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During Mar 1974.
(Photo credit to Nicholas Pertwee)
58654 |
Kyushu Railway Company
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Class 8620, No. 58654 was manufactured at the Hitachi Seisakujo Co., Kasado works,
serial No. 62, on the 18th of November 1922. First deployment was to Uragami depot in Nagasaki, later she worked in Kyushu, such as Wakamatsu, Yoshimatsu, Kagoshima, Bungomori .... etc. During June 1968, she moved to Hitoyoshi depot, and was active on the Yunomae line. However Yunomae line steam operation was closed on the 10th of March 1975. 58654 pulled a "Good-Bye Yunomae steam" train. Also, she was crossed off her registration on the 31st of March 1975, and was preserved at the "Hitoyoshi SL Museum" in front of the Yatake station on the Hisatsu line. During 1987, JR-Kyushu planned a restored steam train. Thereafter, 58654 was transferred to the Kokura works, and restoration work was started. Her restoration was not easy, because, of her old age. Boiler and driving wheels were newly produced from the beginning. Restoration was completed during July 1988, and steam train operation was started from the trains "SL Aso Boy" and "SL Hitoyoshi" on the Hohi and Hisatsu line on the 28th of August 1988 with the 58654. However, after service started, 58654's condition was not good, and afterward, a fatal crack was found in her underframe. This crack was evaluated as unrecoverable damage, and as a result, her operation was stopped from 28th of August 2005. At first, JR-Kyushu was considered her retirement, but, finally it was decided to restore her. 58654 went into the Kokura works between February 2007 and March 2009, and intensive restoration work was begun. The unusable underframe was replaced by a newly produced underframe. On the 25th of April 2009, after restoration, she was returned to service between Kumamoto and Hitoyoshi. |
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58654 active days on the Yunomae line, Hitoyoshi depot. During Mar 1974. (Photo credit to Nicholas Pertwee) |
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