The first non-steam locomotives used state railways track were B-coupled petroleum locomotives, which were brought into the country by the US Army Transportation Corps (USATC) during the end of the war (class P).

Large parts of the rolling stock was destroyed in WW II and got first replaced by new steam locomotives. In 1958 the first six diesel engines of type Bo'Bo'Bo'-de were ordered at Alsthom (class DF.1201). Six years later 28 diesel-hydraulic engines of type B'B'-dh were delivered by Krupp to Burma (class DD.1501) along with 27 diesel-electric engines of type Bo'Bo'Bo'-de from Alsthom (class DF.1207). The latter became the standard diesel class on Burmese tracks throughout the following decades. Japanese manufacturers (Hitachi, Kisha Seizo Kaisha) delivered 15 smaller diesel hydraulic engines, mainly used for shunting, in 1965 (classes DC.501 and DD.501). Krupp delivered another six diesel-hydraulic engines in 1969 (class DD.901) while Alsthom delivered another 20 engines of class DF.1207. Thus, by 1970 the Burma Railways had already more than 100 diesel locomotives in services.

 

Throughout the 1970s the influx of diesel engines continued. Alsthom delivered a stronger version of class DF.1207 that was labelled DF1601. Between 1971 and 1978, 45 new engines of that class were put in service. In addition, Alsthom delivered 29 four-axled diesel-electric engines (class DD.914) in 1972/77. Japanese manufacturer Kisha Seizo Kaisha (Kisha Seizo Kaisha) delivered 23 four-axled diesel-hydraulic engines (classes DD.907, DD.1201 and DD.1529) in 1971/72 while Kawasaki delivered another five diesel-hydraulic shunting locomotives (class DD.506) in 1978. Krupp delivered a third batch of 16 diesel-hydraulic engines (class DD.943) in 1979. Thus, by 1980 the Burma Railways had already purchased more than 200 diesel locomotives.

 

The two most important manufacturers for diesel engines continued the delivery of diesel engines. In 1984, Alsthom delivered another 8 class DF.1207 locomotives as well as 15 enhanced and stronger engines which were delivered in 1987 and got classified as DF.2001. Krupp delivered another two batches of 19 diesel-hydraulic engines in 1987 (class DD.959 and DD.1211). Kawasaki delivered another 12 shunting engines (DD.511) in 1986/89; some of the engines were assembled in Insein workshop. Insein workshop also started to reconstruct class DF.1207 locomotives made out of old engines, which were taken out of service. A two-axle small diesel-hydraulic delivered by Korean manufacturer Daewoo remained unique.

 

On the one hand, growing economic problems and sanctions made it more and more difficult to order new diesel locomotive from western manufacturers. On the other hand, the growing railway network as well as the ageing fleet that still consisted of numerous steam locomotives required new diesel engines. There were several ways how the Myanma Railways tried to solve this problem. First copy versions of class DF.2001 and DF.1207 engines were ordered at Chinese manufacturers Dalian and Sifang starting from 1993. In addition Insein workshop continued to reconstruct locomotives made out of locomotives which were taken out of service or used diesel engines purchased in Japan. The re-gauging of metre railways in India set free some YDM-4 diesel engines, which offered a good bargain, additional used YDM-4 engines were bought from Tanzania and finally also some new YDM-4 found their way to Myanmar. With the reduction of traffic and closure of passenger services on the Chinese part of the metre gauge Yunnan railway, 35 used DFH21 were sold to the Myanma Railways along with passenger coaches. In 2019, some efforts were made to overhaul some of the old Krupp diesel engines left in service.

 

During WW II, the US Army Transportation Corps (USATC) brought small two-axled petroleum locomotives to Myanmar from which 18 remained in the country and got classified as class P by Burma Railways. The first six locomotives produced by Brookville were brought to Myitkyina by air in April 1945. Nineteen more produced by Plymouth were flown from the US to Rangoon via Calcutta in May 1945; seven of them never seemed to be uncrated in Rangoon, six out of the seven uncrated locomotives were sent to Federated Malay State Railways in September 1945. It is unknown how long the engines remained in service.

 

 

The first diesel engines were delivered by Alsthom in 1958, they were initially classified as BBB-DE, later they received the classification DF.1201. With six driving axles distributed among three bogies, they had perfect characteristics for the Burmese railway network: low axle weight, ability to negotiate sharp curves, high power. Thus, the class became the prototype for nearly all further diesel-electric engines in Burma/Myanmar. Alsthom also delivered similar types of locomotives to neighbouring countries like Thailand and Cambodia. In 2014, all six locomotives were still in service.

