The Class C53 (C53形) is a type of 4-6-2 steam locomotive built in Japan from 1928 to 1929. The locomotives were designed by Hideo Shima and built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Stock Company, Kisha Seizo, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Hitachi. A total of 97 Class C53 locomotives were built.

The locomotives are notable for being the only non-experimental three-cylinder locomotives in Japan's railway history. They used the Gresley conjugated valve gear, which enabled high performance on the mainline.^[1] However, their mechanical complexity led to a short service life, especially after better-performing locomotives, such as the Class C59 and C62, entered production in the 1940s during and after the war. All 97 locomotives were retired by 1950.^[2]

Today, only one Class C53 locomotive has been preserved in Japan, C53 45, at the Kyoto Railway Museum (formerly Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum).^[3][4]

• 
  C53 45 preserved at Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum in December 2011
• 
  C53 on a Kawasaki Heavy Industries advertisement
• 
  C53 96 passing by Nagoya Station
• 
  C53 45 steam loco frontview
• 
  C53 The 3 cylinder
• 
  C53 45 at the Kyoto Railway Museum

• Japan Railways locomotive numbering and classification
• JNR Class C51
• JNR Class C52
• JNR Class C54
• JNR Class C59