The was a DC electric locomotive operated by

Japanese National Railways The , abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987. Network Railways As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pre ...

(JNR) between 1958 and 1986. It was the first "second-generation" DC electric locomotive type featuring increased-power traction motors. Despite its diminutive size, the Bo-Bo wheel arrangement ED60 design offered performance comparable with the much larger Class EF15 1Co+Co1 design weighing almost twice as much. Each bogie's two motors ran on a 750 volt voltage and were connected in

series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used i ...

. This high-performance DC locomotive has an axle load movement compensation system. The locomotives were dubbed "atomic locomotives" in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

because of their small size and excellent performance, a reference to the

Astro Boy ''Astro Boy'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. It was serialized in Kobunsha's ''Shōnen'' from 1952 to 1968. The 112 chapters were collected into 23 volumes by Akita Shoten. Da ...

cartoon. For multiple traction, they had transition doors on the front sides. It was originally painted a single shade of No. 2 grape, but from 1965, the front warning color has been altered to No. 1 cream in basic sequential blue No. 15. Eight locomotives were built between 1958 and 1960 by Kawasaki, Kisha Seizō with Tōyō electrical components, and

Mitsubishi The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group traces its origins to the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company that existed from 1870 to 194 ...

. They were introduced on local freight services on the Ōito, Senzan, and Hanwa Lines, replacing earlier ED21, ED22, and ED38 class locomotives acquired when private railways had been absorbed into

JNR The , abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987. Network Railways As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pre ...

. The class survived until early 1986 when freight was discontinued on these lines. ED60 1 is preserved at Nagano Depot. The JNR ED60 locomotive is also celebrated in the model train community, with companies like

MicroAce The MicroAce was a 1980 Sinclair ZX80 home computer clone, designed and manufactured by ''CompShop'' and distributed in the USA by ''MicroAce'' of Santa Ana, California. It was also sold in Australia and was distributed by ''Dick Smith Electron ...

producing detailed replicas that showcase its design and historical significance.

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{{Japanloco Electric locomotives of Japan Bo-Bo locomotives Kawasaki locomotives Kisha Seizo locomotives Mitsubishi locomotives 1067 mm gauge locomotives of Japan Preserved electric locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1958

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