United Fruit Co. engine at Otaru

[Nick_Burman]

What is the meaning/reason of that (lovely*) ex-United Fruit Company H.K.Porter 2-6-0 which runs at the Otaru railway museum? I've been seeing videos of it and I find its presence there puzzling. Is it because of the American connection to Hokkaido's railways? What gauge is it, 3' or 3'6" (UFCo. had railways in both gauges)? The other puzzling things about this loco are the Coca-Cola plates on the tender (if they fill the loco up with that I wouldn't like to be in the skin of the person who has to wash her boiler... ) and SA3 (Willison) couplings on engine and cars...

 

*= I wish Bachmann would ditch the present On30 2-6-0 they make and do this lokie instead... :love10:

 

Cheers NB

[bikkuri bahn]

That loco ("the iron horse") was acquired from an American amusement park in 1993.  It is a Porter product of 1909, and is similar to the Kokutetsu 7100 class moguls, also built by Porter.  The gauge is 914mm.  I assume it was acquired as a lower cost option to a full-on restoring of a museum piece to working order.  Perhaps the coca-cola sign is an ad revenue generator.