When opened in 1877, the Irrawaddy Valley State Railway started with 29 locomotives of classes A^old, E^old and F, all being Indian State Railways standard types. The oldest one being A^old1 (Dübs 612 from 1873, brought from India to Burma in 1875) is still preserved until today and put on display in Naypitaw railway station. The construction of the second railway line from Yangon to Mandalay (Sittoung Valley State Railway) between 1884 and 1889 brought another 78 steam locomotives into the country, 58 being class F (which formed the class with the largest number of steam locomotives in Burma at an overall number of more than 140) and 20 being class O. Most of the steam locomotives were delivered by Neilson & Co., Glasgow, which overall supplied 131 steam locomotives to Burma; thus being the largest provider of steam locomotives used in Myanmar/Burma.

Further enhancements of the railway network (Myomaung – Myitkyina, Thazi - Myingyan) until 1899 required the acquisition of another 65 steam locomotives of class B, C, D^old, F and G. All locomotives except those of class G were delivered by British makers, class G locomotives were produced by Baldwin. The class D^old were used Fairlie engines bought from the North-Western Railway on the Indian North-Western-Frontier for running trains on the first mountain line with heavy gradients between Mandalay and Lashio. Thus at the beginning of the 20th century, the Burma Railways Company had already more than 170 steam locomotives in use.

 

As the class Dold Fairlie locomotives proved unsuitable for the mountain line to Lashio and as a second mountain line from Thazi to Aungban was built, seven modified Fairlie locomotives of class H as well as the first eight Mallet locomotives of class N were bought between 1901 and 1913. The traffic as well as the length of the railway system had increased massively throughout the first decade of the 20th century, thus further and more powerful locomotives of type 4-6-0 (classes J and K), 4-4-4T (class C) and 2-6-2T (class M) were ordered from various British producers like Vulcan, Robert Stephenson, North British Locomotive and Nasmyth Wilson. All classes were British Engineering Standards Association (BESA) types. In addition, another 54 class F and 6 class C locomotives were added to the stock. On the other hand, six locomotives of class E^old were sold to the Assam Bengal Railway between 1908 and 1914, ten locomotives of class E^old and 13 out of the 18 class O locomotives were sold to the Federated Malay State Railways in 1912/14.

 

Throughout the First World War, 32 locomotives were requisitioned and transported to East Africa, Mesopotamia and India (19 class F, 13 class K), only five returned in 1919. Growing economic problems made it difficult for the Burma Railway Company to renew its over aged rolling stock, which in addition got partly lost throughout the war. Another 67 locomotives of pre-war classes (10 class J, 34 class K , 9 class M) were bought (some used from Eastern Bengal Railway), in addition 33 tank engines (16 class A 4-6-4T, 17 class E 2-6-4T) were delivered to Burma. Another 14 Mallet locomotives of class N enhanced the stock for the mountain lines and after trials with a Garratt locomotive turned out to be successful, 13 locomotives of type 2-8-0+0-8-2 were ordered at Beyer Peacock and Krupp between 1924 and 1929. Starting from 1927, the first locomotives of Indian Railway Standard appeared in Burma (13 class YC and 61 YD), the last ones being delivered in 1933. For the first time larger amount of the locomotives being delivered to Burma were produced by Non-British makers like Krupp, Henschel, Hanomag, Rheinische Metallwaren, Skoda and SLM Winterthur. After 1933, no additional steam locomotives were brought by Burma Railways until 1940.

 

The British troops took as most as possible of the rolling stock up north so that it would not fall into the hand of the Japanese. Before the British troops retreated to India, they destroyed most of the left locomotives under their control. During the Japanese invasion of Burma starting in 1942, at least 35 (other sources say 58) locomotives of Japanese class C56 were brought to Burma. After being re-gauged from cape gauge to metre gauge, they were used on the Burmese railway network. Once the “death railway” between Thailand and Burma was completed, locomotives from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore found their way to Burma. On the other hand, Burmese locos found their way to neighbouring countries. Some eyewitness reports even suggest that locomotives from Indonesia found their way to Burma. After the end of the Second World War, some locomotives were re-exchanged between the countries until the death railway was finally closed and dismantled on the Burmese side in 1946/47.

