China Railways KD7

KD7
KD7-641 preserved at the Shanghai Railway Museum
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder American Locomotive Company Baldwin Locomotive Works Lima Locomotive Works Serial number ALCO: 74388–74422 Baldwin: 534, 73247–73326 Lima: 587, 9212–9256 Build date 1946–1947 Total produced 160 (1946)
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-8-0 Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) Driver dia. 1,520 mm (59.84 in) Length 20.300 m (66 ft 7.2 in) Loco weight 152 t (150 long tons; 168 short tons) Fuel type Coal Tender cap. 11.5 t (11.3 long tons; 12.7 short tons) (coal), 25 m3 (883 cu ft) (water) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 560 mm × 710 mm (22.047 in × 27.953 in) bore x stroke Valve gear Walschaerts Valve type Piston valves Loco brake Air Train brakes Air Couplers Knuckle
Performance figures Maximum speed 90 km/h (56 mph) Power output 1,203 hp (897 kW) (at wheels) Tractive effort 170 kN (38,000 lbf)
Career Operators China Railway Numbers 501–660, 74388–74422, 73247–73326, 9212–9256 Delivered 1946–1947 Last run 1990 Retired 1970s–1990 Preserved 4 Restored 2002? (No. 511) Disposition 4 preserved, remainder scrapped
Reference:

The China Railways KD7 are a type of 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotives. The KD7 locomotives were built in the United States and supplied to China by UNRRA as part of the post war rehabilitation effort in 1946. China received 160 locos while others of the same design went to Belgium as NMBS/SNCB Type 29.

In the late 1970s, China began retiring the KD7's and replacing them with JS classes, the last KD7 was used in mainline service in 1988.

At least four KD7s are thought to have been preserved. KD7 534 is at Beijing Railway Museum, KD7 587 is at Shanghai History Museum and KD7 641 is at Shanghai Railway Museum and KD7 513 at the Datong Locomotive Works Museum. A fifth loco, KD7 511, was reported to be under restoration in Hangzhou in 2002.

In 1989, the Arizona-based Grand Canyon Railway (GCR) was looking into acquiring and importing some of the KD7 class 2-8-0s to haul their tourist excursion trains, but they quickly backed out of the deal, due to the Tiananmen Square massacre complicating the exporting process.

See also

• China Railways KD6
• China Railways JF10
• NMBS/SNCB Type 29