2109About The Class 2100-2109 steam locomotive

Beautifully proportioned 0-6-2 tank locomotive

This steam locomotive was manufactured by Dübs and Company in England (founded by Henry Dübs in 1863) in 1891 and imported to Japan in the year. The 2100-series steam locomotive has the same design as the 2120-series manufactured in England and Japan, the German-made 2400-series, and the American-manufactured 2500-series. During the era of the Railway Works Bureau, it was also collectively known as “Type B6”. A total of more than 500 units were imported.
The first unit of the 2100 class steam locomotive is No. 2100. And since it was the 10th unit, it was called “Type 2100-2109”, indicating that it was an earliest model.
This locomotive had large horsepower for the time, and because of its superior design and performance, it was used on mountain lines for steep gradients, freight, and both passenger and freight service. After that, they were heavily used on main lines in various regions, and showed longevity in service until the 1950s.
This steam locomotive is one of a number of rare steam locomotives that used the Stephenson valve gear, which was later discontinued.

2100 class locomotive numbers start with 00. No. 2109 indicates that it is the "10th locomotive of the 2100 class."

Operation of steam locomotives (fire operation)

The Class 2100-2109 steam locomotive, which is dynamically preserved and exhibited at the Museum, is operated with fire on a regular basis. We look forward to your visit and invite you to join us.

Scheduled driving date and time

Steam locomotive operations will be announced on "NEWS & EVENTS".

Location

Nippon Institute of Technology, permanent track in front of our Museum

Features

This locomotive was built using various advanced technologies of the time in various areas, such as the Stephenson valve gear, boilers with riveted joints, and special fabrication methods. In terms of form, it is a beautifully proportioned 0-6-2 tank locomotive. The water loading capacity is of the early tender locomotive class. It has a strong towing capacity of 310 tons at 1/100 slope and 155 tons at 1/40 slope when running at 32.2 km/h. Tank locomotives with this 0-6-2 axle arrangement are relatively common in the United Kingdom.

Basic specifications

Cylinder diameter

406mm

Cylinder stroke

610mm

Boiler pressure

0.4MPa (9.8kg/cm2 in actual use)

Fire grate area

1.31㎡

Heating surface

92.2㎡

Driving wheel diameter

1245㎡

Effective weight

39.5ton

Water tank capacity

7.8㎡

Fuel loading capacity

1.9ton

Overall length

10439mm

Overall height

3810mm

Overall width

2438mm

Some details of the specifications have been slightly changed from those at the time of importation.

Stephenson valve gear

The valve system uses the early vertical Stephenson valve gear.
It has features such as a robust structure, withstands high-speed operation, and is easy to handle.
However, because the device itself tended to be large and heavy, it was replaced by the Walschearts valve gear, and now there are fewer opportunities to see the actual valve gear.
This valve gear was widely used in Britain and the United States at the time, but in Japan it can be said to be the most advanced technology of the Meiji era.

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Boiler with rivet connection

The boiler is assembled using hot riveting joints.
This boiler features 188 smoke tubes instead of no superheater tubes.
Strength calculation standards for boilers with hot rivet joints have been removed from the Ministry of Labor's current standards, and the work to repair these joints is itself an industrial heritage.

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Manufacture of main connecting rods and connecting rods

The main connecting rod is an important component that converts the reciprocating motion of the piston into the rotational motion of the driving wheels.
The main connecting rod, where the force required for driving is concentrated, was formed by hot forging using forged steel, despite being a large component.
To repair the bearing, we took a very complicated approach by soldering babbitt metal to the inside face of the gunmetal to produce a bearing thickness of 10 mm.

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Manufacturing of driving wheels by shrink fitting

The driving wheel is made up of an axle, wheel center, tire, counterweight, and crank pin, and the wheel center and tire are connected by shrink fitting.
The precision machining and temperature control necessary for shrink-fitting driving wheels with a diameter of 1000 mm or more is a difficult technology with many aspects still unknown.
The original builders used a special technique to precisely cast large iron parts.
In addition, the driving wheels have very rare, square-section spokes that were used only on the earliest Class-2100 locomotives.

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Form of 2100 type steam locomotive

This is a 0-6-2 tank locomotive. The massive water tanks on both sides of the boiler increase the weight per driving axle, enhancing the adhesion and producing higher tractive power. However, the lack of leading wheels creates a heavier load on the main driving wheels compared to 2-6-2 locomotives. As a consequence, the main driving wheels had a tendency to such high wear that engine drivers tried to drive Class-2100 locomotives backwards as much as possible.

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Cultural inheritance/techniques of skilled engineers

In 1992, it was designated by Japan Industrial Archaeology Society as an industrial heritage of academic and cultural importance.
The reasons for certification include the fact that it is a typical steam locomotive from the early Meiji period, that it retains almost all of its original appearance except for the air brake system, etc., and that it still retains the maker's plate from the time of manufacture.
Oigawa Railway’s steam workshop undertook a full working restoration while considering its historical significance in Japan’s railway heritage. All the parts required for the restoration were handmade to the original specifications while giving full consideration to working safety.
The work was also carried out with full consideration of safety for actual driving.

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