H.K. Porter 2-6-0

Pre-sale ends Q1 2025 RTR $2895.00/Kit $2695.00

Deposit required

The beautiful American Moguls of the Japanese Government Railways, known as the JGR 7100 class, have a special place in history, not only as part of Japan’s modernization program of the 1800s but also in the development and expansion of the early American west. In 1880 the moguls represented the largest catalogue locomotive from the newly formed firm of H.K. Porter & Co, of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. H.K. Porter & Co, famous for their beautiful and generally small industrial locomotives, had only recently reorganized from the previous firm of Porter, Bell & Co in 1878 after Arthur Bell passed away. The financial panic of the early to mid 1870s had placed much pressure on the locomotive builders of the east coast, with many expanding their order books via deals with foreign governments. Rogers, Baldwin and Porter found a niche in the frontier railway developments in many nations around the world and Japan was no exception. Eight of the H.K. Porter & Co. large Class C Moguls were built for the Japanese Government between 1880 and 1889, being delivered in five groups. Initially they were operated in the north of Japan in Hokkaido, on the newly formed Horonai Railway. The first six locomotives delivered between 1880 and 1885 were named after famous Japanese historical figures. Three of the locomotives are preserved in Japan today and are the only surviving examples of this class of Porter Mogul. They are of clear historical importance in Japan but are also of significance to US railroad history where many of the same design served on frontier railroads of the west. Virtually identical locomotives were also built for the three foot gauge rails of Western United states. Most notable were the examples built for the Black Hills Railroad Co (Later The Black Hills & Fort Pierre RR), of South Dakota from 1881 and the three built for the Oregonian Railway of Northern Oregon in 1880. The Oregonian examples were later sold and provided good service to the Sierra Valleys Railroad between 1895 and 1899. With the exception of minor cosmetics, these locomotives were identical to the Japanese examples. Japan’s engines were built to 42 inch gauge, but were not built wider or changed overall. They were simply built to the same 3ft design with the frames and wheels widened to 42 inch gauge. The pilot was not even widened, and barely spanned the wider rail gauge in Japan built.