During the recapture of Burma by Allied troops, steam locomotives were brought into the country. Initially some of the locomotives were disassembled in Assam and Eastern Bengal, and then transported on tank wagons or airplanes into Burma, where they were reassembled. Later they came into the country by ship and helped to re-instantiate railway traffic as not only tracks and bridges but also most of the rolling stock was destroyed throughout the war. The locos brought into Burma included 57 Mac-Arthur class locomotives of the US Army Transportation Corps (USATC) which were classified as class D, six used F class locomotives from Assam Bengal Railway (initially built in 1894/5!), ten Garratt locomotives of type 2-8-0+0-8-2, 12 of type 2-8-2+2-8-2 and nine of type 4-8-2+2-8-4 (all War Department locomotives initially built for Bengal & Assam Railway). The latter nine ones were brought to Tanganyika in 1948 (four locos) resp. East Africa in 1952 (five locos) as there was no use for such big Garratts on the still heavily destroyed railway network in Burma. In May 1947 around 205 locomotives were left compared to 366 at the beginning of the war. According to the records in Insein workshop, only 151 out of the 205 locomotives were in working order in 1946.

 

As only around 150 locomotives in working order were available in 1947, 108 additional steam locomotives were ordered between 1947 and 1950. Even though Burma had already become independent, Indian Railways Standard locomotives were chosen. Robert Stephenson delivered 28 class ST tank engines whereas Vulcan delivered 50 locomotives of class YB, ten of class YC and 20 of class YD. Another five YD as well as ten tank engines of type 4-6-4T (class PT) initially sought for Burma were diverted to India (Nizam’s State Railway, Saurashtra State Railway, Bikaner State Railway).

The last steam locomotive to arrive in Burma was YD 975 in 1950. From then on, the state railways only purchased diesel engines. Nevertheless, Myanma Railways used steam locomotives until April 2008 when the last YD class locomotives hauled stone trains from Yinnyein to Yangon. The remaining steam locomotives were concentrated in Pyuntaza where I could find the following locomotives in November 2011:

In addition, the following locomotives are preserved:

 

The first engine with type 0-4-2 of Indian State Railway standard “E” was already brought to Burma in 1874 and was probably already used during the construction phase of the first line from Rangoon (now Yangon) to Prome (now Pyay). Later it received number 31.

Another 23 engines were delivered by Vulcan in 1876 and 1877 for the opening of the first line. They were later numbered 4 to 6 and 11 to 30. Two locomotives (nos. 4 and 5) were sold to Assam Bengal Railways in in 10/1908 where they were used for construction and operation of Chittagong Port (todays Bangladesh), further three locomotives (nos. 11, 14, 25) followed later. Ten of the locomotives (6, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 21, 23, 24, and 28) were sold the Federated Malay State Railways in 1912/13 (FMSR CD1 to CD10). All other locomotives were out of service latest by 1915, when the numbers were reused for the first Mallet engines (class N).

 

 

With 153 engines in service, the type 0-6-0 of Indian State Railway standard “F” formed the largest class of steam locomotives in Burma. The first four engines arrived in Burma in 1874 before the official opening of the first line from Rangoon (now Yangon) to Prome (Pyay), they were later numbered 7 to 10. Between 1882 and 1903 another ten batches with overall 143 engines arrived in Burma.

During WW I nine engines were requisitioned in 1916 and brought to East Africa, only five returned. Another six engines were also requisitioned in 1916 and brought to Mesopotamia, they never returned. Four more were lost at sea en route to India as replacements for requisitioned stock in 1917. According to Hughes [1], 39 engines were left in 1940, in 1942 the inventory in Insein listed eight engines as in service.

During the recapturing of Burma by Allied troops in 1945, six class F engines from Assam Bengal Railways found their way into Burma. According to Hughes [1], 22 engines were left in 1947, the inventory in Insein lists ten engines as in service for 1946.

 

 

 

 

Only three tank engines of type 2-4-0T of Indian State Railway standard “A” were used in Burma. The first one built by Dübs in 1873 was brought to Burma from India in 1875 while construction of the first line from Yangon to Pyay was still ongoing. Another two engines arrived in Burma 1878 after the opening of the first line in 1877. With the introduction of the internal numbering in 1900, the three locomotives received the numbers 1 to 3. No. 2 was sold to the Rangoon Town Lands Reclamation in 1894, the other two locomotives were put out of service latest by 1914 when a batch of Mallets (class N) delivered in 1915 received the numbers 1 to 4. Locomotive A 1 was preserved and is currently put on display inside Naypitaw Railway Station.

