The China Railways JS (Chinese: 建设; pinyin: Jiàn Shè; lit. 'Construction or Development') was a type of 2-8-2 tender steam locomotive manufactured for use on mainline freight trains, as well as for heavy shunting.
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Sources:[4][5] except where noted |
The JS was developed at the Dalian locomotive works[4] by combining the chassis of the China Railways JF with a new boiler.[3][6] 1135[5] locomotives were produced from 1957[4] to 1965[5] at Dalian, Qishuyan Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works, Datong locomotive works, and the Beijing 7th Feb works. Dalian and Qishuyan manufactured over one thousand.[4]
A second tranche was produced from 1981 to 1988. 358 were manufactured by Datong from 1981 to 1986. 434 of a revised 'B' specification were manufactured from 1986 to 1988,.[3] The second tranche received numbers starting from 8001.[1][2][3]
In total, 1,916 JS locomotives of all types were produced.[1][2]
In the late 1980s, the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad of Iowa, US, bought JS-8419 for $355,000.[7]
The last JS class, JS 8089 that operated at Sandaoling, was retired from service on 15 January 2024[8]
Locomotives produced from 1957 to 1965 were numbered JS-5001 to JS-6135. Starting at 5001 avoided overlapping the numbers of the various types of JF occupying the 1 - 4100 (approx) range. Locomotives produced at Datong in the early 1980s were numbered JS-6201 to JS-6558; after the introduction of the revised 'B' specification the locomotives were numbered JS-8001 to JS-8423. A small number of locomotives operating outside the scope of the ministry of railways (industrial railways) received different number designations.[3]