This is a rather informal listing of types of vehicles I've come across. Originally, 'Chopper' couplers were used throughout Burma and, where required, vacuum brakes. On more recent equipment, 'Automatic' couplers (similar to the British 'Buckeye') are fitted with single-pipe air brakes.
Tank, Bogie, Oil code TBOHV
Original size.
The standard tank wagon for oil is seen with 'Chopper' couplings. Vacuum Brakes are fitted.
Tank, Bogie, Petrol code TBPHV
Original size.
Three Tank wagons for petrol can be seen in the background of this picture.
Mineral, Bogie code MBHAH
Original size.
Bogie Mineral Wagon, 30 ton capacity fitted with automatic couplers and air brakes.
There's also a 4-wheel long-wheelbase version coded 'MHV' with 18-ton capacity (not illustrated).
Bogie Goods Van code GBHV
Original size.
Bogie Goods Vehicle. The examples shown are marked with capacities of 33 tons and 32 tons. Other examples, of a slightly different construction, are marked 36 ton capacity. They are fitted with two doors on each side. Each door is either sliding or, in some cases, made with two vertically hinged leaves with a third horizontally hinged section at the bottom. A similar-looking vehicle is coded 'PBHV'.
Bogie Goods Van code GBQV
Original size.
Early boxvan retained for storage.
Livestock Wagon code SMBV
Original size.
Open wagon with framework allowing load to be sheeted, where required. The wagon shown has automatic couplers and air brakes.
Bogie Flat Wagon code WBY
Original size.
Two examples of this type, with the loads sheeted over, can be seen in this picture. They are marked as 30 ton capacity and fitted with chopper couplings.
Brake Van code VBH
>
Original size.
Bogie long-wheelbase Freight Brake Van.
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
Freight Rolling Stock in Burma
Passenger Rolling Stock in Burma
This is a rather informal listing of types of passenger vehicle I've come across. Originally, 'Chopper' couplers and vacuum brakes were used throughout Burma. On more recent equipment, 'Automatic' couplers (similar to the British 'Buckeye') are fitted with single-pipe air brakes.
Ordinary Class Bogie Daycoach code BDT)
Ordinary Class Bogie Daycoach, cream and brown with a blue waistline. A modified version has been seen in blue and white with a red waistline.
Upper Class Bogie Daycoach code BDUEZ
Upper Class Bogie Daycoach, cream and brown with a blue waistline.
Ordinary Class Bogie Daycoach code BDTE(subscript LED)Z
Original size
Ordinary Class Bogie Daycoach fitted with chopper couplings. No brakes on this example. The 'LED' presumably indicates that the original roof lighting fittings have been replaced by panels of white light emitting diodes.
Restaurant Car code BREZ
The coach on the left is a Restaurant Car, painted blue and white with a red waistline.
Upper Class Bogie Sleeper code BNUE(subscript LED)Z
Original size
Upper Class Bogie Sleeper fitted with automatic couplings and improved corridor connections.
Ordinary Class Bogie Coach code SMBDT
Original size
Ordinary Class Bogie Coach fitted with chopper couplings and vacuum brakes. Grey and dark blue with a white waistline.
Ordinary Class Bogie Coach code LBTX(RC)(J)
Ordinary Class Bogie Coach painted blue and green.
Four-wheel Passenger Coach code LZBT
Four-wheel passenger coaches with chopper couplings and no continuous brake pictured at Bago. Livery: white and brown with a blue waistline.
Bogie Guard's/Luggage Van
Bogie Guard's/Luggage van. Chopper coupling, originally vacuum braked. Livery: cream and red.
Bogie Guard's/Luggage Van/Ordinary composite code BBDTE(subscript LED)Z
Bogie Guard's/Luggage/Ordinary composite. Chopper coupling, vacuum braked, improved corridor connections. Livery: cream and brown with a blue waistline.
