Sentetsu Purei-class locomotives

Chosen Government Railway Purei class (プレイ) Gyeongbu Railway 1–18 Temporary Military Railway 19–52 Korean National Railroad Pureo1 class (푸러1) Korean State Railway Purŏha class (부러하)
Sentetsu Purei-class locomotive No. 25
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Baldwin Build date 1901, 1906 Total produced 70
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-6-2T Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) Driver dia. 1,370 mm (54 in) Length 10,205 mm (33 ft 5.8 in) Width 2,800 mm (9 ft 2 in) Height 3,860 mm (12 ft 8 in) Adhesive weight 37.00 t (36.42 long tons) Loco weight 52.00 t (51.18 long tons) Fuel capacity 1.8 t (1.8 long tons) Water cap. 5,500 L (1,500 US gal) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 1.69 m2 (18.2 sq ft) Boiler: ​  • Small tubes 176 x 51 mm (2.0 in) Boiler pressure 11.5 kgf/cm2 (164 psi) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 9.50 m2 (102.3 sq ft)  • Tubes 89.20 m2 (960.1 sq ft)  • Total surface 98.70 m2 (1,062.4 sq ft) Cylinders 1 Cylinder size 410 mm × 610 mm (16 in × 24 in) Valve gear Stephenson
Performance figures Maximum speed 75 km/h (47 mph) Tractive effort 72.1 kN (16,200 lbf)
Career Operators Gyeongbu Railway Temporary Military Railway Chosen Government Railway Korean National Railroad Korean State Railway Class Sentetsu: プレイ KNR: 푸러1 KSR: 부러하 Number in class GR: 18 TMR: 52 Sentetsu: 70 Numbers see text Delivered 1901, 1906

The Purei-class (プレイ) locomotives were a group of steam tank locomotives with 2-6-2 wheel arrangement used by the Chosen Government Railway (Sentetsu) in Korea. The "Pure" name came from the American naming system for steam locomotives, under which locomotives with 2-6-2 wheel arrangement were called "Prairie".^[1]

In all, Sentetsu owned 227 locomotives of all Pure classes, whilst privately owned railways owned another 52; of these 279 locomotives, 169 went to the Korean National Railroad in South Korea and 110 to the Korean State Railway in North Korea.^[2]

The first 18 Prairie-type locomotives delivered to Korea were built for the Gyeongbu Railway by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of the United States,^[3] with the first units arriving in 1901; they were numbered simply 1 through 18. A further 52 were delivered in 1906 to the Temporary Military Railway, of which 48 were assigned to the Gyeongui Line and four to the Masan Line.^[4] These were delivered from Baldwin in knockdown form, and were assembled in Korea by the Gyeom-ipo and Incheon Shops.

The Gyeongbu Railway was nationalised to create the Chosen Government Railway on 1 July 1906, and the Temporary Military Railway was absorbed by Sentetsu on 31 August 1906, and all 70 of these locomotives entered service with Sentetsu.^[4] Seven were subsequently transferred to private railways,^[4] though all but one eventually returned to Sentetsu. They were used by Sentetsu on both passenger and freight trains all over Korea. From 1925, a number were rebuilt to Pureshi class for operation with domestic lignite.^[5] 24 Purei-class locomotives remained unrebuilt, and these were numbered 221 through 254. Only 23 were left in service at the time of Sentetsu's 1938 general renumbering; these were renumbered プレイ1 through プレイ23 at that time.^[6]

After the Liberation and partition of Korea, they were divided between North and South, but the specifics of which engine went where are unclear.

At least four Purei-class locomotives ended up with the Korean National Railroad in the South after the division of Sentetsu's motive power following the partition of the country; these were designated 푸러1 (Pureo1) class by the KNR.^[6]

The locomotives taken over by the Korean State Railway in the North were initially designated 부러하 (Purŏha) class; they were later renumbered in the 1100 series. The total number, their service lives and subsequent fates are unknown.