In Japan, regular trains pulled by steam locomotives (SLs) were abolished in 1975. Today, we can see them only as sightseeing or special trains on the tracks, but not a lot. You may be asking "Where did the retired SLs disappear to?" Most of the SLs had already been scrapped, but some of them are preserved in museums, schools, parks and so on. I'm going to introduce the Class C50 SL preserved in a park of Tokyo Metropolis.
The Class C50 was developed by the Ministry of Railways in 1929. It's a 2-6-0 (Whyte notation) type SL that has a tender attached. A total of 154 units were built by Kawasaki Sharyo, Kisha Seizo and so on. Although the C50 was developed as the successor to the star SL named the Class 8620, its main tasks were just pulling local trains and shunting vehicles within depots. It's because the railway operator made more heavy use of the Class C57 and C62, which were junior SLs of the C50.
Today, only one unit (C50 75) of the C50 is preserved in Tokyo Metropolis. C50 75 was built by Kawasaki Sharyo in 1929. After operating for 42 years and two million kilometers, it was retired from the track in 1971, and came to Kita-Shikahama Park in Adachi Ward. Although the body is somewhat damaged and the front light is removed, C50 75 still keeps a beautiful appearance with a white-colored stripe.
C50 75... it's a low-key, but a precious preserved SL in Tokyo.