Bogie Guard's/Goods Van code VBHV
Bogie Guard's/Goods van with two sliding freight doors, Guard's door and ducket on each side. Shunter's step on end. Chopper coupling, originally vacuum braked. Capacity marked as 31 tons. Versions exist with 3-leaf hinged freight doors. Included with passenger vehicles as often seen on passenger trains.
Bogie Coach code BISE
Appears to be a passenger design. Note end incorporates a tail lamp. Fitted with chopper couplings. Originally fitted with vacuum brakes, now removed. Livery: blue and brown with cream waistline.
[BBDTE(LED)Z added and minor changes 4-Apr-2013]
Diesel Railcars in Burma
This is a rather informal listing of types of railcar vehicles I've come across.
Lightweight Diesel Railcar (RBE)
Original size.
Railcar RBE.2546 arriving at Puzundaung Station, en route for Yangon. The railcar is provided with 'Automatic' couplers, presumably for attaching a trailer car.
Diesel Railcar, 5000-series (RBE)
Original size.
Puzundaung Station: On the right diesel railcar RBE 5011, believed to be of Japanese manufacture, arriving from Yangon. Elsewhere, a defunct unit similar to RBE2011 was seen, locomotive hauled, in use as a coach. A second unit, RBE 2522 (similar to RBE 2508 illustrated below) can be seen on the rear of RBE 5011.
Diesel Railcar, 2500-series (RBE)
Original size.
Diesel railcar RBE 2508 under repair at Katha.
Railcar Trailer Car (RBT)
Diesel railcar trailer car 827, paired with the repaired RBE 2508.
Railcar Trailer Car (RBT)
Original size.
Diesel railcar trailer car 802, forming part of a locomotive-hauled train.
Very-Lightweight Diesel Railcar
Original size.
Very-lightweight diesel railcar (chopper couplings, livery white with yellow roof and red line) leaving Myo Haung with three 4-wheel coaches LZBT.
Recent Developments
These DMU spotted adjacent to Yangon Central station in February 2013 may be part of the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) project in Myanmar. The JICA website referring to work in Myanmar says "a proposed multi-million dollar project will upgrade the maintenance and safety of railroad infrastructure, most of it dating from the pre-World War 11 British colonial era". The above picture shows what may be new or rebuilt Japanese units. The unit on the left carries a Myanmar Railways style running number 'RBE 2586' whilst the unit of a different on the right carries the number '301'.
Wednesday, 27 March 2013
By Rail to Maymyo
On Tuesday, 19th February 2013 I travelled from Mandalay to Maymyo (as the British called it - we should now say 'Pyin Oo Lwin') by train. A general description of the day is given in my post here. This article covers more technical aspects of the journey.
Whereas Mandalay is situated on the plain adjacent to the River Ayeyarwaddy, Maymyo is up in the mountains, at an elevation of 3506 feet above sea level. It required some ingenuity on the part of the builders of the railway to build a line suitable for normal locomotives. Beyond Sedaw, they used a zig-zag where trains shuffles backwards and forwards between four 'Reversing Stations' in order to gain height before completing the journey to Maymyo. The layout of the zig-zag section is shown below.
Plan of the Zig-Zag railway in the line to Maymyo.
The timings for my journey are given below.
| Station | Distance* | Arrive | Depart |
| Mandalay | 390 | - | 6.17 |
| Shan Zu | 389 | pass | 6.25 |
| Myo Haung | 383 | 6.30 | 6.37 |
| Thoe Gyan | 385 | 6.45 | 6.46 |
| Tonbo | 392 | 7.13 | 7.16 |
| Sedaw | 396 | 7.32 | 7.53 |
| Sa Tu Ta Lun Hto | 400 | 8.27 | 8.32 |
| Zybingi | 405 | 9.02 | 9.05 |
| Thondaung | 411 | 9.36 | 9.37 |
| Anisakan | 415 | 9.51 | 9.54 |
| Maymyo (Pyin Oo Lwin) | 422 | 10.17 | - |
* Distances are approximate in miles from Yangon, given by Wikipedia. They decrease between Mandalay and the junction at Myo Haung, then increase towards Maymyo.
