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1910–1945 Japanese company in Korea From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Chōsen Government Railway (朝鮮總督府鐵道, Chōsen sōtokufu tetsudō) (Korean: 조선총독부 철도, romanized: Joseon Chongdokbu Cheoldo) was a state-owned railway company in Korea during Japanese rule. It was also colloquially known by the abbreviated name Sentetsu (鮮鐵). It was the operational division of the Railway Bureau of the Government-General of Chōsen (朝鮮總督府鐵道局, Chōsen sōtokufu tetsudōkyoku, Korean: 철도국; RR: Cheoldoguk), which managed and operated railways in Chōsen, as well as supervised privately owned railway companies.
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Overview | |
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Headquarters | Keijō |
Locale | Korea, Empire of Japan |
Dates of operation | 1910–1945 |
Predecessor | Korea Railway |
Successor | Korean State Railway Korean National Railroad |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) |
Electrification | 3000 V DC (1,435 mm) |
Chōsen Government Railway | |||||||
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Japanese name | |||||||
Kanji | 朝鮮總督府鐵道 | ||||||
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Alternative Japanese name | |||||||
Kanji | 鮮鐵 | ||||||
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Korean name | |||||||
Hangul | 조선총독부 철도 | ||||||
Hanja | 朝鮮總督府鐵道 | ||||||
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Alternative Korean name | |||||||
Hangul | 선철 | ||||||
Hanja | 鮮鐵 | ||||||
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The Chosen Government Railway's public identity changed a number of times over the 39 years that it existed. In the first four years of its existence, its name changed three times to reflect the rapid changes in Korea's political environment between 1905 and 1910. Later, for eight years Korea's railways were managed by the South Manchuria Railway - which was almost a state-level actor in the region on its own - before finally regaining its independence for the last twenty years of its life.
After the end of the World War II, all railways in Korea were nationalised, with the lines in South Korea becoming part of the Korean National Railroad, and those in North Korea becoming part of the Korean State Railway.
The organisation of the Railway Bureau as of 1 September 1941:
The Railway Bureau also operated a system of sports clubs. Today's Daejeon Korail FC is the direct descendant of Sentetsu's football club, which won the All-Korea football championship in 1939;[2] Sentetsu's ice hockey club was the first to ever play a game of that sport in Korea, playing a game against the team of the Tokyo Imperial University in 1928, and later played the first game between two Korean clubs, against a team from the Gyeongseong Imperial University.
Sentetsu, or more accurately its predecessor, the National Railway, was created through the merger of the Temporary Military Railway and the Gyeongbu Railway, which had previously absorbed the Gyeongin Railway, on 1 September 1906. At the time of the merger, the Korean locomotive fleet was as follows:[3]
When the National Railway became Sentetsu in 1910, the locomotive fleet had increased by only 21 engines; by the time Mantetsu took over the management of Korea's railways in 1917, the Sentetsu motive power fleet had grown from 115 in 1910 to 175. Mantetsu management lasted just under a decade, and by the time Sentetsu regained its independence in 1925 the locomotive park stood at 247 engines. The 1930s, however, saw enormous growth in Sentetsu's fleet. From 302 locomotives in 1930, by the end of the decade the number had more than doubled to 740 engines in 1940, and reached 1,000 in 1944. When Sentetsu was abolished after the end of the Pacific War there were 1,302 locomotives on the roster.[3]
Year | Steam Locomotives (s.g./n.g.) | Electric Locomotives (s.g.) | Passenger cars (s.g/n.g.) | Freight cars (s.g/n.g.) | Powered railcars (s.g/n.g.) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1906 | 94 | 155 | 593 | National Railway | ||
1909 | 109 | 159 | 1,036 | Korea Railway | ||
1910 | 115 | 159 | 1,186 | Chosen Government Railway | ||
1914 | 165 | 335 | 1,602 | |||
1918 | 191 | 420 | 2,047 | South Manchuria Railway Gyeongseong Bureau | ||
1923 | 243 | 536 | 2,656 | 4 | ||
1925 | 247 | 591 | 2,766 | 3 | Chosen Government Railway | |
1930 | 302/31 | 733/75 | 3,313/319 | 10/13 | ||
1935 | 393* | 897 | 4,426 | 34/13 | ||
1940 | 740* | 1,534 | 10,068 | 40/13 | ||
1941 | 802* | 1,746 | 11,244 | 40/13 | ||
1942 | 840* | 1,852 | 12,030 | 47?/13 | ||
1943 | 970* | 5 | 1,887 | 13,057 | 47?/13 | |
1944 | 1,236* | 9 | 1,447 | 15,156 | 47?/13 | |
1945 | 1,302* | 9 | 2,027 | 15,352 | 47?/13 | |
* = this number includes both standard and narrow gauge locomotives, as well as locomotives taken on loan from the South Manchuria Railway and the Manchukuo National Railway. |
Sentetsu's first classification system was a simple, number-based system, in which, loosely, the hundreds digit of the running number indicated the locomotive's wheel arrangement - numbers in the 100s were 2-6-0 or 2-8-0, those in the 200s and 300s were 4-6-0, the 400s were 4-4-0, the 500s were 4-6-4, and so on. This slightly modified in 1918, the year after Mantetsu took over management of Korea's railways, with some of the numbers being redefined, and after Mantetsu introduced a new classification system for its own locomotives in 1920, the system for Korean locomotives was once again adjusted, retaining the number series as they were in 1918, but adding new class designations - likewise reflecting wheel arrangement - akin to those used for Mantetsu's own locomotives, based on the common American name for the given wheel arrangement. Thus, from the 1920s until 1938, Sentetsu's locomotive had both a katakana-based class designation as well as a running number; however, unlike Mantetsu's engines, those of Sentetsu didn't have the class designation marked on the locomotive itself.
