- Diesel locomotives of Sri Lanka
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Diesel locomotives and multiple units of Sri Lanka include a variety of models by various manufacturers around the world. The locomotives are owned by Sri Lanka Railways. One diesel-multiple unit is operated by Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited on the Airport Express, while all other locomotives and trainsets are operated by Sri Lanka Railways.
The Railways upgraded its service to diesel locomotives, under the leadership of B. D. Rampala in the mid 1950s.[1] In 1953, the first locomotives from British builder Brush Bagnall were imported. Since then, the Railways have imported locomotives from Canada, Japan, West Germany, India, France, and China[2][3][4]
In the 1990s, Sri Lanka Railways converted the narrow-gauge (2 ft 6 in (762 mm)) Kelani Valley line into broad gauge 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm). This was the last narrow-gauge line left in Sri Lanka, and its conversion to broad gauge put the fleet of narrow gauge locomotives out of use. All operational locomotives in the country today are broad gauge.
Contents
Railway network of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a scenic island of the Indian Ocean which has a proud written history of about 3,000 years. Sri Lanka became a crown colony of Britain in 1802. The history of Sri Lankan Railways starts in 1864. The British wanted to deliver tea and other products from hill country to harbour, so the Ceylon Government Railways were born. Today, this is owned by the Sri Lankan Government and is known as Sri Lanka Railways. Sri Lanka's railway network consists of 1,449 km of broad gauge (5 feet 6 inches) and 59 km narrow gauge. Sri Lanka is proud to own some of the most scenic rail routes in the world. SLR has only diesel locomotives and has not yet decided to move on to electrification, even though there are many proposals.
Classification of diesel locomotives
Diesel locomotives are categorized [5] under five classes depending on their mechanism / route / scenario. On every locomotive there is plate presenting its class name and number.
Class Route Engine Type Colour Other M Main Line Diesel Electric Blue/Red & Green Passenger/Freight Operations W Main Line Diesel Hydraulic Red & Green Passenger/Freight Operations S Main Line Diesel Electric White With Two Colour Strips Diesel Multiple Units N/P Narrow Gauge Both All Above Passenger Operations Y - Both Black/White Shunters Class M
Sub Class Builder Weight (tons) No.of Locomotives Imported Year Power (hp) Comments M1 Brush Bagnall, UK 88 25 1953 1,000 - M2 General Motors, Canada 79 14 1954 1,425 Type EMD G12 M3 Locally built in Sri Lanka 46 2 n/a 360 Note 1 M4 Montreal Locomotive Works, Canada 93 14 1975 1,750 Type MX620 M5 Hitachi, Japan 66 16 1979 1,600 Note 2 M6 Henschel Thyssen 87 16 1979 1,650 EMD G22C Series M7 Brush Bagnall 67 16 1981 1,000 - M8 American Locomotive Company and Diesel Locomotive Works (India) 110 10 1996 2,600 Type WDM-2 M9 Alstom 100.56 10 2000 3,220 Note 3 - Notes
- 2 x 180 hp English Electric diesel engines taken from Class S1
- Some locos re-engined: M5A, MTU 1,150 hp; M5B, Paxman 1,150 hp; M5C, Caterpillar, hp unknown
- De-rated to 1,800 hp
- MOST EFFICIENT LOCOMOTIVE OF SLR COASTER IS CLASS M2
- Class M gallery
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Class M2 No.628 Kankesanthurai
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Class M4 MLW - Alco Bombardier Locomotive
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Hitachi M5c engine
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Brush DE- Class M7 Locomotive
Class W
Main Line Locomotives (Diesel Hydraulic)
W1
Henschel Thyssen (W.German). 1150hp. Imported in 1969. 10 locomotives were completely rehabilitated with Caterpillar 3512 DITA Engines, Voith L 520 Transmission with dynamic braking added to transmission. Also colour scheme changed to blue & white. Rehabilitated locomotives were re-classified as W3. In operation.
Builder : Henschel Thyssen Germany Weight : 61 tons Power W1 : 1150hp Paxman V12 12YJXL (4 stroke)
W3 : 1100hp CAT 3512 DITA V12 (4 stroke)Transmission - VOITH L 520 R U2
L - Locomotive transmission 5 - Circuit size index 2 - No of Torque converters 0 - No of fluid coupling R - Reversing U2 - Model No
Total number of locomotives = 45
W2
Karl Marx Werks (E. Germany). 1500hp. Imported in 1969. In operation.
Builder : VEB Weight : 65tons Power : 1578hp PAXMAN V16 16YJXL (4 stroke)
Total number of locomotives = 15
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Karl Marx Works Class W2 diesel-hydraulic locomotive
Class S
Class S Trains are Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) using for passenger operations. These type is known as Colombo Commuter. There are no classes in passenger cars in these trains. Usually with straight seats and more facilitated to go on stand.
