D51s abandoned at Dalny outside of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

[miyakoji]

On the English and Japanese wikpedia pages for the D51 there's mention of some that were abandoned in the area of Dalny (I've seen various English spellings of this). With the help of a Russian speaking friend I was able to figure out which word is the name in Russian, and after some copy/paste I was googling it. Here are a few images I found:

 

http://otktravels.narod.ru/travels/sakhalin/SAKH_185.htm

http://otktravels.narod.ru/travels/sakhalin/SAKH_186.htm

http://trainpix.org/vehicle/30319/#n29604

 

one that looks operational: http://trainpix.org/vehicle/70220/#n79098

 

an English page: http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/trains/russia02.htm

 

If anyone is inclined to do more searching, the Russian spelling of the place name is Дальнее

 

I still want to find it on google maps.

[westfalen]

According to the English page D51 4 is operational and used on steam excursions but the others are pretty far gone although it says "But a determined Japanese locomotive enthusiast could recover them." you'd have to be really determined considering all the D51s stuffed and mounted in parks and the like around Japan.  Even with the Russian smokebox front and other odds and ends they are still recognisable as D51s.

 

Don't forget the one that escaped to Sodor, http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/Hiro (supposedly based on one of the Sakhalin engines).

[quashlo]

Is this not it?

http://goo.gl/maps/NiDyD

[miyakoji]

According to the English page D51 4 is operational and used on steam excursions but the others are pretty far gone although it says "But a determined Japanese locomotive enthusiast could recover them." you'd have to be really determined considering all the D51s stuffed and mounted in parks and the like around Japan.  Even with the Russian smokebox front and other odds and ends they are still recognisable as D51s.

 

Don't forget the one that escaped to Sodor, http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/Hiro (supposedly based on one of the Sakhalin engines).

 

Yeah, it seems far-fetched that those could be restored.

 

Is this not it?

http://goo.gl/maps/NiDyD

That's the place, yes. I had found that, I meant I want to find the location of the locomotives themselves. In one photo there's some track visible, and it looks like it's in use (at least, it's not rusty). So, I followed the line out of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and there's something that could be a loco, but it's not sufficiently high resolution to be sure. I'll link to it later.

[Nick_Burman]

The snowploughs would be worth the effort, though.

 

 

Cheers NB

[bikkuri bahn]

"But a determined Japanese locomotive enthusiast could recover them." you'd have to be really determined considering all the D51s stuffed and mounted in parks and the like around Japan.

There are already a number of repatriated Sakhalin D51's in Japan (at least 2 in Hokkaido, one in Niigata).  The D51's were originally sent to Sakhalin post-1945 as war reparations.

[quashlo]

 I had found that, I meant I want to find the location of the locomotives themselves.

 

There's one in the very center of the aerial image.

You're right that the resolution is poor, though, so it's difficult to tell for sure.

[miyakoji]

There are already a number of repatriated Sakhalin D51's in Japan (at least 2 in Hokkaido, one in Niigata).  The D51's were originally sent to Sakhalin post-1945 as war reparations.

So these were not just left behind when Japanese citizens left? I was under the impression that they had been in operation in the area when it was Toyohara.

 

There's one in the very center of the aerial image.

You're right that the resolution is poor, though, so it's difficult to tell for sure.

Yes it looks like it is. Sorry, when I was clicking the link before, I was going to search results for the Russian name of the area. I tried it again and it goes to the map. I must have been doing something wrong.

[marknewton]

 Yeah, it seems far-fetched that those could be restored.

 

You're not wrong. You'll notice that D51 30 has had the firebox wrapper and side-sheets cut away on both sides, which is a great way of killing a steam engine.    That makes me wonder whether it once had a copper firebox?

 

And looking closely at the photo of D51 4, I doubt whether it's currently operational. Based on my experience, leaving it out in the weather in a place with a climate like Sakhalin's won't have done it any good at all...

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[marknewton]

There are already a number of repatriated Sakhalin D51's in Japan (at least 2 in Hokkaido, one in Niigata).  The D51's were originally sent to Sakhalin post-1945 as war reparations.

 

That's interesting to learn. Like Miyakoji, I'd assumed that these engines were there before the Russians took over. So why did they get them as reparations?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[bikkuri bahn]

That's interesting to learn. Like Miyakoji, I'd assumed that these engines were there before the Russians took over. So why did they get them as reparations?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

There were no D51's in Sakhalin when the area was served by the Karafuto Railway Agency (up to 1945).  The heaviest types in use were 9600 type consols.  There were also C58, C56, and 8600 types. As far as reparations, I suppose the USSR, being an allied nation, had claim to receive reparations.

[Nick_Burman]

 As far as reparations, I suppose the USSR, being an allied nation, had claim to receive reparations.

 

For a short while Stalin wanted to claim the whole of Hokkaido as "reparations". However US pressure cut that nonsense short.

 

 

Cheers NB

[Fenway Park]

Although late in declaring war on Japan, it was Stalin's intention to invade Hokkaido once Manchuria had been taken. Stalin thought the Allies would be tied down invading Kyushu which would give him time to annexe areas of Japan.

 

The last US mission of the air war was to bomb the oil refinery etc at Aomori to deny this falling into Russian hands. This was on the night of the failed military coup to prevent the Emperor surrendering. There is a book on the subject called "The Last Mission"