| Class C53 | |
| Powertype: | Steam |
| Whytetype: | 4-6-2 Pacific |
| Builder: | Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Stock Company Kisha Seizō, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Hitachi |
| Builddate: | 1928-1929 |
| Totalproduction: | 97 |
| Locotenderweight: | 115.5t |
| Poweroutput: | 1250 |
| Fueltype: | Coal |
| Cylindercount: | Three |
| Valvegear: | Outside: Walschaerts Inside: Gresley conjugated |
| Operator: | JNR |
| Numinclass: | 97 |
| Fleetnumbers: | C53 1-C53 97 |
| Retiredate: | 1950 |
| Preservedunits: | 1 |
| Disposition: | One preserved (C53 45); remainder scrapped |
The is a type of 4-6-2 steam locomotive built in Japan from 1928 to 1929. The locomotives were designed by Hideo Shima and built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Stock Company, Kisha Seizo, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Hitachi. A total of 97 Class C53 locomotives were built.
The locomotives are notable for being the only non-experimental three-cylinder locomotives in Japan's railway history. They used the Gresley conjugated valve gear, which enabled high performance on the mainline.[1] However, their mechanical complexity led to a short service life, especially after better-performing locomotives, such as the Class C59 and C62, entered production in the 1940s. All 97 locomotives were retired by 1950.[2]
Today, only one Class C53 locomotive has been preserved in Japan, C53 45, at the Kyoto Railway Museum (formerly Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum).[3] [4]