Abstract
In 1922, a new plan relation to the flat trunk line electrification of inland railway by Japanese Ministry of Railway (J.M.R.) had started. For the purpose of accomplishment of this new plan, J.M.R. imported fifty-nine direct current type electric locomotives three times from European and American electric locomotive builders. In these imported foreign electric locomotives, American made four kinds of electric locomotives presented good results to railway engineers of J.M.R,. So, railway officers and engineers constructed and started design project on the Japanese made standard direct current type electric locomotives for flat trunk line passenger train use in inland railway with some Japanese electric locomotive builders. They were Hitachi Limited, Mitsubishi Electric Company, Shibaura Engineering Works, Kisha Seizo Company and Kawasaki Shipyard Company. There were two design prototypes of this standard direct current type electric locomotive. One was Class 6010 and 8010 for passenger train use electric locomotives built by Westinghouse (W.H.) / Baldwin Locomotive Works (B.L.W) in 1926, and the other was Class 1010 and Class 1060 for goods train use electric locomotives built by General Electric (GE.) / American Locomotive Works (ALCO) in 1923 and 1926. Railway engineers of J.M.R. introduced main track-frame mechanism system, electric apparatus layout in the locomotive machinery space and high-speed circuit breaker to design of direct current type standard electric locomotive. This standard electric locomotive Class EF52 of J.M.R. was first completed in 1928 at Hitachi Limited and nine same locomotives were built at this company and other locomotive builders. This standard electric locomotive had been redesigned and manufactured until in 1944. In this paper, technology transfer from U.S.A. for the standard direct current type electric locomotive design / construction and some examples of mechanical engineering heritage of these locomotives will be explained.
