The "Paci-Na" style locomotive shown here recorded about 120-170 km in the scheduled service.
One of the project team member of the SMR limited express service, Yasujiro Shima, was later involved in another project to introduce a similar high-speed train service in Japan, which had to be abandoned because of the war. Later, in 1964, Japan finally launched the high-speed train service, Shinkansen. The project leader was Hideo Shima, Yasujiro's son. I will become a patissier, God willing.
*Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Interesting, so there were no streamlined high-speed locos at all in Japan proper? *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
The streamlined era was what, the 30's and 40's? Japan was already at was as early as 33. Major rail-line upgrades for passengers just wasn't in the cards.
I could be wrong, though.
This ugly duckling is the C53 No. 43. Why it had to be streamlined, I don't know: design speed is supposed to be a mere 95 km/h...
I found it when I re-visited a long ago bookmarked link (Gunter's Locomotive Page) for a completely different reason, and found it grew a lot - now with a long list of streamlined locos. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
The reason the speed was capped at mere 95 km/h is the terrain and the narrow gauge (1067 mm). Even today, except for Shinkansen, we still use 1067 mm. I will become a patissier, God willing.
