The State Railways in Burma/Myanmar relied for a long time on steam locomotives. As being part of the Indian Empire until 1937, the steam locomotives of governmental railways in Myanmar/Burma mostly followed standards and principles of steam locomotives in the rest of India. At the beginning of the metre gauge era in India, the locomotives were centrally ordered by the Indian State Railways and distributed among the different railway systems. Later, the railway companies ordered the locomotives by themselves, but mostly following standards designed and used within the Indian State Railways (British Engineering Standards Association BESA, Indian Railways Standard IRS). This also fully applied to the Burma State Railways. During and shortly after World War II, steam locomotives of Japanese and US American origin found their way to Burma. The last steam locomotives were ordered in 1949, some of them were in service until April 2008! Throughout the around 130 years, more than 800 steam locomotives were in service, ranging from small B-coupled shunting engines to large Garratts. The history of the steam locomotives as well as all classes including their single members are described in detailed under sub menu item Steam Locomotives.

Figure 1: Garratts of class GD were among the largest steam locomtoives that ever ran on Burmese tracks.

The Burma Railways focused on steam locomotives for a long time. Other than in neighbouring Thailand, where the first diesel locomotives were introduced in the 1920s, the Burma Railways only operated steam locomotives for a long time. It took until 1958 when the State Railways in Burma purchased their first six diesel locomotives from French producer Alsthom. In 1964 the fleet was enhanced with 55 diesel-electric and diesel-hydraulic locomotives from Alsthom and German producer Krupp. Smaller diesel engines mainly used for shunting were purchased from Japanese manufacturers. The fleet was growing over the years and by 1980 the State Railways had more than 200 diesel locomotives in service. Starting from 1993 copies ofthe Alsthom engines were ordered at Chinese manufacturers. Most of the diesel engines are still in service today, the last years saw an additional influx of YDM-4 diesel locomotives from India. Overall the State Railways had or have nearly 500 diesel locomotives in service. The history of the diesel locomotives as well as all classes including their single members are described in detailed under sub menu item Diesel Locomotives.

Figure 2: DF.1217 (Alsthom, 1964) belongs to the largest class of diesel-electric locomotives in Myanmar/Burma.

Apart from Wickham trolleys which were pruchased since 1939, the Burma State Railways did operate any railcars until 1961 when the first diesel railcars were bought from Ganz-Mavag and Talbot for usage on the Yangon Circle Line. However those railcars were not useful and were soon replaced with locomotive-hauled passenger trains and no further railcars were purchased. The quick expansion of the railway network in the 1990s as well as a severe lack of diesel locomotives due to sanctions and economic problems required Myanmar Railways to construct their own railcars. They were based on the frame and engine of old Hino trucks or busses. Since 2003, Myanma Railways have purchased around 250 used kiha railcars from Japan. The history of the railcars & trolleys as well as all classes including their single members are described in detailed under sub menu item Railcars & Trolleys.

Figure 3: LRBE.15, a self-built railcar with three small passenger coaches at Madauk station.