Class D51 Mikado Locomotives Preserved in Japan

Although the 2-8-2 “Mikado” type steam locomotive first made an appearance in Japan in the late 19th century, it wouldn’t be until 1936 that the Class D51 Mikado steam locomotive would hit the rails. The term Mikado means ‘Emperor’ in Japanese and these locomotives quickly established their dominance on Japanese rails. A total of 1164 locomotives featuring the D51 design were produced, including 49 that were for other countries. Today, there are approximately 174 of these locomotives preserved in Japan. Let’s look at where some of these notable locomotives are currently.

Operational D51 Locomotives in Japan

There are a total of five operational D51 Mikado steam locomotives in Japan:

Locomotive	Location and Operation Information
#146	SL Mooka Rail Museum- Shimodate, Tochigi.
#200	Kyoto Railway Museum (operated by West Japan Railway Company)
#498	Tasaki Locomotive Shops (operated by West Japan Railway Company)
#320	‘Abira Roadside Station’. Abira, Iburi. Runs on compressed air only.
#827	Aridagawa Railway Park, Wakayama. Runs on compressed air only.

Museum Preserved D51s

There are several preserved D51 locomotives that can be seen on static display at various museums throughout the country:

Locomotive	Display Information
#1	Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum- Kyoto
#2	Tsuyama Railway Museum- Tsuyama, Okayama
#96	Usui Pass Railway Heritage Museum- Annaka, Gunma
#125	Funabashi Historical Museum- Funabashi, Chiba
#201	Gamagori Museum- Gamagori, Aichi
#231	National Museum of Nature and Science- Tokyo
#244	Children’s Museum. Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
#408	Town Museum. Kawasaki, Kanagawa
#946	Coal and Fossils Museum- Iwaki, Fukushima

Static Displays at Train Stations

Several of these steam giants have been preserved and placed on static display outside or nearby operating train stations throughout the country. These locomotives remind visitors on a daily basis of how rail travel has evolved over the last century.

Locomotive	Station Location
#170	Yatake Station- Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto
#194	Tsuwano Station- Shimane
#745	Minakami Station- Minakami, Gunma
#774	Former Taisha Station- Izumo, Shimane
#775	Kiso-Fukushima Station- Nagano
#822	Matto Station- Ishikawa
#1072	Kobe Station- Hyogo

Unusual Static Display Locations

In order to help preserve the history of these Mikados, many found static display homes in unusual locations, including zoos and ski resorts among others. Below is a list of some of the unusual locations where these locomotives ended up.

Locomotive	Display Information
#6	Community Park- Asahikawa, Hokkaido
#10	Community Center- Yukuhashi, Fukuoka
#66	Kawanishi Elementary School- Kyoto
#68	Koiwai Farm- Iwata
#95	Shintoku Ski Resort- Shintoku, Hokkaido
#155	Displayed outside city offices in Shiojiri, Hagano.
#158	Community Center- Ibaraki, Osaka.
#187	East Japan Railways Shops- Saitama
#194	Tsuwano Station- Tsuwano, Shimane
#211	Oji Zoo- Kobe, Hyogo
#232	Omoriyama Zoo- Akita
#395	Tokuyama Zoo- Shunan, Yamaguchi
#401	Suzaka Zoo- Nagano
#402	Community Center- Iida, Nagano
#409	Yamazaki Mazak Corp factory- Gifu
#549	Displayed outside of an elementary school- Nagano
#561	Ski Resort- Kawaba, Gunma

Final Thoughts

Although there are only a few Mikados from the class that still operate today, the impact of the class has been preserved throughout the country. If you ever find yourself in the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ and want to see one of these historic steam giants up close, you likely won’t have to travel too far thanks to the preservation efforts.