There is an expression in Japanese that says "it is darkest under the lighthouse". I am not a native English speaker, but “the darkest place is under the candlestick” in English may have similar meanings. For me, Unit 57 of the Class C57 (hereafter C57 57) is exactly the steam locomotive preserved "under the lighthouse”. C57 57 is preserved in Okura Athletic Park in Setagaya Ward of Tokyo Metropolis. This public park is near my house, but I had never been to there until recently.
Let me review the Class C57 to start. The C57 is a 4-6-2 (Whyte notation) type steam locomotive that has a tender attached. It was developed by the Ministry of Railways in 1937 for pulling passenger trains. It is 20.28 meters long, and weighs 67.5 tons. The driving wheel diameter is 1,750 millimeters. A total of 201 units were built by Kawasaki-sharyo and the other companies. The Class C57 is called "the lady" among rail-fans. I agree with it, because its design is beautiful. For example, the boiler is slender, in contrast, the driving wheels are large.
C57 57 was built in 1938 by Kawasaki-sharyo. It was mainly operated in the northern part of Japan, so, there is a large snow plow on the front. After operating for 38 years, C57 57 was retired from the track in 1976. Its total driving distance was 3,365,110 kilometers, which is equivalent to 4.5 round trips from the Earth to the Moon. C57 57… thank you for your hard work.
