JNR Class ED62

JNR Class ED62

The ED62 is a class of Japanese Bo-1-Bo wheel arrangement electric locomotives.

The ED62 class locomotives were created between 1974 and 1979 by modifying the 18 earlier JNR Class ED61 Bo-Bo electric locomotives with the addition of a centre non-driven axle. Rebuilding was carried out at JNR's Nagano Works. The primary aim of rebuilding was to reduce the axle load (from 15 t to 13 t) for use on the Iida Line, where the class displaced vintage JNR Class ED18 (English Electric) and JNR Class ED19 (Westinghouse) locomotives, and later JNR Class EF10 locomotives. One highlight of the class's career was when ED62 15 hauled the Imperial Train on the Iida Line in 1979. It was also not uncommon to see ED62s close to Tōkyō when they worked to Shin-Tsurumi depot for examinations. Eight members of the class were still in service in 1987 when JNR was split into separate JR Group companies, and ED62 17 was repainted into the new JR Freight livery shortly after. When freight operations ceased on the Iida Line in 1997, the remaining locomotives were placed in storage before finally being withdrawn in 2002.