JNR Class C56

Class C56
C56 160 at Shin-Yamaguchi Station in May 2018
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Hideo Shima Builder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Hitachi Nippon Sharyo Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Stock Company Kisha Seizō Build date 1935-1939 Total produced 164
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-6-0 Mogul  • UIC 1′C h2 Gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge (SRT / Burma Railway) Driver dia. 1,400 mm (4 ft 7 in) Length 14,325 mm (47 ft 0 in) Total weight 65.53 t (64.50 long tons; 72.23 short tons)
Performance figures Maximum speed 75 km/h (47 mph) Tractive effort 8,290 kg (18,280 lb)
Career Operators Japanese Government Railways Japanese National Railways State Railway of Thailand Burma Railways Number in class 164 Numbers C56 1-C56 164 Nicknames Shigoroku, Pony of the Plateau Retired 1974 Disposition 34 preserved (including 2 operational units) remainder scrapped

The Class C56 is a type of 2-6-0 steam locomotive designed by Hideo Shima and operated by the Japanese Government Railways (JGR) from 1935 to 1939, and later by its post-war successor Japanese National Railways (JNR).

A total of 164 locomotives were built between 1935 and 1939. During the Second World War, locomotives numbered C56 1 to C56 90 and C56 161 to C56 164 were sent to Southeast Asia, where some remained in service until the 1980s. The last C56 was retired in 1974, though several have been preserved and remain operational for heritage purposes.