“SL” Usage

[ATShinkansen]

So I know the abbreviation “SL” is short for “steam locomotive”, but what is the correct application of it?  I see it used to designate steam-hauled services, but is ever used in other official capacities?  Was it ever used in JNR days, or has it only been used in the preservation era?

Edited May 26, 2019 by GCRailways
Grammar

[ben_issacs]

GCRailways, 

I think that the term SL is only of fairly recent usage.

SL is of course an abbreviation for 'Steam Locomotive', and  the English word 'locomotive' would normally be difficult for Japanese to pronounce, as there is no English 'L' sound in their vocabulary, the Japanese pronunciation come out as a rather slurred 'R'.

It's interesting to note that there are now many English words used in Japan that contain the letter 'L", one of the best known examples is the Shinkansen test trains, called 'Doctor Yellow' because of their colour, 'yellow' comes out as something like 'yerrow'.

'Steam Locomotive' in Japanese is written in five characters, which Romanise as Jokikikansha, which would be the official title used, but which can be abbreviated to 'Kisha'

Perhaps 'KS' could have been used as a further abbreviation, but 'SL' has become the regular choice.

Regards, 

Bill, 

Melbourne.

 

[Kiha66]

I have no idea, but this is a very interesting question Aaron.  While it feels like a recent term, I notice a lot of historical photos online also use the term SL, so perhaps it was used historically as well.  I SL seems faster and easier to write than the kanji for steam locomotive, and/or perhaps it was an inherited term from the early imported locomotives.  Hopefully our more knowledgeable members can shed some light on the situation.

[bikkuri bahn]

I've read that the term SL was coined by the media (TV, newspapers) as a catch-all term somewhere at the tail end of working steam operations in the early to mid 1970's, right when the railfan and general public interest peaked in this from of motive power. Previously the terms were joukikikansha or more generally, kisha, or among railfans, the loco designations (c58, d51, etc.) or "kama" (kettles). I've also read that "purple" nicknames such as "running angel" given some passenger types were actually looked down upon by serious railfans, probably because they were coined by media types or trend followers ("niwaka" railfans) who misunderstood the realities of railway operations.

Edited May 27, 2019 by bikkuri bahn

[ben_issacs]

Folks,

Also, the fairly recent tendency to use  Roman letters and English words widely pushed the use of 'SL'.

JR Kyushu, uses a lot of English words on their trains, sometimes, I think, that the only Japanese characters on some JR Kyushu stock are the train destination  boxes.

I doubt the use of 'SL' back beyond 1970, that these letters appear on some early photos might only mean that the modern day publishers of these shots have used SL as part of the caption.

After all, the five Kanji characters or the Roman letters name take up a lot more space than does 'SL".

Apparently the word 'Jokikikansha' translates into English as something like ' Steam surmounting  barrier car', which was the Japanese view of their first steam locos.

Regards, 

Bill, 

Melbourne.