Narrow gauge RR on Saipan. USA or Japanese?

Discussions on WW2 in the Pacific and the Sino-Japanese War.
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Felix C
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Narrow gauge RR on Saipan. USA or Japanese?

#1

Post by Felix C » 20 Jul 2022, 14:39

Watching the Pacific War in Color and see the attached as part of RR line in use on Saipan after the US capture of the island.
Is this a USA made and transported to the island equipment or Japanese origin and refitted for use.
20220720_083515_resized.jpg

Felix C
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Re: Narrow gauge RR on Saipan. USA or Japanese?

#2

Post by Felix C » 20 Jul 2022, 17:10

Found a wiki photo of US troops on Saipan resting next to a narrow gauge line and the caption indicates it is a Japanese RR. Japan occupied the islands for many decades hence my question as to whose it is.


LineDoggie
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Re: Narrow gauge RR on Saipan. USA or Japanese?

#3

Post by LineDoggie » 20 Jul 2022, 18:23

Japan, it was used for transporting sugar cane for processing
"There are two kinds of people who are staying on this beach: those who are dead and those who are going to die. Now let’s get the hell out of here".
Col. George Taylor, 16th Infantry Regiment, Omaha Beach

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tom!
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Re: Narrow gauge RR on Saipan. USA or Japanese?

#4

Post by tom! » 20 Jul 2022, 19:58


Felix C
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Re: Narrow gauge RR on Saipan. USA or Japanese?

#5

Post by Felix C » 20 Jul 2022, 21:05

Thanks. I am surprised those locomotives survived combat to be used by the USA.

DCRFAN
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Re: Narrow gauge RR on Saipan. USA or Japanese?

#6

Post by DCRFAN » 05 Aug 2022, 09:00

A little known fact, the Japanese Army and Navy had significant narrow gauge railway capacity in the Pacific Islands. The largest single narrow gauge (2 ft or 610 mm) locomotive purchase was made by Japanese Imperial Navy. Between 1941 and 43 the Kato Works Company Ltd in Tokyo constructed a total of 729 four wheel internal combustion powered locomotives for the Japanese Imperial Navy which included 3, 5 and 5 ton designs.

See this thread for more on the subject of Japanese use of narrow gauge railways. viewtopic.php?f=65&t=168688&hilit=kato+locomotives

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