 

 

Between 1883 and 1887 three batches of Indian State Railways standard class “O” (type 4-4-0) with an overall quantity of 18 engines arrived in Burma where they were required on the new line from Yangon to Mandalay. However, they were not strong enough for the increasing traffic on the main line and thus 13 out of the 18 engines were sold to the Federated Malay State Railways in 1912/1914.

 

 

In 1891 two used engines of Indian State Railways standard class “B” (type 0-4-4T) were purchased from Bengal & North Western Railway after their network was re-gauged to broad gauge. They also received classification B and were numbered as 119 and 120. Latest by 1924 they were put out of service as the first Garratt coming to Burma was also classified as “B”, later the classification of the Garratts was changed from “B” to “GA”.

 

 

The growing suburban traffic in Yangon required the purchase of strong tank engines. In 1896 two locomotives of type 4-4-4T (tank version of class O) were delivered by Neilson and were classified as “C” with numbers 141 to 142. Both were later rebuilt as superheated engines, 141 was still in service in 1942.

In 1901 another six locomotives were delivered by Dübs and received numbers 202 to 207. Some, but not all of them were also converted to superheat. Numbers 141, 203, 205 and 207 were still in service in 1942. All remaining four locomotives went out of service during WW II.

 

 

 

In 1879, 25 "Double Fairlie" type steam locomotives were ordered for the North Western Frontier in connection with the Third Afghan War. The order was withdrawn in 1880, but seventeen of the locomotives were ready and these became Indian State Railways Nrs. 361-377. One was lost at sea, and another was sold to a Bombay contractor. The remaining fifteen were finally shipped off to the NWF to work on the Bolan Pass. They remained in store from 1887 until ten went to Burma in 1896. Four others ended up with the Nilgiri Railway in 1907 as NMR Nrs. 1-4. At the end of the 19th century, the Burma State Railway planned a first mountain line from Mandalay to Maymyo (now Pyin Oo Lwin), further up to Lashio (opened 1901 to 1903) with long, and step gradients up to 1 in 25. The existing stock was inadequate and thus the State Railway took the opportunity and purchased the ten used Fairlie locomotives of type 0-4-4-0T mentioned above. However, the engines were not in a good condition and proved inadequate. New Fairlies (class H) replaced them in 1901 and the class Dold Fairlies were written off already in 1904, some were used for shunting at the ferries in Sagaing and Hinthada.

 

 

The increasing traffic on the main lines required stronger locomotives. Thus, Burma Railways decided to purchase enhanced F class locomotives of type 2-6-0. For the first time the locomotives were not ordered in Britain, but the order with 20 engines was placed with Baldwin in the US. This remained an exception; until the 1920s, all further engines were ordered at British manufacturers. The BOTJ gave the following summary by Mr J S Brown, Senior Government Inspector of Railways, Burma, of the G's early performance, which was in line with the opinions held by other British railways during a sudden spurt of purchases from American builders:

"The twentieth and last of the Moghul type of engines (' G' class) was erected and placed in running during the half-year. These American locomotives are now doing fairly well, but gave much trouble at first. They are of heavier build and produce higher bending-moments on all cross-girders of bridges and on small-span bridges than the ' F' class engines. Some of the details showed want of strength, and parts supposed to be of cast steel proved of very inferior metal and workmanship; alterations and repairs have been required much in excess of what is necessary with new locomotives received from British makers."

In 1914, all 20 engines were in service, but by 1940, all were out of service.

 

 

As the used Fairlie locomotives of class D^old proved inadequate for the use on the new mountain line to Lashio, the Burma Railways purchased five new Fairlie locomotives of 0-6-6-0 from Vulcan in 1901. Five years later another two engines were ordered. They were of better use than the class Dold engines, but with the growing load of the goods trains (especially ore from the mines in Namtu), the new Fairlies were soon too weak and got replaced by the Mallet engines of class N, which were introduced starting from 1911.