 

 

The class DF.1201 proved to be successful, thus in 1964 the Burma Railways ordered 27 engines of a slightly adapted version, which was classified as DF.1207. It was again a type Bo'Bo'Bo'-de, the driver cabin was put to the front and the layout was changed to two driver cabins. Further 20 engines followed between 1968 and 1970. A third batch of eight engines were delivered in parts in 1984/85 and were assembled in Insein workshop. In 1995, Chinese manufacturer Sifang delivered four more engines. In 1986, reconstruction of class DF.1207 engines started in Insein workshop using other DF.1207 locos, which were taken out of service or were damaged in accidents. This continues until today, so far ten reconstructions are known to me. With an overall of 69 engines, the class DF.1207 is one of the largest diesel locomotive classes. While nearly all engines were still listed as in service in 2010, around half of the engines were written off until 2014. Forty-five out of the 69 locomotives were repowered during their lifecycle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alongside the 27 Alsthom class DF.1207, the Burma Railways also purchased 28 diesel-hydraulic locomotives of type B'B'-dh from German manufacturer Krupp (Krupp M1500BB). Initially fitted with Maybach engines, the locomotives DD.1503, DD.1504, DD.1511, DD.1512, DD.1514, DD.1517 – DD1521, DD.1523, DD.1525-DD.1528 got re-powered with MTU 12V396 engines. All those engines alongside DD.1515 were still in service in 2014.

 

 

In 1965 the Burma Railways purchased ten diesel-hydraulic shunting engines of type C-dh with 482hp from Japanese manufacturer Kisha Seizo Kaisha. Initially equipped with MAN engines, some locomotives were later repowered with MTU engines. Locomotives DC.503 and DC.505 were still in service in 2015.

 

 

Alongside the type C-dh shunting engines (class DC.501) the Burma Railways purchased five type B'B'-dh engines with 550hp. As for the class DC.501 locomotives, the MAN engines were later replaced with MTU engines. In 2010, all five engines were still in service, four years later only three of them remained in service.

 

 

In 1969 the Burma Railways purchased six diesel-hydraulic engines of type B'B'-dh with 900hp from German manufacturer Krupp (M800BB). The trial runs of the engines were executed on the metre gauge “Härtsfeldbahn” in the south of Germany where DD.901 derailed upon her first trip from Aalen to Neresheim. This prepared the locomotive well for the service on Burmese tracks which have an even worse condition than those on the “Härtsfeldbahn” (the “Härtsfeldbahn” was closed and dismantled in 1972). DD.901 and DD.903 were still in service in 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Batches of diesel-hydraulic engines remained small. In 1971 seven engines of type B'B'-dh with 860hp were purchased from Japanese manufacturer Kisha Seizo Kaisha. In 2010 only DD.908 and DD.912 remained in service.

 

 

The diesel-electric locomotives of class DF.1207 proved to be very successful, thus the Burma Railways ordered ten more engines with an increased power of 1,600hp in 1971. Two more batches with 14 and 21 locomotives were delivered in 1974 and 1978. The strong engines were mainly used on the mountain lines from Mandalay to Lashio and Thazi to Shwenyaung. Most of the locomotives were re-motorized: some received a Caterpillar engine with 2,000hp, 13 received a Pielstick engine with 2,000hp and eight got a Chinese ASV190ZL engine. Due to the higher power, the locomotives should have been re-classified as DF.20xx engines, however al engines kept their old numbering and classification. In 2014 40 out of the 45 engines were still in service, only five of the last batch were written off between 2010 and 2014.

 

 

 

Only one type of diesel-electric engines with four axles with an overall quantity of 29 were delivered to Burma. The first 16 arrived in Burma in 1972, the remaining 16 followed five years later. Both batches were delivered by Alsthom. They were mainly used on the Yangon circle line and all were in service in 2010. But then all of them except two were replaced by the Chinese DF.1111 class and finally got written off until 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One year after having purchased seven diesel-hydraulic locomotives of class DD.907 from Japanese manufacturer Kisha Seizo Kaisha, another ten locomotives with a stronger engine of 1,200hp were purchased. Five engines were re-motorized later with a MTU engine. In 2014 four out of the ten engines remained in service.

 

 

Alongside class DD.907 and DD.1201 Kisha Seizo Kaisha also delivered a 1,500hp strong version which got classified as DD.1529. Only six engines were delivered, four of them were re-motorized with a MTU engine in the 1990s. In 2014 three were still in service.

 

 

In 1978 the Burma Railways ordered five diesel-hydraulic shunting locomotives with 500hp power from Kawasaki. DD.508 and DD.509 were written off between 2010 and 2014, the other three were still in service in 2014.

