Well-liked for their excellent reliability, they were used to pull the imperial train in 1931. Starting in 1937 with the anticipated opening of the Senzan Railway Tunnel, ED53 3 through ED53 6 were rebuilt into Class ED19 locomotives and given modifications to allow them to operate in mountainous and colder regions; ED53 3 through ED53 6 were renumbered ED19 1 through ED19 4 respectively.