Steam locomotive

A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its pulling power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning combustible material—usually coal, wood, or oil—to produce steam in a boiler. The steam moves reciprocating pistons which are mechanically connected to the locomotive's main wheels (drivers). Both fuel and water supplies are carried with the locomotive, either on the locomotive itself or in wagons (tenders) pulled behind. The first steam locomotive, made by Richard Trevithick, first operated on 21 February 1804, three years after the road locomotive he made in 1801.

Steam locomotives were first developed in Great Britain during the early 19th century and dominated railway transport until the middle of the 20th century. From the early 1900s they were gradually superseded by electric and diesel locomotives, with full conversions to electric and diesel power beginning from the 1930s. The majority of steam locomotives were retired from regular service by the 1980s, though several continue to run on tourist and heritage lines.

JGR Class 7170

The Japanese Class 7170 steam locomotive was among the first trains to be used in Hokkaido, and was utilized alongside the JNR Class 7100 on the Horonai Railway.

The two tender locomotives that were to become the Class 7170 were purchased from the American Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1889, and were included into the numbering sequence of the six 7100 trains as numbers 7 and 8. Soon afterwards, the Horonai Railway came to be controlled by Hokuyūsha company president Murata Tsutsumi, who renamed them "First Murata" and "Second Murata" (dai-ichi and dai-ni Murata). The two were later sold off by the Meiji government, which privatized (sold) a great many government endeavors.

History

Though originally numbered 8 & 9 upon their import from the United States, the two locomotives were re-numbered 9 & 10 upon their sale by the government-controlled Horonai Railway to the Hokkaido Colliery and Railway Company in 1889. The 1906 Railway Nationalization Act then incorporated the Hokkaido Colliery and Railway Company into the Japanese Government Railways. Three years later, legislation would formalize and standardize the numbering, establishing the Class 7170 as consisting of these two locomotives, dubbed 7170 and 7171. At this time, the chimneys were altered, and the forward sections of the steam rooms expanded.

JGR Class 7100

The JGR Class 7100 was a Japanese steam locomotive which was first used in Hokkaido, upon the establishment of the government-sponsored Horonai Railway in 1880. The locomotives were imported from the United States.

The locomotives were produced by the American company H. K. Porter, Inc. Two were purchased in 1880 (Nos. 368, 369), two more in 1882 (Nos. 487, 488), one in 1884 (No. 643), one in 1885 (No. 672), and two more in 1889 (Nos. 1009, 1010), for a total of eight. Six of the locomotives were named after major historical or literary figures in 1889, at the suggestion of the Japanese Consul of New York City, Takagi Saburō, who found appeal in the similar practice seen in the United States at the time. Thus, the six became known as Yoshitsune, Benkei, Hirafu, Mitsukuni, Nobuhiro, and Shizuka.

History

Service began between Sapporo and Temiya on 28 November 1880, via Yoshitsune and Benkei. The following year, on 30 August 1881, Emperor Meiji rode the line, called Kaitakushi-gō (開拓使号, "Settlement Envoy"). Pulling nine cars in poor weather, the train arrived late, but this was said to be acceptable; it is not clear which locomotive was used. The line was extended in 1882 to connect Sapporo with Horonai, and Hirafu and Mitsukuni were obtained. Nobuhiro and Shizuka were purchased soon afterwards, and in 1887 a Baldwin Locomotive Works 1-C tender was also purchased, which was given the class number 7170. When the last of the H.K. Porter locomotives were purchased, the trains' ordinals were rearranged to group the Porters together.