The is a type of 2-6-0 steam locomotive built in Japan from 1914 to 1929. It was Japan's first mass-produced passenger locomotive. A total of 672 Class 8620 locomotives were built. Originally they had a symmetry of line with shapely cast iron chimneys which gave way to plainer chimneys and smoke deflectors were added in later years.
A total of 42 Class 8620 locomotives were built for Imperial Taiwan Railway from 1919 to 1928. After World War II, they were taken over by Taiwan Government Railways, and were classified CT150.
Preserved examples , 20 Class 8620 locomotives have been preserved in Japan and one in Taiwan, as follows.
Japan 8620: Preserved at the Ome Railway Park in Ome, Tokyo 8630: Preserved in working order at the Kyoto Railway Museum in Kyoto 28651: Preserved in Ono, Fukui 48624: Preserved in a park in Otofuke, Hokkaido 48640: Preserved in Hirosaki, Aomori 48647: Preserved in Takachiho, Miyazaki 48650: Preserved in Miyoshi, Hiroshima 48696: Preserved at the municipal zoo in Omuta, Fukuoka 58623: Preserved in Toyokawa, Aichi 58654: Preserved on display at Hitoyoshi Station. From 2009 to 2024, it was in working order as the SL Hitoyoshi at Kumamoto Depot in Kumamoto. 58680: Preserved in a park in Mobara, Chiba 58683: Preserved in a park in Sakura, Chiba 58685: Preserved in front of Tadotsu Station in Tadotsu, Kagawa 68691: Preserved in a park in Yamagata, Yamagata 68692: Preserved in a park in Tokushima, Tokushima 78626: Preserved in a park in Onga, Fukuoka 78653: Preserved at Wespa Tsubakiyama in Fukaura, Aomori 78675: Preserved in a park in Gojo, Nara 78693: Preserved at Koriyama Depot in Koriyama, Fukushima 88622: Preserved in Iki, Nagasaki
Taiwan CT152: Preserved at Miaoli Railway Museum in Miaoli
In popular culture
KATO have made models in N gauge of the 8620 in the Tohoku region as well as SL Hitoyoshi in a special 4-car limited edition boxed set. Plarail have also depicted the 8620 in the form of SL Hitoyoshi and SL Aso Boy.
The Class 8620 has made appearances in notable forms of Japanese media. Maitetsu, a visual novel developed by now-disbanded visual novel developer Lose, featuring anthropomorphic depictions of steam locomotives known as "Raillords". Hachiroku, a depiction of class leader No. 8620, is the main heroine of the novel.
The Class 8620's popularity would rise when the locomotive would be featured in the movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, taking place on a train pulled by the Mugen Train, modeled after the real No. 8620 on display at the Ome Railway Park. The two operational Class 8620s, 8630 and 58654, were cosmetically modified to match the train as seen in the movie and operated with these cosmetic modifications.
See also Japan Railways locomotive numbering and classification JNR Class C50 JNR Class C56 List of operational steam locomotives in Japan
References