D62 steam locomotive

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

D62 is a type of 2-8-4 steam locomotive built by the Japanese National Railways in 1950 and 1951. The name consists of a D for the four sets of driving wheels and the class number 62 for tender locomotives that the numbers 50 through 99 were assigned to under the 1928 locomotive classification rule.

D62 was a remodel of D52, which had 2-8-2 wheel arrangement. Following the launch of D62, other 2-8-2 locomotives (D50 and D51) were also converted to 2-8-4 (D60 and D61, respectively).

[edit] In the pop culture

The most popular known D62 is the Decepticon Triple Changer Astrotrain from The Transformers. Astrotrain is customized with boiler deflectors ("elephant ears") bearing the Decepticon insignia and an upside-down arrangement of Space shuttle main booster engines, a reminder of his second vehicular mode.