Sunzu Railway Class ED31

Data (as of 6 Jul 2024)

History

The Class ED31 was first introduced to freight trains of Seibu Railway when then-Kawagoe Line (now Kokubunji Line) was electrified. The Class was first designed by Toshiba for freight trains in colonies and occupied territories, but they had not been delivered as planned because of the end of the Second World War. Seibu purchased them slightly cheaper than other locomotives, but a negotiation (or rather, dispute) with the manufacturer prolonged due to hyperinflation.

Seibu finally purchased two locomotives, and built another by themselves. However, due to low tractive effort, staffs of Seibu avoided using them. Both locos were officially resold to then-Sunzu Railway, which was renamed Izuhakone Railway in 1957.

The Class ED31 engaged in freight trains on Sunzu Line until when they were discontinued in 1972. After that, both locos have been used for ad hoc works. They were also used for rail tours with coaches of Japanese National Railways in the 1980s.

Current Operations & Future Prospects

Both Class ED31 locomotives are used as shunters and for ad hoc works on Sunzu Line, such as engineering works. They sometimes haul 5000 series for major maintenance.

Both locos are very old, but no plan of withdrawal has been announced so far.