Korean DMZ Loco

Just seen a picture of the rusting remnants of a steam loco in the De-militarised Zone that seperates North and South Korea, any idea what it is?

Its picture 10 in this list...

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/05/07/eco.korea.dmz/index.html

 

Now that's what I call a restoration project.

 

Here are two photos from a colleague of mine who is working in Korea, and recently did a tour to the DMZ.

He doesn't know any details other than "It's knakered"...

James


http://james672.fotopic.net/p68288285.html



http://james672.fotopic.net/p68288286.html

 

I think it's called target practice.

 

Mr. Rileys lads would have that sorted by next spring. :thumb: Suggestions for livery should be addressed to Mr.I Riley, Bury.

 

Is it 92207? :ranger:

 

So that's where the boiler was going after Swindon.

Richard

 

It seems the S Koreans have now recognised that it is of some historical value.

Here is recent Youtube footage of it, from October 2010:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm0mipRGaTM

 

Looks like it's a 2-8-2. Probably of Japanese construction so possibly related to this one
http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=18161 but I'm sure there were other 2-8-2 classes in Korea.

 

I think it may be a 4-8-2. I was tempted to say it looked of similar type to the loco that used to be at Mudanjiang works in China, but that seems to have an external regulator rod, whereas the loco shown seems to have a regulator gland in the centre of the backhead.

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Note the extensive staying on the boiler barrel. Does it have an extended combustion chamber?

 

After a bit of Googling, it seems that it's agreed it's a 2-8-2. One suggestion is that it is a MIKA-3 class.

 

Afraid not, the trailing wheel of the front bogie can just be seen on the R/H side. Looks rather like American design or even manufacture to me.

 

Probably Japanese following American practice. It has a Cole trailing truck, which was an Alco speciality.