E10-5 Tank Locomotive

[SL-san]

After researching the short, but varied, service history of JNR E10 steam locomotives, I could not help myself and bought one!

I was amazed to see some of the prices various vendors in the US and Japan were seeking, but a brand new Micro Ace A7707 E10-5 was available for AUS$140 (US$98) on eBay in Australia and was delivered in 3 days.

I have seen and photographed preserved E10-2 at Ome Railway Park and marvelled at its size for a tank locomotive.

I'm not sure how I can justify using this loco on my small Japanese rural layout based on Wakasa, but my layout...my rules.

Graeme

 

Edited November 2, 2020 by disturbman

[Kiha66]

Nice find!  They certainly are very unique locomotives!

[roadstar_na6]

I definately need to add this one to my SL collection, too 😄

[Yavaris Forge]

This has to be the biggest you can get with narrow gauge tank locomotives. I'd love to have one of these too but I doubt it will run on the small radii on my layout.

 

[disturbman]

Always loved them but never bought one, they are always a bit too pricey for me. I might wait for another rerun.

How does it run?

[SL-san]

Hi disturbman,

My E10-5 runs very well...even round 250mm radius curves.  The third set of driving wheels on the model are flangeless and there seems to be some sideways play.

I don't know about waiting for a re-run as this model and E10-3 were released in 2018.  I thought US$98 was pretty good price and he still has one E10-5 and two E10-3s available https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/E10-5-Maibara-Engine-Depot-White-Line/392965882428?hash=item5b7e97823c:g:mFkAAOSwl69fdxJj but you would have to ask what the international postage cost might be.

Graeme

[marknewton]

13 hours ago, Yavaris Forge said:

This has to be the biggest you can get with narrow gauge tank locomotives.

There's only two that were larger. The Java State Railways had a class of 1067mm gauge 2-12-2Ts, and the General Belgrano Railway in Argentina had two metre gauge 0-12-2 rack and adhesion engines.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[SL-san]

I was surprised that the Micro Ace model of E10-5 (Maibara depot) did not have a working smoke box end coupler.  Given that the prototype, in its early years, worked bunker end forward it was also surprising that the bunker headlight is only painted on and the smoke box end headlight stays on in both directions.  Yes, I know that it had its driver's position reversed to the normal position at the Kanazawa depot in 1953 and probably worked out of the Maibara depot from 1975 to 1963 smoke box leading.

I changed the rapido style, bunker end coupler, to a Kato 11-702 and performed surgery on the smoke box end to install a Microtrains 1015.  I also painted the motion gear and rods to take away that toy like grey plastic and shiny steel look.  See the attached photos.  The installation of a working bunker headlight might be a little more of a challenge.

Graeme

 

 

 

[roadstar_na6]

Nice, a few more pictures on how you converted the front coupler would be nice! 🙂

[Christopher_R]

@SL-san

 

Nice locomotive, have read about them and if not mistaken were used as helper/pusher locomotives.

 

Just out of curiosity: 'driver position reversed to the normal position', what does that mean?

 

Thanks in advance.

[SL-san]

Hi roadstar,

I will try and take some photos of front coupler conversion tomorrow and post them.  Trouble is photographing a black coupler on a black locomotive is a bit of a challenge with my cheap camera.

Basically, with a very sharp blade, I cut a slot in the front buffer beam the width and depth of a Microtrains 1015 coupler, drilled and tapped a hole in the metal frame and fixed the coupler in place with a short screw.  Just to be on the safe side I trimmed the rear edges of the coupler box to ensure the pony truck did not foul the box on tight curves.

 

Hi Christopher_R,

Yes they were used as helper/pusher (banker) locomotives in their early years.  They were built to operate coal bunker leading (to put the chimney and smoke behind the driver, important in steep long tunnels) and hence the driver's position was on the left side of the cab (British and Japanese practice) bunker leading.  When running smoke box leading this meant that the driver's position was on the right hand side (wrong for Japanese practice as the driver could not see signals) and so the E10s were covered in 1953 to have the driver's controls on the left hand side smoke box leading.  Hope that long winded explanation helps!

Cheers,

Graeme    

[Christopher_R]

@SL-san

 

Thanks for the explanation my friend. I was thinking the controls were attached to the bunker side of the locomotive. Of course in this case, it's a left and right issue.

 

Just let you know, that here in my home country of Sri Lanka, the driver also sits on the left side (still following British practice). I think it's the same in India also.

 

Thanks again and best regards.✌️

[SL-san]

Hi again roadstar_na6

Further to my description on attaching a Microtrains coupler to the 'front' buffer beam of my E10 here is a photo of dubious quality!