As the table shows, the departure from Mandalay, scheduled for 04:00, did not occur until 06:17. I never found out why. The locomotive to haul our train (DF.2048, one of the Bo-Bo-Bo types with automatic couplings and air brakes which seem to be favoured in the mountains) was waiting at the south end of platform 4 when I arrived at 03:20 but the station pilot didn't arrive with our coaches until around six. Then, we had to wait while the porters loaded the waiting freight into the box car and guard's van at the rear. Admittedly, they did this very smartly.
Waiting for the train at Mandalay Central.
It was still too dark to see much as our train made its way to our first stop - Myo Haung. I'd visited this station by car the previous day so there's a separate set of pictures showing this station. This is quite a large junction station with extensive yards. I suspect it was the location of a locomotive depot in steam days - there were plenty of diesel locomotives littered around the sidings during my visits. Up until Myo Haung, we'd been on double track with colour light signals (actually searchlight signals at Myo Haung). Here, we turned left onto the single line which would take us to Maymyo so there were no more colour lights and train control reverted to the methods outlined in the post Manual Control of Points and Interlocking.
Leaving Myo Haung, entering Lashio line.
We passed some pretty impressive rubbish dumps - the Burmese don't seem to have yet fully grasped the concept of recycling. We should have passed the junction with Mandalay's Circle Line but I'm afraid I didn't spot it. I did see the turnouts leading to two short branch lines which I think serve quarries. Elsewhere, points have been controlled from single lever ground frames but, on the line to Maymyo, you can also see counterweighted 'lift-over' point levers, accompanied by the usual battered point indicator and often surrounded by whitewashed stones.
Passing Loop Points at Thoe Gyan. Counterweighted point lever and battered point indicator.
We paused at a couple of small but neat stations at Thoe Gyan and Tonbo before stopping at the more important station at Sedaw, nestling near the mountains we were about to climb. We stopped here about twenty minutes and passengers were able to de-train and examine the food offered by the numerous hawkers who had set up stalls on the platform. There was also plenty of freight to be offloaded here from the last two vehicles. In addition to a passing loop, there was an additional siding here. As we left, I saw two abandoned water cranes, conjuring up images from the steam era of locomotives 'topping off' their water tanks before the assault on the fierce gradients ahead.
The train made the usual slow start away from the station, then the locomotive was 'opened up' for the initial climb to the First Reversing Station. This only took about seven minutes.
Looking back, entering the First Reversing Station. The line to Second Reversing Station climbs away to the right.
When we stopped, the pointsman changed the points so that the locomotive could propel the train to the next reversing station. The guard moved to the footstep on the end of his Guard's Van, which was now the front of the train, so that he could keep a lookout ahead. Although the guard could not be seen, the driver could watch the waving green flag peeking around the Guard's Van.
Being propelled from the First Reversing Station to the Second, with the Guard's Van now leading. The Guard is on the footstep at the end of the vehicle, brandishing a green flag.
Approaching the Second Reversing Station. The Guard is still displaying a green flag.
Looking towards locomotive as the train is propelled into the Second Reversing Station. The line climbing to the Third Reversing Station is on the left. The single lever frame is for a Home Signal. A Home Signal is visible behind the locomotive.
It only took a few minutes to reach the second reversing station and the guard regained his usual position in the Van whilst the pointsman changed and secured the points. Then we were away again, with the locomotive leading. The track clings to the edge of the mountain and, looking down, it was clear how far above the plains we'd already climbed.
The Zig-Zag has already lifted us far above the line we started on.
As you can see from the plan above, the leg from the second to third reversing station is the longest and it took around twenty minutes to cover the distance, the diesel working fairly hard on the front. At first, the jagged rock wall was on our left, with stunning views across the mountains to the right. We passed through two short tunnels and then curled to the right, with the views now appearing on our left. We then passed the third tunnel with the Fourth Reversing Station directly above us! A fairly primitive white-painted elevated ground frame appeared on our right as we entered the Third Reversing Station. Very soon, we stated to move with the Guard's Van leading again as the locomotive propelled its train onto the right hand line to the Fourth Reversing Station. Both arms of the 2-doll bracket signal (an upper quadrant using the strange 'lower quadrant' arms common in Burma) remained 'on' - I assume the pointsman was giving us a green flag on the other side of the train.
