Here's a clunky-looking electric locomotive that seems to have wheels along its complete length. Bought primarily to haul postal coaches and baggage vans on my layout, does this complicated-looking model function as reliably as the rest of my Japanese electric fleet?
Background
The EF58 series were built across a very long period of time, from 1947 all the way through to 1958. Inevitably, there were many changes to the design as the years passed, notably from the original box-cab design to a more streamlined design in 1952. Indeed, the older ones were not particularly reliable, being constructed in the immediate postwar period where materials were hard to come by. By contrast, the later series EF58s turned out to be solid workhorses, if somewhat slower and less powerful for their weight than more modern machines like the EF66.
Across their long lives, the class could be seen on a variety of services. Limited expresses and sleeper trains were always an important part of their work, the class starting out with steam generators but some later being modified to provide electric train heating instead. Luggage and mail trains were also important work; at least, for as long as these services ran on JNR, the last mail trains running in 1986. One locomotive, EF58.61, became notable as motive power for the imperial train and sported the old brown livery kept in immaculate condition. With the decline in loco-hauled passenger trains the class became less useful and withdrawals began. Just four engines soldiered on into the post-privatisation era, including EF58.61, but all were retired by 2011.
Kato 3020-1 EF58 Late Stage Large Window Blue
- EF58 locomotive
- Working headlights
- Rapido couplings pre-fitted
- Two replacement knuckle couplers
- Plastic sprues of detailing parts
- Number plates for EF58 numbers 31, 53, 61, 66 and 69
- Information sheet in Japanese, outlining how to fit detailing parts, remove the bogies for cleaning, etc.
As Kato describe it, this locomotive features JNR 'New Blue' that was used from 1965 onwards, meant to complement the new Series 20 'Blue Train' coaching stock. But the model also has a couple of other quirks that tie it down more specifically including the size and shape of its front windows and the lack of shades above them seen on some locomotives. Most of the EF58 series had their front windows downsized at some point to make them less prone to damage, but a few kept the big windows they were originally built with, and this model represents one of those.
In fact, of all the numbers included in the detailing pack, the model apparently only matches a single one, EF58.53, based at Miyahara Engine District. The rubber surrounds to the windows and the louvred (rather than mesh) air vents on the sides further pin the model down to the late Showa era, from about 1965 to the mid 1980s. Basically, perfect for Blue Train-era passenger services and the last mail and baggage trains.
Performance and detailing
Performance has some nuance to it. On the one hand, throttle response is steady, the model rolling steadily at low speed without any obvious hesitation. At higher speeds the effect of the flywheel becomes more obvious: cut the current to zero and the locomotive rolls forward a good 50-60 cm before coming to a halt. That makes the handling of the locomotive feel much more realistic -- after all, the real things weighed in at 115 tonnes, the twin brass flywheels giving the model the right sort of massive momentum.
On the other hand, the model isn't silent. Not noisy, but present. Part of that might be the ridiculous number of wheels the model has -- it's 2-C+C-2 wheel arrangement gives a total of ten axles -- and the articulation of those wheels across two 3-axle bogies and two 2-axle unpowered pony trucks. Incidentally, the pony trucks are not wired for current collection. It's hard to imagine that'd matter though, as the model is very long and heavy, and with the twin flywheels turning, isn't likely to stall on points with insulated frogs or dirty spots on the track.
When you buy a Japanese model locomotive, there's often a pack of detailing parts to add, and this model is no exception. These include number plates, brass-coloured whistles (and a tool that makes them easier to install) and some grey fixtures: flares and lightning arresters. The flare was used in an emergency, the driver pulling a cord that triggered a brilliant flare that burned red for five minutes, bright enough for approaching trains to see from far away so they could slam on their brakes. The lightning arrester was another safety feature. Should lightning hit the catenary, the surge in voltage would melt resistors inside the arrester, creating a pathway for the charge to flow through the body of the locomotive down to the rails where it would dissipate harmlessly.
Additional detailing parts go on the bogies. Two vertical rods are pushed into the front of each pony truck, presumably hand-holds of some sort for anyone stepping onto the pilot platform. Replacement knuckle couplers are also included; I replaced one at one end, but left a Rapido coupler at the other since most of my stock uses that sort of coupling. Adding both the coupler and the hand-holds is a lot easier if you remove the pony truck. This isn't hard -- it slides forwards and out -- but there's a spring inside you won't want to lose. Its job is to keep the pony truck pressed onto the rail, very important when the model tackles tight curves.
Conclusion
With an RRP of ¥5,900 (about £28 at the time of writing) the value is clearly here. Performance is impressive, if a little noisy, and the detailing parts aren't too painful to fit. While the EF58 class was numerous and widely used, the odd choice of numbers means that only a single set is strictly correct -- but on your own railway, with its own history, using the other numbers is entirely fair.
As for how you'd use the model, the obvious picks are the blue passenger train sets or one of the sleeper train packs. Mail and baggage trains would also look good behind the engine, the inexpensive SuYu 44 mail cars being perfectly valid, for example. They were not much used on freight trains, though, but could be found hauling track inspection vehicles and out of commission multiple units.
