Steam in Myanmar 
(January / February 1997)
Steam in Yangon and Monstate 
(December 1999)

Steam in Myanmar

(January / February 1997)

Index

  1. Bago
  2. Pyuntaza
  3. Toungoo
  4. Pyinmana
  5. Meiktila Traffik School
  6. Thazi
  7. Mandalay - Lashio (Northern Shan Line)
  8. Burma Mines Railway (Nam Tu Mine Railway)

Bago

Bago steam allocation (7.2.1997)
Class  Number  Shed  HR.ISN  NR.ISN  Comments 
YB  529  Bago  11.94    Nyaungkhashe branchline 
YC  624  Bago    12.7.94   
YC  626  Bago  12.96     
YC  627  Bago  2.94     
YC  630  Bago  10.94     
YD  961  MPLN       
YD  962  MPLN       
YD  967  Bago  5.96     
YD  969  Bago  1.96     
YD  972  PTZ       

(HR.ISN = Heavy Repair Insein works; NR = Normal Repair Insein works)

Bago stone trains:

Because of an oil shortage there have been no steam hauled stone trains since Jan.26.1997. Oil is expected from Yangon everyday. This situation hasn't changed till Feb.2.

Stone loading points are situated at  Taungzun (109,25 miles from Yangon),Yinnyein (146,5 miles from Yangon) und Zingyaik (154,5 miles from Yangon).

Nyaungkashe Branch:

Normaly the Naungkashe Mixed is leaving Bago at 10:30. To departe 30 minutes later is quite common.

At Feb.8. YB 529 was on duty on the branchline. One day later all traffik was expected to be cancelled, because then the very last gallon of oil went through the burner of the loco.

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Pyuntaza

Pyuntaza steam allocation (Board at the Office of Locoforeman Mr. Ukyaw Myint, date 14.11.1996)

- YB 532 for 167 / 168 to Madauk

- YC 623 for 161 / 162 to Madauk

- YD 972 on loan to Bago

- D 1062 "Museum" (MAWD 2-8-2)

- MCA 1

- MDCC 105

- LRBE 44 / 3 / 25 / 59

Time table Pyuntaza - Madauk
Station  steam  railcar  steam  railcar  Station  railcar  steam  railcar  steam 
Pyuntaza  05:30  11:30  14:00  17:30  Madauk  07:10  08:40  13:20  18:20 
Nyaunglebin  05:46 

05:48 

??  14:16 

14:31 

??  Nyaunglebin  ??  09:53 

10:09 

??  17:59 

18:04 

Madauk  07:00  13:00  15:45  19:00  Pyuntaza  09:30  10:25  15:00  16:45 

Even this time table gives only one idea of the estimated departure and arrival times of the trains. Delays are quite common. Normaly one loco runs both daily trips on the branch line. During our visit we saw YC 623 (Jan.27. to29) and YB 532 (Feb.6.) working the mixed to Madauk.

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Toungoo

Steam trains have been cancelled since Jan.26.1997 because of an oil shortage and oil from Yangon was expected to reach Toungoo every (next) day. This situation didn't change at least till Feb.6.1997. YD 973 and 974 are (still ?) waiting for oil and suggar.

According to an order dated on Jan.28. from Yangon Headquarter every visitor has to pay 2 FEC entrence fee for the shed - even there is no steam activity. This fee is worth for a couple of visits.

Toungoo steam allocation

Class  Number  Shed  HR.ISN  NR.ISN  Comment 
YD  973         
YD  974  Bago    1.96   
364        Museum 
ST  761        plinted 

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Pyinmana

Pyinmana steam allocation

Class  Number  Shed  HR.ISN  NR.ISN  Comment 
YB  534  Pyinmana       
YB  536  PTZ  3.96     
YC  629  Pyinmana  9.95     
YD  964  Pyinmana  9.96    Boiler from India 
ST  764        plinted 

Wheels and frames in the bushes

MAWD 1044 HR:ISN. 4.76

MAWD 1028

YD 975

Suggarcain trains

Here they have enaugh oil to run steamtrains as requested from the suggarfactory. Suggarcain loadingpoints are at Thawatti (South), Kantha (West) and Kyidaunggan (North).

On Jan.30. only YB 534 was in steam to shunt in shed area and to take a loaded train with suggarcain from Kantha to Pyinmana. It left Pyinmana smokebox first together with a caboose around 1320 and was back with the loaded train arround 1730.

Feb.6. saw YB 534, YC 629 and YD 964 in steam. YD 964 was in use to provide steam for the other two locos, which allows to heat  them up quickly.  The foreman expected to run trains on all three lines.

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Meiktila Traffik School

The Meiktila Traffik School is the home of two steamlocos. This engines are used for teaching purpose. You can find  them easily quite opposite the school in an open hall. Acces is not possible because of a fence. If you want to touch the buffers you can ask at the gate ...
Class  Number  Shed  HR.ISN  NR.ISN  Comment 
ST  765  ITGO  6.85     
1019  PTZ      USTC 847 

According to the boilerplate D 1019 (or at least the boiler) was build 1944 by Devenport Boiler Corp. under number 2706 10 - 1944.

