Index

1. Bago
• Bago steam allocation
• Bago - Nyungkashe Branch
• Bago stone trains
2. Pyuntaza
• Pyuntaza steam allocation
• Pyuntaza - Madauk Branch
3. Toungoo
• Toungoo steam allocation
• Steam trains
4. Pyinmana
• Pyinmana steam allocation
• Suggarcain trains
5. Meiktila Traffik School
6. Thazi
7. Mandalay - Lashio (Northern Shan Line)
• Mandalay Dieselshed
• Pyin Oo Lwin
• Northern Shan Line Passenger service
• Lashio
8. Burma Mines Railway (Nam Tu Mine Railway)

Bago

(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

- 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

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

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Pyinmana

Pyinmana steam allocation

Wheels and frames in the bushes

MAWD 1044 HR:ISN. 4.76

MAWD 1028

YD 975

Suggarcain trains

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

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

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

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

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Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo)

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

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 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.
 

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

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.

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