C11 (SL Taiju) Coloring Pages

Small and Hard-Working Steam Locomotive

The C11 (SL Taiju) is a small steam locomotive built for short-distance trains and for switching tracks at stations.
People started building them in 1932, and they made 381 of them in total.
They were small, easy to use, and worked hard on local lines all across Japan.
This coloring page shows locomotive number C11 207, which pulls the "SL Taiju" in Tochigi Prefecture.

A "Tank Engine" Without a Tender

Big steam locomotives like the D51 pull a tender behind them to hold coal and water.
The C11 (SL Taiju) does not have a tender.
The square boxes on the sides of the boiler are water tanks, and the space behind the cab is where it carries coal.
A steam locomotive that carries its own water and coal is called a tank engine.
Look for the square water tank with the number plate in the first coloring page!

Two Lights Called "Crab Eyes"

The special thing about C11 207 is that it has two headlights.
Most steam locomotives have just one light in front of the smokestack.
C11 207 has one on each side of the smokestack. They look like crab eyes, so people call it the "Crab Eyes" engine!
It used to run on foggy tracks in Hokkaido, so they added a second light to see better ahead.

Look at the Wheels and Domes

The "C" in C11 (SL Taiju) means it has 3 sets of driving wheels.
Count the big driving wheels on the second coloring page! You can see 3 lined up on one side.
On top of the boiler, there are 2 round domes lined up.
The top of the smokestack spreads out wide like a dish!

The Turntable That Turns It Around

The second picture shows C11 207 sitting on a turntable.
A turntable is a big platform that holds the locomotive and spins around.
Steam locomotives look different in the front and back. When they reach the end of the track, they turn around on the turntable.
The brick building behind it is the engine house where locomotives stay.

Pulling Passenger Cars Along

The third picture shows C11 207 running and blowing smoke!
The small car right behind the engine is the caboose, followed by the passenger cars.
In this picture, a diesel locomotive is attached at the very back to help the SL!

Use Dark Gray for the Black Train Body

The body of C11 (SL Taiju) is black.
If you color it all solid black, you won't be able to see the fine detail lines.
If you color it with dark gray and make the top of the boiler and domes a bit lighter, it will look nice and round!

Plates and Lights

The edges and letters of the number plate are gold.
If you color the glass of the two lights with light yellow or light blue, they will look like they are shining!
The small lights on the left and right sides of the door are red.

Design the Headmark

The round plate on the front is the headmark that shows the train's name.
The inside is left blank, so try drawing your favorite picture or train name yourself!
Real headmarks come in light blue or red.
If you outline the edge in gold, it will look just like the real thing!

The Turntable and the Brick Engine Shed

On the second page, the turntable and the iron frame reaching upward are red-brown.
Let's color the engine shed behind it in brick red.
If you color each brick in a slightly different shade of brown, it will look like a real wall!

Along the Tracks in Autumn

The third page is based on a picture from the autumn leaves season.
If you color the trees behind it in orange, yellow, and red, you get a beautiful autumn scene!
Try coloring the passenger car dark brown, and the very back locomotive red.
The smoke coming from the chimney is gray. Color along its puffy shape to make it look full of energy!

SL Taiju is a steam train on Tobu Railway

SL Taiju is a steam train that runs on the Tobu Kinugawa Line in Tochigi Prefecture.
It started running in 2017 and goes between Shimo-Imaichi Station and Kinugawa-Onsen Station.
"Taiju" is a respectful word used for old-time Shoguns.
The name was chosen because it reminds people of Nikko Toshogu Shrine and TOKYO SKYTREE.

C11 207 came all the way from Hokkaido

C11 207 is a locomotive that used to run in Hokkaido.
It was given two headlights because it ran on the Hidaka Main Line, which gets very foggy.
After pulling steam trains in Hokkaido, it was lent to Tobu Railway and started pulling SL Taiju.

You can see the turntable up close

There are turntables at Shimo-Imaichi Station and Kinugawa-Onsen Station.
You can watch the steam train turn around from right nearby.
It is so cool to see the big locomotive spin around slowly!

Friends in the C11 family

Along with C11 207, C11 325 and C11 123 also run as SL Taiju.
Only 207 has two headlights like crab eyes, so you can tell them apart just by looking at their faces!