 

 

The six class DD.901 locomotives delivered by Krupp in 1969 proved to be successful and thus another 16 engines were ordered in 1978 (Krupp M1200BB). They had stronger engines with around 1,100hp, but still got classified as DD.943. All 16 were still in service in 2010, in 2014 two out of the 16 were written off.

 

 

 

In 1986 one (other sources say two) small shunting engines of type B-dh were purchased from South Korean manufacturer Daewoo. In 2014 the engine was still in service at Insein workshop. The unique locomotive became a prototype for four more type B-dh engines which were self-constructed between 1996 and 2011 in Ywataung workshop based on axle-drives from written-off class DD.1501 engines. Other sources mention five self-built engines numbered DIB.303 to DIB.307.

 

 

In 1986 another two diesel-hydraulic shunting engines with four axles were delivered by Kawasaki. Further ten engines were delivered in parts and were assembled in Insein workshop. All twelve engines remained in service in 2010, DD.515 was written off until 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

The second batch of Krupp’s diesel-hydraulic engines with 1,100hp were delivered in 1987. As they had flexicoil suspension, they were not classified under the first batches class’ (class DD.943), but received a new classification as DD.959. All eleven engines were still in service in 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The DF.1207 and DF.1601 diesel-electric classes from Alsthom proved to be very successful, however they were too weak for longer trains and the mountain lines to Lashio and Shwenyaung. Thus the Burma Railways ordered 15 more powerful engines with 2,000hp from Alsthom which were delivered in 1987. Further twelve engines (most probably unlicensed copies) were delivered later on by Chinese company Dalian. Further engines with AAR couplers and installations for air brakes followed starting from 1997 (see class DF.2028).

 

 

 

Chinese companies Sifang and Dalian continued to deliver copies of DF.2001 class diesel-electric engines. However they were equipped AAR couplers and air brakes installations only. Alongside the locomotives the Burma Railways received passenger coaches from the Chinese metre gauge Yunnan Railway. They were the first to have air brakes, all other passenger coaches till then had not been fitted with brakes! It is not assured that all ordered locomotives had been delivered. Burma Railways were not happy with the quality and some of the locomotives I spotted after less than ten years in use were in a very poor condition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The large re-gauging program in India (re-gauge metre gauge to broad gauge) set free YDM-4 loco-motives of type Co'Co'-de. A good opportunity for Myanma Railways to purchase nearly new locomotives for a cheap price. However, due to the distribution of six axles among just two bogies and the rather weak engines, the locomotives can only be used on main lines without step gradients and sharp curves. Nevertheless Myanma Railways purchased new YDM-4 engines from Indian manufacturer Diesel Loco Works Varanasi (DLW) and further used YDM-4 engines from Tanzania Railways. The first 21 engines were initially numbered as DF.1268 – DF.1288, later they were renumbered DF.1301 – DF.1321. All further batched were numbered as DF.13xx.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Between 2003 and 2008 Myanma Railways had received six used cape gauge diesel locomotives from Japan Railways of exotic type B'2'B'-dh and 2,900hp power (JR class DD 51) most probably as part of development funds. As the locomotives require a re-gauging and as they are too large and powerful for proper use on Myanmar railway lines, Myanma Railways didn’t really know what to do with the engines. The status of the first two locomotives delivered is unknown, two others were cut into halves (see class DD.1101) and the latter two are awaiting re-powering after conversion to metre gauge in Insein workshop.

 

 

 

 

Two of the class D2D.2201 (JR DD 51) were cut into halves and converted into two engines of type B'2'-dh which were classified as DD.1101. Most probably only two of them were in running condition and both of them have already been taken out of service. The other two have most probably been scrapped.

 

 

 

Traffic on the only Chinese metre gauge railway line from Kunming to Hekou (former French Yunnan Railway) ceased more and more in the 21st century as passenger service had been suspended after landslides and construction of a parallel normal gauge line. China Railways used diesel locomotives of type B'B'-dh which were classified as DFH 21 (DFH = “Dong fang hong” meaning “The east is red”). Big parts of the more than 30 years old engines were sold to Myanmar alongside with passenger coaches. The engines were classified as DD.1111 and mainly replaced the Alsthom DD.914 on the Yangon Circle line.

 

 

 

It seems that three locomotives of type B-dh classified as DB.210 were in service. I don’t have any details, they were most probably purchased in Japan. Two of them were spotted in 2011, now renumbered as FCB-1 and FCB-2.

 

 

Some sources record seven engines of class DD.970 without giving any further details. Maybe they have been placeholders for an order which was never delivered.