The ED60 was the first representative of a new generation of DC locomotives, which was characterized by the use of smaller, lighter, high-performance traction motors, which made it possible to dispense with carrying axles. The two motors of each bogie were connected in series and operated with a voltage of 750 volts. Due to their small size and high power, the locomotives in Japan were referred to as “nuclear locomotives”, based on the comic “Astro Boy”. They had gangway doors at the ends, which were used in multiple traction.

There were only eight ED60, which came from different manufacturers. The first came from Mitsubishi, four from Kawasaki and three were built jointly by Toyo and Kisha Seizo. They were used in front of freight trains on branch lines that had been bought up by private railways. For routes that were suitable for a higher axle load, some of the locomotives were built with an artificially increased mass of four tons. The EF60, which was introduced a short time later, was intended for main lines. The use of the ED60 ended in 1986 when freight traffic ended on the traditional routes.