The D51 steam locomotive in front of Tokuyama Zoo

The steam locomotive located in the locomotive plaza at the south entrance of Tokuyama Zoo is the most representative locomotive manufactured from 1936 (Showa 11). A total of 1,115 units were produced by 1945 (Showa 20). The locomotive at Tokuyama Zoo was built in Nagoya on January 17, 1940 (Showa 15), and is recorded to have operated in areas such as Sendai, Nagoya, Asa, and Hiroshima, and also served on the Gantoku Line. After its retirement, the city received it on a free loan from the former Japanese National Railways (now Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight)) in 1971 (Showa 46), and it remains there to this day. In conjunction with the zoo's renovation, the locomotive's body has been refurbished, and it was moved to the zoo's work yard between October 23rd and 24th, 2024 (Reiwa 6). The body refurbishment is already complete, and construction is currently underway on the surrounding plaza. Please look forward to its completion. We thank Tokuyama Zoo for their cooperation in allowing us to photograph the locomotive. Made by XGRIDS PortalCam & LCC Studio