The C62 4-6-4 Steam locomotives were the largest and fastest steam passenger locomotives to run in Japan, and hauled the "Tsubame" express on the Tokaido Main Line between Tokyo and Osaka. Forty nine were built from 1948 to 1949. The last examples in regular service were withdrawn in 1973. They have since been replaced by the more modern bullet train designs, but for their time they were a common sight in passenger service.


Steam Locomotive C62 made its debut in 1948 as a steam locomotive for express passenger trains, the largest ever in Japan. Many fans used to come to look at double C62 locomotives' traction of express trains on Tokaido Main Line and Sanyo Main Line as well as in Hokkado in its late years. It has been always around as a star steam locomotive tracting not only express trains "Tsubame"(Swallow) or "Hato"(Pigeon) but also sleeper blue trains and other express trains on main lines. Kato makes the N-scale model of C62 in the specifications of the age that it tracted express train "Tsubame" on the Tokaido Main Line.