Sentetsu Puresa-class locomotives

Chosen Government Railway Puresa class (プレサ) Korean National Railroad Pureo3 class (푸러3) Korean State Railway Purŏsŏ class (부러서)
Sentetsu プレ283 as built, later プレサ3
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Borsig Build date 1911–1912 Total produced 14
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-6-2T Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Driver dia. 1,370 mm (54 in) Length 10,338 mm (33 ft 11.0 in) Width 3,000 mm (9 ft 10 in) Height 3,880 mm (12 ft 9 in) Adhesive weight 37.00 t (36.42 long tons) Loco weight 52.00 t (51.18 long tons) Fuel capacity 1.25 t (1.23 long tons) Water cap 5,900 L (1,600 US gal) Firebox:  • Firegrate area 1.69 m2 (18.2 sq ft) Boiler: ​  • Small tubes 177 x 51 mm (2.0 in) Boiler pressure 11.5 kgf/cm2 (164 psi) Heating surface 99.10 m2 (1,066.7 sq ft)  • Tubes 89.60 m2 (964.4 sq ft)  • Firebox 9.50 m2 (102.3 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 72.1 kN (16,200 lbf)
Career Operators Chosen Government Railway Korean National Railroad Korean State Railway Class Sentetsu: プレサ KNR: 푸러3 KSR: 부러서 Number in class Sentetsu: 14 Numbers Sentetsu: プレサ1–プレサ14 Delivered 1911–1912

The Puresa-class (プレサ) 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]

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 Puresa class was a group of 14 locomotives built in 1911 and 1912 by the Borsig works of Germany.^[3] The first nine were delivered in 1911, and the last five in 1912.^[4] They were larger than the preceding Purei- and Pureni-classes, with greater coal and water capacity, and were the first locomotives in Korea with Walschaerts valve gear. Like the previous types, they were delivered in knockdown form, and assembled at Sentetsu's shops in Busan.^[5]

Postwar

After the liberation and partition of Korea, they were divided between North and South, but the specifics of which engine went where are unclear; those going to the Korean National Railroad in the South would be designated 푸러3 (Pureo3) class, those with the Korean State Railway in the North would be designated 부러서 (Purŏsŏ) class.

Construction

References