Leaving the Third Reversing Station with the Guard's Van leading.
It was only a short distance to the Fourth Reversing Station which is a public station called Sa Tu Ta Lun Hto). Here, a scissors crossover allows ascending and descending trains to pass one another.
Looking back as we pass over the scissors crossover and enter the Fourth Reversing Station with the line continuing to Maymyo on the left.
Although I'd imagined we were in a remote spot, there seemed quite a few passengers waiting to board and we stood for five minutes whilst they sorted themselves out.
The modest station building at Sa Tu Ta Lun Hto.
With our locomotive once again leading, we set off, passing another abandoned water crane. We continued to climb, passing through a couple more tunnels before emerging on a high plateau but still climbing. Another half hour saw us arriving at Zybingi (1884 feet above sea level) and, I admit, after the early start and the excitement of the Zig-Zag, I wasn't paying too much attention. A further half hour took us to Thondaung. There was a rather odd windlass here, which I assume probably operated a home signal but soon we were off again.
Thondaung: An unusual windlass.
Another fifteen minutes took us to the last stop before Maymyo - Anisaken.
Anisaken station building.
Another half hour, and we were running into Maymyo, where my guide and driver were patiently waiting for my delayed train. After Maymyo, the train would then continue to Lashio but, on this occasion at least, without me.
A fascinating, if exhausting, trip.
DF.2048 on arrival at Maymyo.
References
List of railway stations in Myanmar.
My pictures
Railways in Myanmar (Mandalay on earlier visit).
More Railways in Burma (Maymyo on earlier visit).
By Train to Maymyo.
Myo Haung.
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
Railway Signalling in Burma - Part 6: Signal Boxes with Electrical Interlocking
The British built the extensive metre gauge railway network in Burma.
Around Yangon and on main lines there's double track which is being extended but much of the network is single track with passing loops.
Whilst the majority of the railway has fairly simple arrangements for the control of trains (see Railway Signalling in Burma: Part 3 - Control of Trains there are a number of areas with colour light signals and power operation of points.
Yangon Central
On my first trip to Burma in 2008, I travelled on the Circle Line in Yangon (see my post The Circle Line, Yangon) and that got me hooked on railways in Burma. Yangon Central was clearly controlled from a Power Box and the signalling was in a familiar, British style. All the signal numbers were prefixed 'R', which I was confident stood for the old city name 'Rangoon'. Although I suspected it was a Westinghouse Brake and Signal installation, it was some years before I got confirmation. Yangon Central had been severely damaged by bombing in the Second World War and I discovered that in January 1946, an order was placed with Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company for a Style 'L' miniature lever frame for Yangon Central (see my post here). I'm ashamed to say, I failed to find the Power Box itself until my visit in February 2013. The building is integrated with the post-WWII station buildings immediately over the north end of the main footbridge. Once spotted, its function is clear.
Having found the Power Box, the next question was does the 1946 frame survive? Confined to public areas, this was hard to determine but a series of pictures using the power of the zoom on the Fujifilm F770EXR convinced me that the Style 'L' frame is alive and well.
Insein
Insein is a fairly complex station area fully signalled by colour light or position light signals and with power-operated points. I noted that some signal numbers were prefixed 'R', which I initially assumed meant a satellite interlocking controlled from Yangon's power box. I abandoned that idea when I realised that signals reading away from Yangon were coded 'R' but signals reading towards Yangon were coded 'L'. So my candidate for the Insein Power Box is now the 3-storey building on platform 1 shown below.