 

 

The existing standard types for Indian metre gauge (A, B, E, F and O) proved more and more inadequate as load and weight of trains was increasing heavily all over India. The Indian Railways thus decided to design new standard engines of type 4-6-0 based on first prototypes built for the Bengal & North-Western and Rohilkund & Kumaon Railways as well as on principles of the British Engineering Standards Association. The Burma Railways ordered the first 18 engines in 1905 and classified them as “J”. Further two batches followed in 1907 and 1908, all were non-superheated (though some were converted to superheat later). Out of the 13 engines delivered to the Eastern Bengal Railway in 1921, ten transferred to Burma in 1923 (all superheated).

Hughes lists 142 engines of class J and K as in service in 1940, the inventory of Insein workshop lists five engines as in use per 1942 (28, 30, 53?, 241, 314). Some engines even survived WW II, Hughes lists eight at stock per 1947 (241, 257, 312, 314, 317, 319, 323, 328), the inventory of Insein workshop lists three engines as in use per 1947 (241, 314 and 53? as unauthorized use for armoured trains).

 

 

 

 

 

Whereas the class J engines were designed for passenger and mixed traffic, another standard engine of the same type 4-6-0 was designed especially for goods trains. Goods traffic has always been more important for the Burma Railways and thus they purchased more than 100 engines which makes the class K the second largest class of Burma Railways per number of engines after class F. Between 1905 and 1914, eleven batches with an overall number of 75 engines were purchased (all non-superheated, some later converted to superheat), another four batches with 34 engines came to Burma between 1920 and 1925. The German manufacturer Rheinische Metallwaren delivered the last batch of seven engines (maybe part of a reparation scheme after WW I?). All locomotives delivered after WW I were superheated.

During WW I 13 engines were acquisitioned and brought to Mesopotamia where they remained. Hughes lists 142 engines of class J and K as in service in 1940. Quite a lot of class K engines survived WW II, Hughes lists 31 at stock per 1947 (247, 249, 251, 253-255, 267, 271, 274, 292, 347, 352, 354, 365, 369, 385-387, 394, 397, 400, 402, 406, 407, 409, 412, 414, 415,418, 419, 422); the inventory of Insein workshop lists 14 engines as in use per 1947 (255, 267, 274, 365, 385, 386, 387, 397, 402, 406, 412, 414, 418, 421).

 

 

 

 

In order to enhance sub-urban services with a rail-motor service, four little tank engines of type 0-4-0T were used with three trailer cars (one locomotive being a spare), later they went for shunting services. At least one engine survived WW II, the inventory of Insein workshop lists no. 331 as in service per 1946, Hughes mentions two engines on stock per 1947 (331, 333).

 

 

Alongside the B.E.S.A. standard types (class J and K), a tank engine of type 2-6-2T had been designed according to B.E.S.A. standards. The Burma Railways ordered nine batches with an overall number of 39 engines between 1909 and 1927. At least two engines survived WW II, Hughes lists 14 at stock per 1947 (59, 154, 157, 338, 341, 351, 355, 356, 358, 362, 364, 375, 377, 390), the inventory of Insein workshop lists two engines as in use per 1947 (156, 356). Two engines are preserved and put on display in Yangon and Toungoo (351, 364).

 

 

 

 

As traffic on the mountain line to Lashio had increased and a second mountain line with heavy gradients was built to Kalaw (later prolonged to Aungban, Heho and finally Shwenyaung), the Fairlie locomotives of class H were unable to cover the demands. Instead of ordering more Fairlie engines, the Burma Railways decided to purchase Mallet engines of type 0-6-6-0 classified as N. North British delivered the first four locos in 1911 followed by another three batches with 13 locomotives between 1913 and 1921. Beardmore delivered the last five engines in 1924.

The Mallets replaced the far weaker Fairlie engines before the Mallets themselves were outperformed by the Garratt engines (classes GA to GD). Both Hughes as well as the inventory in Insein workshop list all 22 engines as on stock per 1940/1942. Nearly all engines were lost in WW II. While Hughes does not list any engines as on stock per 1947, the inventory at Insein workshop lists no. 342 as in service per 1st of July 1946.

 

 

 

 

 

In 1916 the first eight engines of a non-superheated class K tank version (type 4-6-4T) were delivered to Burma and were classified as class A (the old class A engines of type 2-4-0T had already all been out of service at that point of time). Further batches with superheat followed WW I, the last one being produced by German manufacturer Hanomag (maybe part of a reparation scheme after WW I?).