Class S (DMUs)
Locomotive Builder Imported Year Weight (tons) Power Engine No.of Locomotives Comments S1 English Electric (United Kingdom) - 94 English electric 180hp 6 cylinder x 2 (4 stroke) Two 180hp engines per locomotive 3 Not in operation and the locomotives were scrapped due to the heavy corrosion incurred running on the coastal line. Engines were installed in M3 Locomotive. S2 Schindler (W. Germany) 1950 - 790hp (4 stroke) Diesel Hydraulic 15 Non Operational S3 MAN (W. Germany) 1960 47 880hp MAN V12 L12V18./21 Diesel Hydraulic 25 Only 1 DMU is operating at a local service between Galle and Mathara S4 Machinenfabrik (W. Germany) 1960 - 1000hp (4 stroke) Diesel Hydraulic 5 Non Operational S5 Hitachi (Japan) 1975 158 775hp (4 stroke) Diesel Hydraulic 4 Tourist train. Operational S6 Hitachi (Japan) 1975 51 (unit only) 1165hp Paxman V12-12YJXL (4 stroke) Diesel Hydraulic 10 Operating on Kalleni Valley broad gauge route S7 Hitachi (Japan) 1977 54 (unit only) 1020hp Cummings V8 KTA-2300 (4 stroke) Diesel Hydraulic 10 Same as S6 and route S8 Hyundai (S. Korea) 1989 55 tons powered unit only 1150hp (4 stroke) Diesel Hydraulic 20 This has a high acceleration speed from 0 - 60 mph, even in the low Throttle S9 CSR MTU, (China) 2000 - 1150hp (4 stroke) Diesel Electric 15 Capable of running with catenary connected with pantograph S10 CSR MTU, (China) 2007 - 2000hp Diesel Electric - Capable of running with catenary connected with pantograph S11 RITES Ltd, (India) 2011 - - Diesel Electric 9 in use (20 trainsets expected by 2012) Currently on delivery, in phases. Red colour with white strips -
Class S8 Hyundai diesel multiple unit
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Chinese manufactured Sri Lankan class S9 diesel multiple unit
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Class S10 DMU On A Colombo Commuter Service
Class N/P
These are narrow gauge locomotives. Usually DMU's running to Awissawella in Kalani Valley Route.
Locomotive Builder Imported Year Engine Comments No. of Locomotives N1 KRUPP, West Germany 1953 Diesel Hydraulic / 490 hp Not in operation 5 N2 KAWASAKI, Japan 1973 Diesel Hydraulic / 600 hp Not in Operation 3 P1 HUNSLET, United Kingdom 1950 Mechanical Transmission / 120 hp Not in Operation 4 Class P1
One locomotive is parked in Viharamahadewi Park, Colombo as a souvenir by Municipal Council.
Class Y
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Hunslet Engine Company Class Y shunting locomotive
Class Y
Built by Hunslet, England. Imported in 1969. In operation.
- Weight: 45 Tons
- Power: 530hp Rolls-Royce V8 DV 8T (4 stroke)
- Total number of locomotives = 28
Class Y1
Built entirely by Sri Lankan Railways using power plants of Class S6 and W3 (Paxman 12YJXL)
- Builder: Srilanka Railway
- Weight: 52 tons
- Power: 1000hp Paxman V12 12YJXL (4 stroke)
- Total number of locomotives: 7
Not in operation
Service Names of Popular Sri Lankan Trains
Sri Lankan trains are named with common sinhala names closer to people. Often this gives the meaning of the route and the appearance
Passenger Trains
Name Service Code Meaning of the Name Route Railway Track Podi Manike (පොඩි මැණිකේ) PM Little Princess Colombo Fort to Badulla via Kandy Up Country Udarata Manike (උඩරට මැණිකේ) UM Maiden of Up Country Colombo Fort to Badulla Up Country Yal Dewi (යාල් දේවී) YD Goddess of Jaffna Colombo Fort to Kankesanturai now stops in Vavuniya Nothern Uttara Dewi (උත්තරා දේවී) NG Nothern Goddess - Track destroyed due to war Rajarata Rajini(රජරට මැණිකේ) RM Prince of North Kings Land Vavuniya to Mathara North Central Udaya Dewi (උදය දේවී) UD God of Morning Colombo Fort to Batticaloa via Trincomalee Eastern Hijraa (හිජ්රා) - Muslim Name Colombo Fort to Batticaloa via Trincomalee Eastern Muthu Kumari (මුතු කුමාරී) MK Pearl Princess Colombo Fort to Puttlam North Western Coast Senkadagala Menike (සෙන්කඩගල මැණිකේ) SM Kandy Princess Colombo Fort to Kandy Up country See also
- Locomotives of Sri Lanka Railways
- Rail transport in Sri Lanka
References
- ^ "The Island". Rampala regime in the local Railway History. 2010-07-19. http://www.island.lk/2008/07/23/features5.html.
- ^ "Diesel Locomotives of Sri Lanka : Locomotive classification". www.srilankanlocos.com. M9. http://www.srilankanlocos.com/data/data.html. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
- ^ http://www.infolanka.com/org/mrail/locos2.html
- ^ http://www.infolanka.com/org/mrail/locos3.html
- ^ http://www.srilankanlocos.com/data/data.html
External links
Categories:- Diesel locomotives of Sri Lanka
- Rail transport in Sri Lanka
- Locomotives of Sri Lanka
- Diesel locomotive stubs
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