函館本線の海線と言えばなんてったってD52ですね。当時まともなD52の運用が見られるのはここしかなかったわけです。これは長万部ですね。

Hakodate Main Line was the only line the D52 class was used with their full capability then. D52 was the largest freight loco of JNR.

JNR D51 Class & D52 Class

JNR D52 Class

JNR D52 Class

夜のD52。夜長時間露光でこういうのを撮るのも好きでしたね。

I used to take photo with long time exposure in night.

JNR D52 Class

雪が全然ありませんね。北海道で夏に写真を撮ったことはないので3月の終わりころかな？

No snow! This is very rare in my photo correction since I visited Hokkaidou only in winter. This might be take in late March.

JNR D52 Class

JNR D52 Class & D62 Class

JNR D52 class was the most powerful freight steam locomotive ever built in Japan. During the WWII the coastal line around Japan was blocked by American mines and coastal sea transport was virtually ceased. High demand of rail transport required more powerful freight locos than D51 class. To cope with this the D52 class was born. The boiler was enlarged to the limit giving 1660HP to haul 1200t freight trains on first class main line. However used materials and workmanship were quite poor under war time circumstances. Actually a couple of boilers of the class exploded in use. Most of boilers were replaced with new after the war. 49 of them were “modified” to C62 class. 20 were given two-axle trailing boggy to reduce the axle load and became D62 class used on second class main lines.