According to Hughes, all 16 engines were on stock in 1940. At least three engines survived WW II, Hughes lists four at stock per 1947 (5, 143, 144, 153), the inventory of Insein workshop lists three engines as in service per 1946 (143, 144, 153). Number 144 is preserved and put on display at Yangon Railway Station.

 

 

 

 

 

Alongside the last batch of Mallets (class N), a Garratt engine of type 2-8-0+0-8-2 was delivered in 1924 for testing purposes on the mountain line to Lashio. The tests proved to be successful. The Garratt could haul 220 tons on the 1 in 25 gradients compared to 145 tons for the Ns type with an 18.5% improvement in fuel consumption. The official catalogue from Beyer Peacock indicates that the Garratts hauled a 40% greater load while burning only one sixth more total weight of coal. Thus a further four Garratts of the same type were delivered in 1927/28. Initially, the engines were classified as B, later the class was renamed to GA. A further eight engines were built under license by Krupp in 1929 (maybe part of a reparation scheme?!).

All thirteen engines were in service in 1940, after WW II none of the engines remained on stock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After WW I new Indian Railway standard designs were created which were more or less scaled-down versions of the broad gauge standard types. They received official Indian Railway classifications YA to YE (types YF and YK followed later). The Burma Railways started to order a first batch of seven YD class engines (type 2-8-2) in 1927. They were satisfied with the engines and ordered another three batches with an overall number of 54 engines in 1929/30 from SLM Winterthur (18), Vulcan (7) and Henschel (29).

The loss of engines in WW II was heavy, after the end of the war only 13 out of the 61 engines remained in service (301, 306, 433, 437, 439, 440, 443, 445, 446, 450, 457, 471, 476). Due to the lack of engines after WW II, the Burma Railways ordered another 20 engines in 1950 from Vulcan. Another five ordered engines were diverted to Nizam’s State Railway. Especially the engines delivered after WW II were a very long time in service; they were later changed to oil firing. Quite a lot of them made their way into the 21st century, the last YD engines went out of daily service in April 2008! YD 964 and YD 967 remained operational and can be chartered by railway enthusiasts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1929 the first five engines of an enlarged and modernized class M design of type 2-6-4T were delivered to Burma by Skoda and got classified as “E” (the old class E engines of type 0-4-2 had already all been out of service at that point of time). A further twelve engines were delivered a year later by Henschel.

Nearly all of the engines survived WW II, Hughes lists ten at stock per 1947 (67-69, 71, 75, 477-479, 481, 483), the inventory of Insein workshop lists seven engines as in use per 1946 (67, 68, 71, 75, 477-479).

 

 

Alongside Indian Railway standard class YD, the Burma Railways also ordered 13 engines of standard class YC from Skoda and Vulcan in 1932/33. They were the last new engines delivered before WW II.

The loss of engines in WW II was heavy, after the end of the war, only one engine remained in service (159). Due to the lack of engines after WW II, the Burma Railways received another 10 engines in 1948 from Vulcan. Those engines were a very long time in service; they were later changed to oil firing. Quite a lot of them made their way into the 21st century; the last YC engines went out of daily service in April 2008! YC 629 remained operational and can be chartered by railway enthusiasts.

 

 

 

 

Before Japanese troops started to conquer British territories in Asia, they had already attacked and occupied large parts of China. Chinese resistance troops had retreated to the mountainous areas in Southwest China where they were supported by Allied troops. In order to facilitate the support, it was proposed to extent the existing railway line from Mandalay to Lashio into Chinese territory as initially planned in the beginning of the 20th century. For construction work on the line extension, two used saddle tank engines of type 0-6-0ST were purchased in Singapore and were classified as SL. However, as Japanese troops started to attack British territories, the construction work came to a standstill before it had really started.

Both engines remained in Burma and Hughes listed them as on stock per 1947, however the inventory at Insein workshop does not list the engines as being in service per 1946. SL 3 was preserved and is put on display at Insein workshop.

