A trim little Japanese National Railways 2-6-0, No. C56 111, was a pretty sight as it rolled through the scrupulously-maintained rice paddies near Hishigari on the southern island of Kyushu on December 13, 1973. Pulling a local freight, the friendly engineer turned and waved to the photographer as he rolled by, a pall of black smoke in his wake. The well-manicured countryside complemented the clean and shiny JNR steam locomotives, even as they were just a year or two from retirement.
