Electric locomotive Tobu 101 of the Type ED 101 is preserved in Tobu Museum
In Japan, most of the major private railway companies have been brought up as urban commuter transporters. In other words, they have been not interested in freighting. As a result, most of them have introduced very few electric locomotives (ELs).
In such a circumstance, Tobu Railway stands out, because it used to have many ELs in its rolling stock. Look at the top photo. It is unit number 101 of type ED101, the first EL in Tobu Railway. The 101 was manufactured in 1928 by English Electric Company in the UK. It is a small EL with a "B+B" wheel arrangement ("4-4-0" equivalent in Whyte-notation), but was a hard worker on the tracks. The 101 was retired in 1972, and moved to a small private railway in the western part of Japan. It, then, moved back to Tokyo in 2009 to be preserved in the Tobu Museum.
The following picture shows another EL in Tobu Railway, unit number 5015 of Type ED5010. A total of 14 units have been manufactured since 1955 by Hitachi Mito Factory. This EL also has a B+B wheel arrangement. The size of the body is a bit larger than that of ED101. Unit number 5015 in the photo was manufactured in 1959, and retired in 1984. It, then, moved to Tobu Museum to be preserved in an exhibition.
The ED101 and 5010... they are precious ELs, when we talk about the history of Japanese freight transportation.
In such a circumstance, Tobu Railway stands out, because it used to have many ELs in its rolling stock. Look at the top photo. It is unit number 101 of type ED101, the first EL in Tobu Railway. The 101 was manufactured in 1928 by English Electric Company in the UK. It is a small EL with a "B+B" wheel arrangement ("4-4-0" equivalent in Whyte-notation), but was a hard worker on the tracks. The 101 was retired in 1972, and moved to a small private railway in the western part of Japan. It, then, moved back to Tokyo in 2009 to be preserved in the Tobu Museum.
The following picture shows another EL in Tobu Railway, unit number 5015 of Type ED5010. A total of 14 units have been manufactured since 1955 by Hitachi Mito Factory. This EL also has a B+B wheel arrangement. The size of the body is a bit larger than that of ED101. Unit number 5015 in the photo was manufactured in 1959, and retired in 1984. It, then, moved to Tobu Museum to be preserved in an exhibition.
The ED101 and 5010... they are precious ELs, when we talk about the history of Japanese freight transportation.
Electric locomotive Tobu 5015 of the Type ED 5010 is preserved in Tobu Museum
More information about preserved rolling stock in Tiobu Museum (in Japanee):