Do you remember that I introduced the Museum of Industrial Technology, Nippon Institute of Technology, last month. One month has already passed, but I would like to show you one more exhibit of this unique museum on campus.
The Class 2100 is one of the historical steam locomotives built in the late 19th century. It was designed by a British engineer, Richard Francis Trevithick, who was employed by the Japanese Government in order to fuel the process of Japan's modernization. A total of 17 units were then built by Dubs and Company in the United Kingdom. Unit 2109 belongs to the second batch of the Class 2100 imported by Nippon Railway Company (later Japanese Government Railways) in 1891. After operating on the Japanese Government Railways, Unit 2109 was transferred to Seino Railway, Ooigawa Railway, and retired from the track in 1970. The Museum of Industrial Technology took it over in 1993, and it has been preserved in working conditions.
Regarding the technical specifications, the Class 2100 is a 0-6-2 type (Whyte notation) tank engine, 10.439 meters long, and weighs 39,500 kilograms. The maximum speed is 65 kilometers per hour. Its output is 294kW. The Class 2100 was a high-powered locomotive for that time, so, operated on the steep tracks as both passenger and freight trains. Unit 2109 was designated a registered tangible cultural property by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan in 2008. I would like to thank everyone involved in preserving Unit 2109.
