China Railways JS

The China Railways JS (Chinese: 建设; pinyin: Jiàn Shè; lit. 'Construction or Development') are a type of 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotives, they were manufactured for use on mainline freight trains, as well as for heavy shunting.

JS 建设
JS-5001 at the Beijing Railway Museum
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Dalian, Qishuyan, Datong, Beijing 7th Feb Works Model JS Build date 1957–1965, 1981–1988 Total produced 1,916[1][2][3]
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-8-2 Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) Driver dia. 1,370 mm (53.94 in) Minimum curve 145 m (476 ft) Wheelbase 4.419 m (14 ft 5.98 in) (fixed) 10.192 m (33 ft 5.3 in) (locoo) 20.487 m (67 ft 2.6 in) (total loco+tender) Length total: ≈23 m (75 ft 6 in) (loco + tender) Width 3.332 m (10 ft 11.18 in) Height ≈4.7 m (15 ft 5.04 in) Adhesive weight 79.78 t (78.52 long tons; 87.94 short tons) (adhesive weight) Loco weight ≈103 t (101 long tons; 114 short tons) (91.3 t (89.9 long tons; 100.6 short tons) empty) Tender weight 32 t (31.5 long tons; 35.3 short tons) (empty) Fuel type Coal Tender cap. 17 t (16.7 long tons; 18.7 short tons) (coal), 35 m3 (1,200 cu ft) (water) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 5.08 m2 (54.7 sq ft) Boiler pressure 15 atm (1,500 kPa; 220 psi) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 580 mm × 710 mm (22.835 in × 27.953 in) bore x stroke Valve gear Walschaerts
Performance figures Maximum speed 85 km/h (53 mph) Power output 2,270 hp (1,690 kW) (at rail) Tractive effort ≈250 kN (56,000 lbf) (247.7 kN or 55,700 lbf,[1] 261.5 kN or 58,800 lbf[4])
Career Operators China Railway Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad Number in class 1,916 Numbers 5001–6135, 6201–6558, 8001–8423 Delivered 1957 First run 1957 Last run 15 January 2024 Preserved Twenty-nine Disposition Twenty-nine preserved (twenty-eight in China, one in USA), remainder scrapped
Sources:[4][5] except where noted

History

The JS was developed at the Dalian Locomotive Works by combining the chassis of the China Railways JF with a new boiler.^[4][3][6] One thousand one hundred and thirty-five locomotives were produced from 1957 to 1965 at Dalian, Qishuyan Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works, Datong Locomotive Works, and the Beijing 7th Feb Works.^[5] Dalian and Qishuyan manufactured over one thousand.^[4][5]

A second tranche was produced from 1981 to 1988.^[3] Three hundred and fifty eight were manufactured by Datong from 1981 to 1986.^[3] Four hundred and thirty-four of a revised 'B' specification were manufactured from 1986 to 1988.^[3] The second tranche received numbers starting from 8001.^[1][2][3]

In total, one thousand nine hundred and sixteen JS locomotives of all types were produced.^[1][2]

In the late 1980s, the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad of Iowa, USA, bought JS-8419 for $355,000.^[7]

On 25 April 2022, when Sandaoling discontinued their regular steam operations, they continued to use their JS classes as backups to their Diesel motive power.^[8]

The last JS class, JS-8089 that operated at Sandaoling, was retired from service on 15 January 2024, which officially ended all regular steam operations in China.^[9][10]

Numbering

Locomotives produced from 1957 to 1965 were numbered JS-5001 to JS-6135. Starting at 5001 avoided overlapping the numbers of the various types of JF occupying the 1 - 4100 (approx) range. Locomotives produced at Datong in the early 1980s were numbered JS-6201 to JS-6558; after the introduction of the revised 'B' specification the locomotives were numbered JS-8001 to JS-8423. A small number of locomotives operating outside the scope of the ministry of railways (industrial railways) received different number designations.^[3]

Preservation

5000 series

• JS-5001: is preserved at the China Railway Museum^[11]
• JS-5003: is preserved at Shenyang Railway Museum
• JS-5039: is preserved at Beijing Exhibition Center
• JS-5301: is preserved at Taiyuan Locomotive Depot, Taiyuan Railway Bureau
• JS-5342: is preserved at Weifang Railway Station

6000 series

• JS-6023: is preserved at China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group Co., Ltd
• JS-6244: is preserved at Nanchang Fenghuangzhou Park (Now renamed JS-6289)
• JS-6499: is preserved at Hainan Railway Museum
• JS-6500: is preserved at Guangzhou Railway Museum^[12]
• JS-6532: is preserved at Nanjing Railway Vacational Technical College
• JS-6533: is preserved at Shandong Architecture University (Now renamed JS-5610)

8000 series

• JS-8010: is preserved at Central South University (Now renamed JS-1953)
• JS-8024: is preserved at Jinhua Vocational Technical College
• JS-8077: is preserved at Zhengzhou Century Amusement Park (Now renamed JS-8001)
• JS-8145: is preserved at Xuhui Riverside Park, Shanghai
• JS-8239: is preserved at Gongchangling Iron, Liaoyang
• JS-8260: is preserved at Songhu Railway's Jiangwan Station Former Site, Shanghai
• JS-8284: is preserved at Liuzhou Railway Vacational Technical College^[13]
• JS-8297: is preserved at Nanxiang Power Locomotive Maintenance Base, Shanghai Railway Bureau
• JS-8316: is preserved at Yuanzhou District NO.6 Middle School, Guyuan
• JS-8325: is preserved at Tianjin Railway Vacational Technical College
• JS-8328: is preserved at Southwest Jiaotong University^[14]
• JS-8343: is preserved at Yantai Railway Station
• JS-8347: is preserved at Hangzhou Baita Park
• JS-8376: is preserved at Liuzhou Locomotive Depot, Nanning Railway Bureau (Now renamed JS-1939)^[15]
• JS-8401: is preserved at Hangzhou Jiangshu Railway Heritage Park
• JS-8406: is preserved at Hangzhou Paradise
• JS-8419: is operational at the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad in Iowa, USA
• JS-8422: is preserved at Tianjin Binhai Xinjiayuan Railway Cultural Recreation Street^[16]

Gallery

• 
  Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad's JS-8419
• 
  JS-5039 in Beijing Exhibition Center
• 
  JS-5151
• 
  JS-6500 at Guangzhou Railway Museum
• 
  JS-1953 in Central South University
• 
  Liuzhou Railway Vacational Technical College's JS-8284^[13]
• 
  JS-8376 in Liuzhou Locomotive Depot
• 
  JS-8347 in Hangzhou Baita Park