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Specifications
Specifications
Gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)

Type and origin
Type and origin
Power type	Electric
Builder	Hitachi Limited, Mitsubishi Electric Company, Shibaura Engmeering Works, Kisha Seize Company and Kawasaki Shipyard Company
Build date	1928-1944

Class EF52
Class EF52
	JNR Class EF52 #1 at the Kyoto Railway Museum
Power type
Type and origin
Power type	Electric
Builder	Hitachi Limited, Mitsubishi Electric Company, Shibaura Engmeering Works, Kisha Seize Company and Kawasaki Shipyard Company
Build date	1928-1944
Gauge
Specifications
Gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Maximum speed
Performance figures
Maximum speed	95 km/h (59 mph)
Operators
Career
Operators	JNR
Preserved	2

The Class EF52 was the first domestically designed and built electric locomotive in Japan. It utilized technology found in earlier electric locomotives imported from the United States.

History

Japan had started importing electric locomotives from European and American manufacturers in 1922, studied for use on the planned electrification of the relatively flat inland trunk rail line in the country, (the Tokaido trunk line from Tokyo to Kohzu^[1]). In the period after World War One, the Ministry of Railways had planned to replace steam locomotives with electric locomotives, part of a plan for using surplus electricity generated by rising coal prices amid the rapid development of heavy industry.^[1]

As part of the electrification plan, the Japanese Ministry of Railways imported 59 electric locomotives (in three different batches) from European and American manufacturers.^[2]

Engineers were most impressed with the American locomotives, built by two different manufacturers. All of the models were direct-current type electric locomotive. The first group were built by Westinghouse/Baldwin Locomotive Works, with Westinghouse providing the electrical equipment and Baldwin the mechanical equipment. The second group were from General Electric (GE)/ALCO, with Electric apparatus manufactured by GE and mechanical components made by ALCO. Japanese engineers selected the best technology from each builder to incorporate into what would be the Class EF52. The high-speed circuit breakers from the GE/ALCO models were incorporated into the new design, with the main traction frame mechanism and electric apparatus layout borrowed from the Westinghouse/Baldwin models.^[2] The design and construction of the EF52 was distributed among several Japanese companies: Hitachi Limited, Mitsubishi Electric Company, Shibaura Engineering Works, Kisha Seizo Company and Kawasaki Shipyard Company.^[2] The project was headed by Kiichi Asakura, noted steam locomotive designer.^[3]

Individual locomotives

Hitachi Limited built the first two locomotives, EF52 No. 1, in September 1928 and No. 2 in October 1928. Class EF52 No. 3 was completed in May 1928 at Shibaura Engineering Works/Kisha Seizo Company and No. 4 was completed June 1928 at the same builder. Nos. 5-6 were completed in July 1928 at Mitsubishi Electric Company, No. 7 was completed in July 1928 at Kawasaki Shipyard Company, Nos. 8-9 were completed in June 1931 at same builder.^[2]

Technical details

The locomotive has platforms at the front and rear for the crew to board and disembark. The bogies are made of a rod frame and assembled with cross beams, and have balancing beams and intermediate coupling devices between the front and rear bogies. The method of operation could be in series, series-parallel and parallel.^[1]

Design of the EF52 was strongly influenced by the Baldwin/Westinghouse units that were earlier brought into Japan. Once the basic specifications were determined, the design of each part of the locomotive was divided among the Ministry of Railways, the four private companies mentioned above, and the manufacturer of electric instruments and batteries. "The design drawings were then submitted to the Ministry of Railways, where all the parties involved discussed and improved the design, and the drawings were then compiled as an agreed upon drawing for divisional manufacturing". The various components used were designed to be standardized and interchangeable, using domestically produced equipment and parts.^[1]

Service life and legacy

The EF52 proved to be a very reliable locomotive, becoming the railway's standard electric locomotive. It was redesigned several times and was manufactured until 1944.^[2] The locomotives were first used for pulling express passenger trains on the relatively flat Tokaido trunk line.^[1]

The EF52 electric locomotive was the result of knowledge gained from the usage of the first imported electric locomotives brought into Japan from Europe and America.^[1]