Class | Number series | Wheel arrangement (Whyte) | Wheel arrangement (UIC) | American name |
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アメ Ame | 400 | 4-4-0 | 2′B | American |
バル Baru | 500 | 4-6-4 | 2'C2' | Baltic |
ゴロ Goro | ? | 2-4-2 | 1'C1' | Columbia |
ケハ Keha | ? | n/a | n/a | Kerosene (petrol-powered railcars) |
ジハ Jiha | ? | n/a | n/a | Diesel (diesel-powered railcars) |
ミカ Mika | 800, 1700 | 2-8-2 | 1′D1′ | Mikado |
モガ Moga | 100 | 2-6-0 | 1′C | Mogul |
パシ Pashi | 900 | 4-6-2 | 2′C1′ | Pacific |
プレ Pure | 200, 300 | 2-6-2 | 1′C1′ | Prairie |
サタ Sata | 1800 | 2-10-2 | 1′E1′ | Santa Fe |
ソリ Sori | 100 | 2-8-0 | 1′D | Consolidation |
シグ Shigu | ? | 2-2-0 | 1′A | Single |
テホ Teho | 600, 700 | 4-6-0 | 2′C | Ten-Wheeler |
In 1938, Mantetsu introduced a unified classification and numbering system for its own locomotives, as well as for those of its de jure subsidiary, the North China Transportation Company, and its de facto subsidiary, the Manchukuo National Railway. At the same time Sentetsu - though it had regained its independence in 1925 - introduced its own variant of the new Mantetsu system, which included the locomotives owned by private railways in Korea.[4]
The new system consisted of a class designation and a running number counting sequentially from 1; the class designation had three katakana characters.[5] The first two, indicating wheel arrangement, remained as they were in the previous system, with the addition of one: マテ (Mate), from "Mountain", for 4-8-2 locomotives introduced in 1939. The third katakana in the class name was the class number, derived from the first syllable of the corresponding Japanese numbers from one to ten:
Thus, the third class of locomotives with a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement would be called パシサ - Pashisa.
Narrow-gauge steam locomotives did not use the designation forms based on wheel arrangement; instead, they all used ナキ ("Naki", from English "Narrow Gauge") plus a class number. Petrol-powered narrow gauge railcars were classified ナケハ.