My post Yangon Area Railways describes the Westinghouse Style 'L' miniature lever frame intended for 'Kemmendine' but not used there. Is it possible the frame was adapted for Insein? Yes, it is (there's precedent - the frame ordered for Preston was stored until after WWII and then modified for use at Euston). But, at present, I have no evidence. Can anyone help? The outside equipment at Insein doesn't look very British. Remembering that Myanmar has been largely closed to the West since the military takeover until the recent liberalisation, I believe Chinese involvement is possible - certainly some of the diesel-electric locomotives in use are from China.
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second largest city in Myanmar and it has a large railway station. The present station is quite modern and the whole station area has colour light signals and power operation of points. I'm pretty confident that the 3-storey building at the north end of the station (shown below) is the power box, but I don't know the extent of its control area or, indeed, the type of control panel. Bearing in mind the isolation of Myanmar described above, I believe Chinese supply of the signalling equipment is possible.
Signal Box at the north end of Mandalay Central station.
The next signal box I've identified going south from Mandalay is at Myo Haung, a few miles south. Myo Haung has a reasonably modern 2-storey concrete signal box with a low-slung gabled roof. The area is controlled by searchlight signals with position light subsidiary and ground signals. There is no route indication so I suspect a non-British influence. As at Mandalay, I believe Chinese supply of the signalling equipment is possible. Main line points appear to be power-operated but, to confuse the issue, there's also some point rodding which, if still in use, may mean that Myo Haung retains mechanical interlocking. I'm afraid more information is needed.
Photographs
The Circle Line, Yangon (2013).
Myo Haung.
By Train to Maymyo
The above sets of pictures form part of the Collection Railways in Burma.
Monday, 25 March 2013
Railway Signalling in Burma - Part 4: Manual Control of Points and Interlocking
In the previous article on railway signalling in Burma Part 3 - Control of Trains, I reviewed my understanding of the origins of the systems in use. But I started to work out the methods in use much earlier, from observations I made from the cab of a diesel locomotive described in the post Cab Ride from Katha (and the associated posts and links to pictures).
Single Line Passing Loops
At passing loops, the only signals are normally a splitting home signal at each end of the station, situated at the toe of the points, allowing movements onto either Main or Loop line. The signal arms may be arranged as upper-quadrant or lower quadrant but both types are operated by push rods from the ground, interlocked with the loop points. Normally, a single lever ground frame operates the signal with the appropriate arm 'selected' by an interlock with the points. There are also various 'EIC' lock boxes in between the rails at points and mounted near the base of the signals.
Apparently, some areas have elevated, multi-lever ground frames by MacKenzie and Holland but stations and junctions I've seen to date use a single-lever ground frame adjacent to the points, provided with a (usually rather derelict) point indicator.
'Trapped Key' Interlocking
The 1930s article refers to 'Simplex' interlocking which I haven't traced but I assume refers to the 'EIC' equipment. I haven't identified 'EIC' either so if anyone has any information it would be appreciated. By studying my photographs, I'd largely decided how the interlocking was intended to work but then I found a Paper by R. C. Rose titled 'A Survey of Indian Signalling' in the 1924 Proceedings of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (available online here) which seemed to confirm the philosophy. 'Trapped Key' Interlocking is still widespread in industrial safety as Castell Interlocks (introduced by James Harry Castell in 1922 adapting ideas first used on the railways).
Consider the simplest form of the railway passing loop. A single line splits into two through the station and then the two lines re-converge into the ongoing single line. There are just two sets of points. To reduce cost, both sets of points are operated local to the switch by hand. In Burma, a Single Lever Ground Frame is provided adjacent to the toe of the points and a Point Indicator may be fitted.
The Station Master has two Pointsmen who can be despatched to the handpoints to set them as required. But if the pointsmen make errors, trains can arrive on the wrong track, departing trains can 'trail' incorrectly set points or points can be changed as a train is passing over them.
So, various forms of key-locking apparatus were produced with the aim of giving the Station Master confidence that his instructions had been correctly carried out. The EIC Locking Box is one method of establishing this confidence, using the 'Trapped Key' method.
