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Lately I have been looking into modelling (parts of) the Suigun Line. In recent days, there have been plenty of runs with steam locomotives of the C11, C56, C58 and C61 series. However, I am having trouble finding information about what steam locomotives exactly ran on this railway line back in the days when steam trains still ran in actual service. The Japanese Wikipedia article on the Suigun Line mentions that until 1960 the 8700 type and 8620 type steam locomotives towed both passenger and freight trains on this line after which they were replaced by DD13 type diesels. Since I am much more interested in C series steam locomotives, especially the C11 and C56, I am wondering whether these ran on this line as well back in the day. I have been looking all over the Japanese internet, but I just can't seem to find affirmation that they did, if they did at all. Does any of you have better Google search skills or a better view on this subject?

Here's an excellent video posted in the last 24 hours by TN5DMK2. This is a collection of video recorded between September 2012 and August 2013 featuring locomotives C57 1, C56 160, C11 227, C11 190, C12 66, C11 325, C10 8, C61 20, C57 180, C56 44, and C11 207. The lines are: JR West Yamaguchi Line, Mooka Railway, JR East Suigun, Shin'etsu Main, Ban'etsu West, and Narita Lines, Chichibu Railway, Oigawa Railway, and JR Hokkaido Hakodate Main Line. A really great collection of footage, nearly an hour long. All great looking locomotives, I like the proportions and drivers of C61 20 the most. Amongst the many good scenes is night video at Oigawa's Senzu Station around 23:30, and C61 20 motoring up the Shin'etsu Line's 25 permil grade between Matsuida and Yokokawa staring around 48:30. Apparently D51 498 (absent from this video) was pulled from this service at the last minute, and DD51 842 at the end of the train is pushing a bit to make it up the hill.