The Locomotives of Sri Lanka A Photo Essay about the Locomotives of the Sri Lankan Railway
By Gyan C. A. Fernando Copyright Crazylanka 2011 0
The Locomotives of Sri Lanka
A Photo Essay about the Locomotives of the Sri Lankan Railway system Part 1
By Gyan C A Fernando
Crazylanka 2011 1
About this book…
T
his publication is a photo essay about the Sri Lankan Railway trains of recent times. It is not meant to be a comprehensive nor a historical account. The location where the photographs were taken and the type of locomotive concerned are generally indicated in the legend but no effort has been made to give detailed technical specifications since it is considered to be outside the scope of this publication. There is no particular order to the pictures. Further pages will be added in time as a separate document because of file size restrictions.
Only locomotives and locomotive-drawn trains are depicted here. Other rail vehicles such as “push-pull” units, the so called “Power Sets” which form the majority of trains in Sri Lanka, are not included here. As far as railway enthusiasts are concerned, the whole of the Sri Lankan railway system is a living museum! Some of the locomotives shown here have been re-engined and have undergone many modifications over time. Some are now over 55years old. The pictures were all taken by the author and belong to the author. They are therefore subject to copyright. This publication as a whole, the photographs (collectively or individually) nor the legends accompanying the photographs maybe published elsewhere without permission from the author. The camera used is an Olympus digital camera with a 12mp resolution. Images have been cropped, colour balanced and adjusted where considered necessary, but have not been airbrushed or “faked”. Comments and contributions are welcome.
Keep on rolling!
Gyan C. A. Fernando mailto:gyanche@mail.com
Kalutara, Sri Lanka. 23rd of November 2011
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Going Up Around the Bend A Class W3 locomotive with a mixed train rounds a curve on the 1:44 rising gradient on the approach to Galboda Station on the 16th of August 2011.
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A down mixed train with a Hitachi built Class M5b locomotive approaching Inguru Oya on the 16th of August 2011
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A mixed train to Kandy with GM EMD G12 Class M2 No 626 “Montreal� at Peradeniya Junction on 5th August 2011. The G12s being the workhorses of the Sri Lankan railway, it is not unusual to see them carrying out mundane tasks.
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A British built Brush Class M7 locomotive with the train to Matale waiting to start off from Kandy Railway Station on the 4th June 2011.
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A mixed up train with a Henschel Class M6 locomotive at Nanu Oya on the 15th April 2011
This Badulla to Colombo train is travelling up grade between Haputale and Idalgashinna on the 15th April 2011. The locomotive is a Class M6 Henschel. The gradient is 1:44.
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Class M2 No 626 “Montreal� running long hood first and downgrade from Rozelle station on the 24th of August 2011. Because of the nature of the terrain here, there is a rather tight S curve which is prone to earth slips. This part of Sri Lanka has the highest rainfall figures.
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Above: An oil train at on Platform 2 of Peradeniya Junction is here reversing on the 28th of August 2011. There is an oil distribution center opposite the station. The loco is a Hitachi built Class M5B. Below: No 775 at the same location on the 27th of August 2011
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Hitachi built Class M5B at Kalutara South on the 4th of November after having hauled the 0510 train from Kandy. Normally this train would have continued on to Matara but on this day, due to track works, the train will go only up as far as Aluthgama.
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Henschel locomotives on the Up Country line Above: The Colombo bound train from Badulla passing the Peradeniya East signal cabin and approaching Platform 3 of Peradeniya Junction on the 28th of August 2011 with the Henschel built Class M6 No 783 locomotive. Left: The Badulla bound train from Colombo at Platform 3 of Peradeniya Junction on the 15th of August 2011.
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The Badulla bound “Udarata Menike” train hauled by GM EMD G12 Class M2 locomotive No 626 “Montreal” at Peradeniya Junction on the 31st of August 2011. The rectangular embellishment below the head lamps is to do with the 50th anniversary of No 626 and her mate No 627. No 627 is named “Vancouver”.
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Henschel built Class M6 locomotive No 788 idling at Kandy on the 20th of October 2011 having hauled an express train in from Colombo.
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MLW Bombardier locomotive (Class M4) No752 “Point Pedro�, with a slow train to Colombo, is idling in the Goods Shed siding at Kalutara South to allow an express train to pass. The date is the 7th of November 2011 and as the shadows indicate, the time is morning and 0711 hrs local.
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A British built Hunslet shunter, Class Y No 689, on yard duties at the Kandy railway yard on the 6th of June 2011.
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Above: A Henshel Class M6 locomotive No 788 pulling a train from Colombo is about to start off from platform 2 of Peradeniya Junction to Kandy on the 15th of Octobrer 2011. Below: A Henschel Class W3 No 636 with a mixed train on Platform 2 of Peradeniya Junction on the same day.
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Handing over the “Tablet” The Station Master hands over the “tablet” to the mixed train hauled by the Henschel Class W3 locomotive at Peradeniya junction on 22nd of November 20011 and to No 647 with Colombo bound train on the 15th of October 2011.
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EMD G12 Class M2a locomotive No 593 “New Brunswick� with the Colombo bound train on platform 1 of Kalutara South station on the 31st of October 2011.
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An Indian built DLW Varanasi locomotive Class M8 No 846 with the morning train to Aluthgama at Kalutara South on the 2nd of November 2011 and No 845 with the same train and at the same location on the 26th of July 2011. These locomotives are built by Diesel Locomotive Works of Varanasi and are based on an Alco design.
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Kalutara Bridge: EMD G12 Class M2 “Quebec” with the morning train to Colombo on the Kalutara Bridge on the 21st of July 2011 and Class M2d No 628 “Kankesanthurai” with the morning express to Matara on the 22nd of July 2011.
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EMD G12 Class M2 No 593 “Quebec� with Colombo bound morning express at Kalutara South on the 18th of July 2011. The embellishment on the side of the long hood celebrates the 50th anniversary of these remarkable
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French built Alstom locomotive Class M9 No 869 at Colombo Fort (top) on the 29th of July 2011 and the same locomotive at Kalutara South on the 25th of July 2011.
In spite of their sophistication, or perhaps because of it, these locomotives have been rather unsuccessful in Sri Lanka. The blame apparently lies with the computer-managed control systems which are prone to breakdowns and are expensive to repair.
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EMD G12 Class M2 No 570 “Alberta�. Above: Reversing a slow train into the Goods Shed Siding at Kalutara on the 26th of July 2011 and (left) idling in the siding on the 28th of July 2011. Below: In spite of her age the GM plate is still visible on one of her bogies.
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Class W3 Henschel locomotives Top: 16th August 2011 at Galboda with a slow train to Nawalapitiya. Lower left: At Peradeniya Junction on the 31st August 2011 and above right: Peradeniya Junction on the 31st of August 2011 with a slow train to Colombo. Left: The rather ominous number plate of No 666.
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The Locomotives of Sri Lanka
A Photo Essay about the Locomotives of the Sri Lankan Railway system End of Part 1
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