 

 

During the occupation in WW II, the Japanese brought at least 35 (other sources say 58) locomotives of Japanese class C56 (type 2-6-0) to Burma. After being re-gauged from cape gauge to metre gauge, they were used on the Burmese railway network. All engines received official numbers (511-541, 635, 656, 676, 680), the identity is just known for some engines which were still on stock after the end of the war. According to Hughes, eleven engines were on stock in 1947 (518, 521-525, 531, 635, 656, 676, 680), the inventory at Insein workshop lists nine engines as in service per 1946 (516, 518, 521-525, 656, 680). C56 522 is but on display at Thanbyuzayat where the death railway to Thailand branched off from the southern line to Ye.

 

 

During WW II, the US Army Transportation Corps (USATC) brought MacArthur class engines to India in order to support the frontline against the Japanese. The engines were mainly used on the Bengal & Assam Railways. As the Allied troops started to reconquer Burma, the first locomotives were transported on tanks from Assam to Burma, later they were shipped. As damage to the available stock of engines in Burma was severe throughout the war, further MacArthur class locomotives were brought to Burma in order to re-instantiate railway traffic. Overall, 57 locomotives were brought into the country, were classified as class D and received numbers 1001 to 1057.

While Hughes lists all 57 engines as on stock in 1947, the inventory at Insein workshop lists 49 engines (1001-1005, 1009, 1011-1032, 1034-1045, 1048-1050, and 1052-1057) as in service per 1949. Two engines were preserved, D 1019 is on display at Meiktila Traffic School and D1032 (ex. D 1043) was stored in Pyuntaza loco shed.

 

 

 

In order to support the frontline between India and Burma against the Japanese troops, the British War Department had sent Garratt locomotives of type 2-8-0+0-8-2 to India; they were mainly used on the Bengal & Assam Railways. After the war, ten engines used on the Bengal & Assam Railways were transferred to Burma where they were classified as GB and got numbers 821 to 830. According to the inventory at Insein workshop, all engines except 828 were in service in 1946.

 

 

Alongside the Garratts of type 2-8-0+0-8-2, the Burma Railways also received twelve British War Department Garratts of type 2-8-2+2-8-2 from India after the end of the war. They were classified as GC and were numbered 831 to 842. According to the inventory at Insein workshop, nine engines were in service in 1946 (831-835, 837, 839, 840, and 842). The engines were used on the mountain lines to Lashio and Shwenyaung for a long time; GC 833 and GC 837 were preserved and were put on display at Thazi loco shed resp. Insein workshop.

 

 

 

The largest steam locomotives ever running in Burma were Garratts of type 4-8-2+2-8-4. All engines were British War Department locomotives, initially used on the Bengal & Assam Railways. In 1946, nine engines transferred to Burma where they were classified as GD and received numbers 851 to 854 and 865 to 869. Alongside the classes GB and GC, the Burma Railways now had 31 Garratts at stock, excessively much for the still heavily damaged network. Thus, four engines were sold to the Tanganyika Railways in 1948; the remaining five engines were sold to East Africa Railways in 1952.

 

 

The Burma Railways had ordered Indian Railway standard classes YC and YD before WW II. As most of the stock was destroyed during the war, another ten YC and another 20 YD were ordered at Vulcan in 1948/1950. In addition, the Burma Railways also ordered 50 engines of Indian Railway standard class YB (type 4-6-2) in 1947. Some engines were still used in the 21st century, 534 was preserved and is put on display at Naypitaw Railway Station.

 

 

 

 

As only very few tank engines survived WW II, Burma Railways ordered 28 tank engines of type 2-6-4T, which were delivered in two batches from 1947 to 1949. They were classified as ST and received numbers 751 to 778. Some engines were still used in the 21st century, six engines were preserved and are put on display at Yunnan Railway Museum in Kunming/PR China (754, wrongly numbered as 774), Beijing Railway Museum (759), Naypitaw Railway Headquarters (761), Meiktila Traffic School (765), Mla Hwa Gone loco shed (772) and Mokepalin loco shed (778).

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition to the tank engines of class ST, Burma Railways had also ordered nine larger tank engines of type 4-6-4T at Vulcan which should have been classified as PT. However all engines were diverted to India (Saurashtra State Railway, Bikaner State Railway).

 

 

Tank engines of type 0-6-0T from various sources were classified as S. Three engines are known to me. Two of them have been preserved and are put on display at Thazi and Mandalay loco shed.