JNR Class C12 Steam Locomotive in Vietnam

The JNR Class C12 locomotives were converted to 1-meter gauge between May 1938 and March 1939, with 60 units modified for use on the Zhengtai Line (正太線) (Shijiazhuang (石家荘) – Taiyuan (太原), 239 km) in mainland China. In 1939, this line was reorganized under the North China Transportation Company (華北交通), and when the line was converted to standard gauge, the locomotives were transferred to the Tongpu Line (同蒲線) (North Tongpu Line (北同蒲線), Taiyuan (太原) – Fenglingdu (風陵渡口), 498 km) and reclassified as Class Pre-A. After World War II, they became the PL51 class under the People's Republic of China. With the conversion of the line to standard gauge in 1956, they were retired as a locomotive class in China. It is unclear when some of these locomotives were transferred to Vietnam, but it is believed to have occurred around this time. Unlike their sibling C56 class, which became well-known through appearances in films and their use on the Thai–Burma Railway, the C12 class remained virtually unknown until recent years. A few units were confirmed to have survived in Vietnam but were scrapped in April 2002.

Engravings of "C12" remain visible on these locomotives even today. The rods are marked "C12106" and "436," while the cylinder inspection hatch bears the inscription "C12136." It is unclear whether parts were collected from different units to assemble a complete locomotive or whether this was an installation mistake. Considering Vietnam’s historical circumstances after the war, various interpretations come to mind.