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Thazi

At Thazi we found the following locos ore at least fragments of them:
Class  Number  Shed  HR.ISN  NR.ISN  Comments 
GC 833        plinted 
S 1          plinted 
GC  834    1972    without boiler 
GC  839    1973    without boiler 
ST  769    1978 ?    assigned for 

HR. ISN 1997 ?? 

ST  774        assigned for 

HR. ISN 1997 ?? 

ST  777        wheels only 
YB  508        wheels only 

ST 769 and 774 are assigned for Heavy Revision at Insein works in future this was confirmend at Insein works afterwards but without any information at what time and for which purpose.

Moreover there is one steamcrane (Hurst, Nelson & Co.I.F 1945) in the shed.

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Mandalay

On shed we saw the following engines at Feb.1.1997:
Class  Number  Shed  HR.YUG  NR.ISN  Comment 
DD  510        Kawasaki 1978 
DD  945        Krupp Nr. 

5451 / 1978 

DD  954    7.95    Krupp Nr. 

5460 / 1987 

DD  960        Krupp 
DD  966    10.92    Krupp Nr. 

5607 / 1987 

DF  2017        Dalian 1993 
DF  2021        Dalian 1993 
DF  2027        Dalian 1993 

There is 0-6-0 plinted next to the shed  entrence

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Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo)

At Feb.1. we saw DD 505 (Hitachi 1965) and DF 2024 (Dalian 1996). Sheldon & Co. steamcrane (No. 5373 / 1933) is serviceable for accident relive trains.

Passenger service on the Northern Shan Line:
Sation  131up  133up  137up  Station  132dn  134dn  138dn 
Mandalay  04:45  14:20    Lashio  05:30    06:30 
Pyin Oo 

Lwin 

08:03 

08:34 

18:00  05:30  Pyin Oo 

Lwin 

15:40 

16:00 

05:00  18:30 
Lashio  19:00    18:00  Mandalay  19:55  09:45   

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Lashio

Diesel DF 2007
DF 2007 on the mg link to the Burma Mines Shunting Yard at Namyao (Feb.1997)

On Feb.3. DF 2007 (Alsthom) was buisy with a down fright train. This train even served the connection with the Burma Mine Railway at Namyao. The picture shows this train serving the line to Namyao MG yard.

There is a serviceable steamcrane (Cowans Sheldon No. 4885 / 1929)  based at Lashio shed.

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Burma Mines Railway (Nam Tu Mine Railway)


Namyao, the first stop from Lashio is the connection between MR and the Mine Railway to Nam Tu and Bawdwin. It is reached by MG over a photogenic rivergridge  (right picture) which is arround 500 m down from the mainline to Lashio. There are loading facilitys for oil, ore and coale from MG to NG and vice versa.
 

DF 2007 at Namyao
DF 2007 shunting at Namyao mixed shunting yard (Feb.1997)
 

Since 1978 all line service is diesel. There should be one train from Nam Tu to Namyao and back Monday - Friday only. Trains are escorted by armed security personal  because Nam Tu district is still an insurgents area. Nam Tu district is still off limits for tourists and there was no chance to get a permission to go to Nam Tu - even not for guided tours. The only possibility would be to be an official from a mining company planing a joint venture at Nam Tu Mines ..... It makes no sense to try the road to Nam Tu because there are several check points. May be it is possible to use the fright train up to Nam Tu - we didn't try it. To make things more delicious the NG yard belongs to Nam Tu area so normaly even this is not open for foreigners but it was no problem to enter this place during our visit.
 

No.42
Burma Mines Railways No.42 (2-6-2, Bagnall 2338 / 1928) is ready for shunting duties at Namyao yard (Feb.1997)

Regular train

Diesel 307 is shunting the regular fright train at Namyao (Feb. 1997)

As motivation to visit Namyao there is Bagnal 2-6-2 T No. 42 (Bagnall 2338 / 1928) in use for the daily shunting work. The loco is steamed as requiered during morning hours (09:00) and in working condition at the arrival time (14:00) of the diesel fright from Nam Tu. At Feb.3. No. 42 was doing some shunting movements  untill it fails because of some boiler problems (Left picture). The DIEMA diesel (DC 307, looking quite clean and modern) arriving with the goods arround 14:00 has to be used for shunting. It is uncertain wether No. 42 will be steamed up again because it has to be towed up to Nam Tu by diesel for repair.

We were told that there is a second steam loco in use for shunting at Nam Tu. It is presumed to be 0-4-2 T No.13 (Kerr Stuart No 2383 / 1914) - but no gricer has been there to check it.

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I would be glad to receive any other informations about the Namtu Mine Railway.

Please mail to:

Manfred Schöler

91451 Rothenburg / Germany



Steam in Yangon and Monstate / Myanmar (December 1999)

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