Narrow gauge RR on Saipan. USA or Japanese?
Narrow gauge RR on Saipan. USA or Japanese?
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.
Is this a USA made and transported to the island equipment or Japanese origin and refitted for use.
Re: Narrow gauge RR on Saipan. USA or Japanese?
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.
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Re: Narrow gauge RR on Saipan. USA or Japanese?
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
Col. George Taylor, 16th Infantry Regiment, Omaha Beach
Re: Narrow gauge RR on Saipan. USA or Japanese?
Thanks. I am surprised those locomotives survived combat to be used by the USA.
Re: Narrow gauge RR on Saipan. USA or Japanese?
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
See this thread for more on the subject of Japanese use of narrow gauge railways. viewtopic.php?f=65&t=168688&hilit=kato+locomotives