What I've called the 'Lock Slides', manually moved in and out using the loop handles, serve the function of locking the points normal or reverse. In normal British Practice, there is one 'Lock' which can pass through either of two notches in the Point Stretcher. But in the EIC Locking Box, there is one notch, allowing one 'Lock Slide' to pass through the notch when the points are set to 'Main' and the other 'Lock Slide' to pass through the notch when the points are set to 'Loop'. As a further refinement, on some designs, each switch rail has its own notched detector blade so that both switch rails are separately detected.
If the 'Main' 'Lock Slide' can be pushed in, the 'Main' Key in the side of the Lock Box can be extracted. Once the Key is removed, the 'Lock Slide' cannot be pulled out and the points are held in the 'Main' position until the 'Main' Key is re-inserted. In a similar way, the 'Loop' Key can only be removed if the points are proved in the 'Loop' position.
Ignoring the complication of signals, if two Pointsmen each present 'Main' Keys to the Station Master, he may be confident that the points are set for the 'Main' at both ends of the loop.
In India, a further development allowed splitting home signals to be worked from a ground frame on the platform. In Burma I've not (yet) seen such an arrangement but at many passing loops splitting home signals are provided but worked locally.
My Pictures
Burma: Control of Points and Interlocking.
The above set of pictures is part of a Collection Railways in Burma.
Railway Signalling in Burma - Part 5: Signal Boxes with Interlocking Frames
The British built the extensive metre gauge railway network in Burma.
Around Yangon and on main lines there's double track which is being extended but much of the network is single track with passing loops.
Whilst the majority of the railway has fairly simple arrangements for the control of trains (see Railway Signalling in Burma: Part 3 - Control of Trains there are some signal boxes with conventional interlocked mechanical lever frames. I've seen two at Bago and two at Kyee Myin Daing on the Circle Line in Yangon.
Bago
Bago is on the double-track main line from Yangon to Mandalay and has two mechanical signal boxes - Bago South at the Yangon end of the station and Bago North, controlling the junction with the single line to Mawlamyine at the other end. The area has mechanical operation of points and semaphore signals.
I've only seen these boxes from a passing train or, in the case of Bago South, from a roadbridge but more details of both can be found on the International Steam Pages site here ("The Old Order Changeth" by Rob and Yuehong Dickinson) and here (Melvin Haigh's photographs on Rob Daniel's interesting 'Flickr' site).
Kyee Myin Daing
Kyee Myin Daing (called 'Kemmendine' by the British) is an important station on the Circle Line to the West of Yangon Central and retains two mechanical signal boxes. This is rather odd because in January 1946, an order was placed with Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company for a Style 'L' miniature lever frame for Kemmendine (see my post here). I've not been able to find out what happened to this frame although a hunch is that it might have been deployed instead a few stations up the line at Insein. The area has mechanical operation of points and retains some semaphore signals but the main line signals have been converted to colour light signals (the rest of the Circle Line has colour light signals), necessitating electrical detection of facing points in the main line. Whilst the rest of the Circle Line is track circuited, the facing points at Kyee Myin Daing retain locking bars on the facing points and track circuits do not seem to be provided in the area. The box at the north end has a gabled roof and spartan appearance, as shown in the picture below.
Mechanical signal box, north end of Kyee Myin Daing. The building next to the track in the foreground is probably a relay/equipment room since the main running lines have colour light signals.
The box at the south end is adjacent to the clockwise Circle Line and has a hipped roof. I don't yet have a picture.
Mechanical Operation of Points
Points are operated mechanically using steel tubes (as some British practice), as shown below.
Point rodding, showing tube couplers and vertical roller frames at Kyee Myin Daing.
Mechanically operated facing points at Kyee Myin Daing, with separate facing point bolt and locking bar (on left rail). The grey box on the left is electric point detection to control the 2-aspect colour light signal with two line-of-lights route indicators in the background.
Photographs
Bago Station.
By Train to Maymyo.
The Circle Line, Yangon (2013).
The above sets of pictures form part of the Collection Railways in Burma.