Classification of electric locomotives was slightly different from that used for steam locomotives. Although this also used the two character + class number arrangement, the first character was デ ("de", from 電気, denki, "electric"), while the second character indicated the number of powered axles (using the same number abbreviations as used for the class number). In practice, Sentetsu had only two types of electric locomotive, both with six powered axles - デロイ (DeRoI) and デロニ (DeRoNi).[5]
This classification system later formed the basis of the systems used by both the Korean National Railroad in South Korea[3] and the Korean State Railway in North Korea.[5]
Class & numbers (1906–1918) | Class & numbers (1918–1938) | Class & numbers (1938–1945) | Wheel arrangement | Builder | Built | Total in class (Sentetsu only) | Image | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
? | アメ401–アメ406 | アメイ1–アメイ6 (Amei) | 4-4-0 | ALCo | 1911 | 6 | ![]() | All six to KNR in 1945. |
- | - | マテイ1–マテイ50 (Matei) | 4-8-2 | Gyeongseong, Kisha Seizō | 1939–1945 | 50 | ![]() | |
- | - | マテニ1–マテニ33 (Mateni) | 4-8-2 | Kawasaki | 1939–1945 | 33 | ![]() | |
- | ミカ701–ミカ712 | ミカイ1–ミカイ12 (Sentetsu Mikai) | 2-8-2 | Baldwin | 1919 | 12 | ||
- | - | ミカイ (various) (Mantetsu Mikai) | 2-8-2 | various | various | ≤54 | ![]() | As many as 54 on loan to Sentetsu from Mantetsu and MNR at war's end. |
- | ミカ801–ミカ812 | ミカニ1–ミカニ12 (Mikani) | 2-8-2 | ALCo | 1919 | 12 | ||
- | ミカ1701–ミカ1770 | ミカサ1–ミカサ297, ミカサ303–ミカサ313 (Mikasa) | 2-8-2 | Gyeongseong, Kisha Seizō, Nippon Sharyō, Hitachi, Kawasaki | 1927–1945 | 308 | ![]() | 8 built for the West Chosen Central Railway and 38 for the Central China Railway in 1943–1944. More built for KNR in 1946. |
- | ミカシ1–ミカシ24 (Mikashi) | 2-8-2 | Kawasaki | 1939–1942 | 24 | |||
- | パシ901–パシ912 (1921–1924), パシ919–パシ924 (1921–1924) パシ901–パシ918 (1921–1924) | パシイ1–パシイ18 (Pashii) | 4-6-2 | Baldwin, Kisha Seizō | 1921, 1923 | 18 | ![]() | |
- | パシ913–パシ918 (1921–1924) パシ919–パシ924 (1921–1924) | パシニ1–パシニ6 (Pashini) | 4-6-2 | ALCo | 1923 | 6 | All six to KSR in 1945. | |
- | パシ957–パシ962 | パシサ1–パシサ6 (Sentetsu Pashisa) | 4-6-2 | Kawasaki | 1923 | 6 | ||
- | - | パシサ (various) (Mantetsu Pashisa) | 2-8-2 | various | various | 5 | ![]() | 5 on loan to Sentetsu from Mantetsu at war's end. |
- | パシ971–パシ990 | パシサ1–パシサ82 (Pashishi) | 4-6-2 | Kawasaki, Nippon Sharyō | 1927–1943 | 82 | ![]() | 10 built for Central China Railway in 1942–1943. |
- | - | パシコ1–パシコ40 (Pashiko) | 4-6-2 | Gyeongseong, Kawasaki | 1939–1944 | 40 | ||
- | - | パシサ (various) (Mantetsu Pashisa) | 4-6-2 | various | various | 5 | ![]() | 5 on loan to Sentetsu from Mantetsu at war's end; all five to KSR in 1945. |
- | - | パシロ (various) (Kokusen Pashiro) | 4-6-2 | various | various | 25 | ![]() | 25 on loan to Sentetsu from the Manchukuo National Ry at war's end; all 25 to KSR in 1945. |
101–106 | ソリ1001–ソリイ1006 | ソリイ1–ソリイ6 (Sorii) | 2-8-0 | Baldwin | 1894 | 6 | ![]() | Bought second-hand by the Temporary Military Railway in 1904. |
- | - | ソリロ (various) (Kokusen Soriro) | 2-8-0 | various | various | 8 | 8 on loan to Sentetsu from the Manchukuo National Ry at war's end. | |
301–306 | テホ601–テホ606 | テホイ1–テホイ6 (Tehoi) | 4-6-0 | Baldwin | 1906 | 6 | ![]() | Originally Gyeongbu Railway 300 series. |
201–221 | テホ601–テホ606 | テホニ1–テホニ21 (Tehoni) | 4-6-0 | Baldwin, Brooks | 1906–1909 | 21 | First six originally Gyeongbu Railway 200 series. | |
222–230 | テホ611–テホ619 | テホサ1–テホサ10 (Tehosa) | 4-6-0 | ALCo, Gyeongseong | 1911, 1938 | 10 | ![]() | One copy built at Gyeongseong in 1938. |
