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderBaldwin, Nippon Sharyō
Build date1905 Brooks (9), 1935 Nippon Sharyō (1)
Total produced10
Specifications
Configuration:
 • Whyte2-6-2T
Gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Driver dia.1,370 mm (54 in)
Length10,446 mm (34 ft 3.3 in)
Width2,730 mm (8 ft 11 in)
Height3,695 mm (12 ft 1.5 in)
Adhesive weight37.00 t (36.42 long tons)
Loco weight52.00 t (51.18 long tons)
Fuel capacity1.78 t (1.75 long tons)
Water cap.5,500 L (1,500 US gal)
Firebox:
 • Grate area1.66 m2 (17.9 sq ft)
Boiler:
 • Small tubes175 x 51 mm (2.0 in)
Boiler pressure11.5 kgf/cm2 (164 psi)
Heating surface:
 • Firebox9.50 m2 (102.3 sq ft)
 • Tubes88.50 m2 (952.6 sq ft)
 • Total surface98.00 m2 (1,054.9 sq ft)
Superheater:
 • Type?
 • Heating area?
Cylinders1
Cylinder size410 mm × 610 mm (16 in × 24 in)
Valve gearStephenson
Performance figures
Maximum speed75 km/h (47 mph)
Tractive effort72.1 kN (16,200 lbf)
Career
OperatorsGyeongbu Railway
Chosen Government Railway
Korean National Railroad
Korean State Railway
ClassSentetsu: プレニ
KNR: 푸러2
KSR: 부러두
Number in classGR: 9
Sentetsu: 9
NumbersSentetsu: プレニ1–プレニ9
Delivered1905, 1935

In all, Sentetsu owned 227 locomotives of all Pure classes, whilst privately owned railways owned another 52; of these 279 locomotives, 169 went to the Korean National Railroad in South Korea and 110 to the Korean State Railway in North Korea.[2]

Description edit

The Pureni class was introduced in 1905, with nine built in the United States by the Brooks Locomotive Works.[3] Unlike the Purei class, the Pureni had a superheated steam boiler. These, like the 1906 batch of Purei class locomotives, were delivered in knockdown form and assembled at the Incheon shops.[4] The Gyeongbu Railway was nationalised by Sentetsu in 1906, and in 1918 they were renumbered 271 through 279.[5] One further unit was built in 1935 by Nippon Sharyō, as a replacement for the original 276.[4] The nine locomotives were renumbered プレニ1 through プレニ9 in the 1938 general renumbering.[5]

Postwar edit

After the Liberation and partition of Korea, they were divided between North and South, but the specifics of which engine went where are unclear.

Korean National Railroad 푸러2 (Pureo2) class edit

At least three Pureni-class locomotives ended up with the Korean National Railroad in the South after the division of Sentetsu's motive power following the partition of the country; these were designated 푸러2 (Pureo2) class by the KNR.[5]

Korean State Railway 부러두 (Purŏdu) class/1200 series edit

The locomotives taken over by the Korean State Railway in the North were initially designated 부러두 (Purŏdu) class; they were later renumbered in the 1200 series. The total number, their service lives and subsequent fates are unknown.

Construction edit

Original Gyeongbu Railway running numbers not known
Sentetsu running number Postwar
1918–1938 1938–1945 Owner Number Builder Year Notes
プレ271 プレニ1 ? ? Brooks 1905 Originally built for Gyeongbu Railway.
プレ272 プレニ2 ? ? Brooks 1905 Originally built for Gyeongbu Railway.
プレ273 プレニ3 ? ? Brooks 1905 Originally built for Gyeongbu Railway.
プレ274 プレニ4 KNR 푸러2-4 Brooks 1905 Originally built for Gyeongbu Railway. Withdrawn by 1953[5]
プレ275 プレニ5 ? ? Brooks 1905 Originally built for Gyeongbu Railway.
プレ276 (1st) - - - Brooks 1905 Originally built for Gyeongbu Railway. Wrecked before 1935.[4]
プレ276 (2nd) プレニ6 ? ? Nippon Sharyō 1935 Built as replacement for 1st プレ276.[4]
プレ277 プレニ7 ? ? Brooks 1905 Originally built for Gyeongbu Railway.
プレ278 プレニ8 KNR 푸러2-8 Brooks 1905 Originally built for Gyeongbu Railway. Destroyed during Korean War.[5]
プレ279 プレニ9 KNR 푸러2-9 Brooks 1905 Originally built for Gyeongbu Railway. Operational in 1954.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ Colvin, Fred H. (1906). The railroad pocket-book: a quick reference cyclopedia of railroad information. New York, Derry-Collard; London, Locomotive Publishing Company (US-UK co-edition). p. L‑9.
  2. ^ "North and South Korea Steam Locomotives". 20 April 2004. Archived from the original on 20 April 2004.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ 푸러형 증기기관차(탱크식)를 알아보자. 2 December 2012 (in Korean)
  4. ^ a b c d Byeon, Seong-u (1999). 한국철도차량 100년사 [Korean Railways Rolling Stock Centennial] (in Korean). Seoul: Korea Rolling Stock Technical Corp.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Korean National RR Class PR-2 2-6-2T". donsdepot.donrossgroup.net.