Sentetsu Matei-class locomotive


The Matei class locomotives were a class of steam tender locomotives of the Chosen Government Railway with 4-8-2 wheel arrangement. The "Mate" name came from the American naming system for steam locomotives, under which locomotives with 4-8-2 wheel arrangement were called "Mountain".

Description

With the development of mining operations in the northern part of Korea, traffic volumes increased significantly, and Sentetsu found a need for a locomotive with strong pulling power suitable for use on mountainous lines with sharp curves and steep slopes. The locomotive designed in response to this need was not of the 2-8-2 Mika type, which was Sentetsu's standard freight locomotive type, but of the Mate type with 4-8-2 wheel arrangement; the leading bogie was designed to reduce flange wear on the wheels. The resulting Matei class locomotives became a mainstay on long-distance freight trains on mountainous lines.
The Gyeongseong Works undertook two major design projects at the end of the 1930s: that of the Pashiko-class express passenger locomotive, and the Matei-class freight locomotives for use on steep mountain lines. Each was the largest of their type operated by Sentetsu, and the first unit of each type was rolled out in 1939. Both had a heating area of and were equipped with automatic stokers. After the first two were built at Gyeongseong in 1939 and 1940, a further 48 were built from 1941 through to the end of Japanese rule by Kisha Seizō in Japan.

Postwar

After the Liberation and subsequent partition of Korea, both the Korean National Railroad in the South and the Korean State Railway in the North operated Matei-class locomotives. Not all survived the Pacific War, as there were only 77 of 83 built of both classes that remained in 1946; of these, 33 went to the Korean National Railroad in the South, and 44 to the Korean State Railway in the North. The six locomotives of both classes that remain unaccounted for were likely either destroyed during the Pacific War or were possibly taken by Soviet Army, which during its occupation of North Korea took a large number of locomotives back to the USSR.

Korean National Railroad Mateo1 class (마터1)

Of the 33 4-8-2s that went to the KNR in the 1947 division of assets, most were likely Matei-class, which were designated 마터1 class by the KNR; the identities of twelve of these are known for certain.
KNR numberSentetsu numberBuilderYearNotes
마터1-5マテイ5Kisha Seizō1941
마터1-14マテイ14Kisha Seizō1943
마터1-22マテイ22Kisha Seizō1943
마터1-23マテイ23Kisha Seizō1943
마터1-24マテイ24Kisha Seizō1943
마터1-25マテイ25Kisha Seizō1943
마터1-27マテイ27Kisha Seizō1943
마터1-30マテイ30Kisha Seizō1943
마터1-31マテイ31Kisha Seizō1943
마터1-44マテイ44Kisha Seizō1944~1945
마터1-48マテイ48Kisha Seizō1944~1945
마터1-49マテイ49Kisha Seizō1944~1945

Korean State Railway Madŏha class (마더하)

Around eleven Matei class locomotives went to the north, where they were initially designated 마더하 class by Kukch'ŏl; later, around the 1970s, they were renumbered in the 7100 series, retaining their original running number but replacing the "마더하" with a "7". The identities of two are known for certain.
KNR numberSentetsu numberBuilderYearNotes
マテイ10Kisha Seizō1942Destroyed in 1950 still carrying Sentetsu number plates.
마더하33 マテイ33Kisha Seizō1943Seen stored at Sinŭiju in 2003, awaiting scrapping.

On 31 December 1950, a passenger train operated by Kukch'ŏl, consisting of マテイ10 - still wearing Sentetsu number plates - and 25 cars, running on the former Kyŏngŭi Line from Hanp'o to Munsan, was ordered to stop at Changdan by the US Army and was destroyed. The locomotive is now on display at Imjingak.

Construction

Original numberBuilderYearWorks no.Postwar ownerPostwar numberNotes
マテイ1Gyeongseong Works1939
マテイ2Gyeongseong Works1940
マテイ3Kisha Seizō19412055
マテイ4Kisha Seizō19412056
マテイ5Kisha Seizō19412057KNR마터1-5
マテイ6Kisha Seizō19412058
マテイ7Kisha Seizō19412059
マテイ8Kisha Seizō19422198
マテイ9Kisha Seizō19422199
マテイ10Kisha Seizō19422200KSR마더하10Destroyed in 1950 still carrying Sentetsu number plates.
マテイ11Kisha Seizō19422201
マテイ12Kisha Seizō19422202
マテイ13Kisha Seizō19432304
マテイ14Kisha Seizō19432305KNR마터1-14
マテイ15Kisha Seizō19432306
マテイ16Kisha Seizō19432307
マテイ17Kisha Seizō19432308
マテイ18Kisha Seizō19432309
マテイ19Kisha Seizō19432310
マテイ20Kisha Seizō19432311
マテイ21Kisha Seizō19432312
マテイ22Kisha Seizō19432313KNR마터1-22
マテイ23Kisha Seizō19432342KNR마터1-23
マテイ24Kisha Seizō19432343KNR마터1-24
マテイ25Kisha Seizō19432344KNR마터1-25
マテイ26Kisha Seizō19432345
マテイ27Kisha Seizō19432346KNR마터1-27
マテイ28Kisha Seizō19432347
マテイ29Kisha Seizō19432348
マテイ30Kisha Seizō19432349KNR마터1-30
マテイ31Kisha Seizō19432350KNR마터1-31
マテイ32Kisha Seizō19432351
マテイ33Kisha Seizō19442378KSR
マテイ34Kisha Seizō19442379
マテイ35Kisha Seizō19442400
マテイ36Kisha Seizō19442401
マテイ37Kisha Seizō19442402
マテイ38Kisha Seizō19442403
マテイ39Kisha Seizō19442404
マテイ40Kisha Seizō19442405
マテイ41Kisha Seizō19442406
マテイ42Kisha Seizō19442407
マテイ43Kisha Seizō19442408
マテイ44Kisha Seizō19442460KNR마터1-44
マテイ45Kisha Seizō19442461
マテイ46Kisha Seizō19442462
マテイ47Kisha Seizō19442463
マテイ48Kisha Seizō19452464KNR마터1-48
マテイ49Kisha Seizō19452465KNR마터1-49
マテイ50Kisha Seizō19452466