235–238 | テホ661–テホ664 | テホシ1–テホシ4 (Tehoshi) | 4-6-0 | ALCo | 1913 | 4 | ![]() | All four to KSR in 1945. |
271–306 | テホ701–テホ736 | テホコ1–テホコ36 (Tehoko) | 4-6-0 | ALCo, Shahekou | 1917–1919 | 36 | ![]() | |
- | テホ751–テホ789 | テホロ1–テホロ95 (Tehoro) | 4-6-0 | Gyeongseong, Kawasaki, Hitachi, Mitsubishi | 1927–1942 | 95 | ![]() |
Class & numbers (1906–1918) | Class & numbers (1918–1938) | Class & numbers (1938–1945) | Wheel arrangement | Builder | Built | Total in class (Sentetsu only) | Image | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
501–512 | バル501–バル512 | バルイ1–バルイ12 (Barui) | 4-6-4T | Baldwin | 1913–1914 | 12 | ![]() | |
- | ゴロ61–ゴロ63 | ゴロイ1–ゴロイ3 (Goroi) | 2-4-2T | Kisha Seizō | 1924 | 3 | All three to KSR in 1945. | |
1–4 | モガ101–モガ104 | モガイ1–モガイ4 (Mogai) | 4-6-4T | Brooks | 1899 | 4 | ![]() | Originally Gyeongin Railway 1–4 |
1–70 | プレ1–プレ70 | プレイ1–プレイ23 (Purei) | 2-6-2T | Baldwin | 1901, 1906 | 70 | ![]() | Originally Gyeongbu Railway 1–18 and Temporary Military Railway 1–52. Rebuilt to Pureshi-class, only 23 unrebuilt by 1938. |
71–79 | プレ271–プレ279 | プレニ1–プレニ9 (Pureni) | 2-6-2T | Baldwin | 1905, 1935 | 9+1 | Originally Gyeongbu Railway. 1st プレ276 wrecked, replacement built in 1935 with same number. | |
81–94 | プレ281–プレ294 | プレサ1–プレサ14 (Puresa) | 2-6-2T | Borsig | 1911–1912 | 14 | ![]() | |
- | ? | プレサ1–プレサ46 (Pureshi) | 2-6-2T | Baldwin (builder) Gyeongseong (rebuilder) | 1925–? | 46 | ![]() | Rebuilt from Purei-class. |
- | プレ301–プレ302 | プレコ1–プレコ2 (Pureko) | 2-6-2T | Baldwin | 1911 | 2 | Bought second-hand by Domun Railway in 1920, to Sentetsu 1929. Both to KSR in 1945. | |
- | プレ311–プレ312 | プレロ1–プレロ2 (Purero) | 2-6-2T | O&K | 1911 | 2 | Bought second-hand by Domun Railway in 1920, to Sentetsu 1929. Both to KSR in 1945. | |
- | プレ321–プレ326 プレ341–プレ348 | プレナ1–プレナ93 (Purena) | 2-6-2T | Hitachi, Kawasaki, Gyeongseong, Nippon Sharyō | 1930–1941 | 93 | ![]() | プレ341–プレ348 built for Gyeongchun Railway in 1930, bought by Sentetsu in 1936. Nineteen others built for Mantetsu in 1935. One still in service with KSR. |
- | プレ351–プレ362 | プレハ1–プレハ38 (Pureha) | 2-6-2T | Gyeongseong, Hitachi, Kisha Seizō | 1932, 1939 | 38 | ![]() | |
- | サタ1801–サタ1819 | サタイ1–サタイ24 (Satai) | 2-6-2T | Gyeongseong, Hitachi | 1934–1939 | 24 | ![]() | |
4輪 (Yonrin) | ? | - | 0-4-0T | Hohenzollern | 1899 | 2 | ![]() | Two bought second-hand by the Gyeongbu Railway in April 1906. |
Class & numbers | Wheel arrangement | Builder | Built | Total in class | Image | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
デロイ1–デロイ9 (DeRoI) | 1-C+C-1 | Toshiba, Kisha Seizō | 1943–1944 | 9 | ![]() | Only five delivered by war's end; rest delivered to KNR in 1946–1947. |
デロイ31–デロイ33 (DeRoI) | 1-C+C-1 | Mitsubishi | - | - | ![]() | Could not be delivered due to war's end; delivered in 1946 to KNR. |
デロニ1–デロニ4 (DeRoNi) | 1-C+C-1 | Hitachi | 1943–1944 | 4 | ![]() | All delivered to Sentetsu. |
The following is a list of the rail lines of the Chosen Government Railway in 1945. The name in brackets is the Japanese form of the name, which was the officially used form.
A number of private railways existed during the period of the Japanese occupation of Korea; these were overseen by the Railway Bureau. Most were freight (served industrial plants, ports, natural resource transport sectors, as well as military transport) and a few for passenger service in Japanese-occupied Korea.
After the end of the Second World War, these were all nationalised, both in North and South Korea.
This is a (nearly) exhaustive list of private railways in Korea.[citation needed]