Sentetsu Pureko-class locomotives

The Pureko-class (プレコ) locomotives were a group of steam tank locomotives with 2-6-2 wheel arrangement of used by the Chosen Government Railway (Sentetsu) in Korea. The "Pure" name came from the American naming system for steam locomotives, under which locomotives with 2-6-2 wheel arrangement were called "Prairie".^[1]

Chosen Government Railway Pureko class (プレコ) Korean State Railway Purŏo class (부러오)
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Baldwin Build date 1911 Total produced 2
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-6-2T Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) Driver dia. 1,370 mm (54 in) Length 10,480 mm (34 ft 5 in) Width 3,100 mm (10 ft 2 in) Height 4,328 mm (14 ft 2.4 in) Adhesive weight 41.05 t (40.40 long tons) Loco weight 58.91 t (57.98 long tons) Fuel capacity 2.70 t (2.66 long tons) Water cap. 6,500 L (1,700 US gal) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 2.50 m2 (26.9 sq ft) Boiler: ​  • Small tubes 166 x 51 mm (2.0 in) Boiler pressure 11.5 kgf/cm2 (164 psi) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 9.50 m2 (102.3 sq ft)  • Tubes 97.90 m2 (1,053.8 sq ft)  • Total surface 97.90 m2 (1,053.8 sq ft) Cylinders 1 Cylinder size 410 mm × 610 mm (16 in × 24 in) Valve gear Walschaerts
Performance figures Maximum speed 75 km/h (47 mph) Tractive effort 66.0 kN (14,800 lbf)
Career Operators Chosen Government Railway Korean State Railway Class Sentetsu: プレコ KSR: 부러오 Number in class 2 Numbers Sentetsu: プレコ1, プレコ2 KSR: 부러오1, 부러오2 Delivered 1911

In all, Sentetsu owned 227 locomotives of all Pure classes, whilst privately owned railways owned another 52; of these 279 locomotives, 169 went to the Korean National Railroad in South Korea and 110 to the Korean State Railway in North Korea.^[2]

Description

The Baldwin Locomotive Works of the United States built two 2-6-2 tank locomotives in 1911, which were operated by the privately owned Domun Railway after 1920.^{[citation needed]} Both were taken over by Sentetsu after the nationalisation of the Domun Railway in 1929; after the general renumbering of 1938 they were designated プレコ (Pureko) class and numbered プレコ1 and プレコ2.^[3]

Postwar: Korean State Railway 부러오 (Purŏo) class

After the Liberation and partition of Korea, both ended up in North Korea after Liberation, and were operated by the Korean State Railway^[3] designated 부러오 (Purŏo) class.