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Even a dyed-in-the wool steam enthusiast like me cannot fail to appreciate
that Java's narrow gauge diesels almost all now qualify as 'heritage' since
they were delivered at least 25 years ago, indeed some of those around today
have notched up half a century of service. I have never totally 'cursed' the
mills' diesels as in many cases the field lines would have closed much
earlier if the service had had to be maintained by steam alone. And with
'real' narrow gauge railways around the world in full retreat, Java's estate
railways today offer an unparalleled concentration of traditional 'Decauville'
railways, complete with temporary track to connect remote cutting areas with
the permanent way. During my own early visits from 1975-9, money was short, colour slide film
was expensive and there was steam everywhere. Even on later visits into
the 1980s and beyond I rarely paid much attention to the diesels and I
was amazed when I discovered that over the years I had built up a reasonably
comprehensive coverage!
This article is in three parts:
I am very grateful to Ray Gardiner for providing me with a copy of his 'All
Indonesia Loco List' which has provided much of the information which
follows. Ray's researches continued until his untimely passing.
Pre World War II Internal Combustion Engines
It is not generally appreciated that large numbers of these were
delivered to the former Dutch East Indies, including the sugar mills. Almost
none survived to the time when the first steam enthusiast visited the sugar
mills in the early 1970s. The only time I both noted and photographed such a
machine was at Gempol on 3rd August 1988, I recall that the staff had great
trouble starting it and there was a loud explosion when they succeeded! This
6wPM locomotive was produced
by Oberursel in Germany before 1925, but sadly it is assumed scrapped
when the mill was dismantled some years ago.
A
similar smaller locomotive (4wPM) survives in a kindergarten playground at
Gempolkerep, it was photographed there by Joachim Lutz quite recently:
A
Deutz diesel from the same era is preserved at the Central Java Sugar Museum
in the grounds of Gondang Baru. This 2008 picture is courtesy
of Brian Rumary.
Orenstein and Koppel bought up the manufacturer Montania in 1912 and many
of their locomotives came to Java, it is likely that the two locomotives
below are theirs and arrived in Java at least 80 years ago (!), I believe
they were originally gasoline engines but were later fitted with diesel
engines. Rejosari
is well known for its jackshaft OK 0-8-0T, it also has a venerable diesel
version. But first here is another example
photographed at Gempolkerep on 6th June 1978, it was out of use then and has
long since been scrapped:
This picture of Rejosari 15 was taken on 12th August 2000, it
was still working in 2008 when I last visited the mill. It has been heavily
rebuilt over the years.
Since this 4wDM Henschel at Sudhono was delivered in 1941 it
is strictly from the 'pre-WW 2 era'. Ray Gardiner photographed it on 8th
August 1996.
Do
it yourself diesels
Unlike steam locos, home made is an option. This a
fairly conventional looking one at Rejoagung, photograph is courtesy of
Ray Gardiner. It used a cane wagon frame with Mitsubishi motor and transmission, chain drive to
axles:
Less conventional is this critter at Gondang, photograph is courtesy of
Brian Rumary in 2008:
Famous Belgians
Pangka
sugar mill has a Belgian built Couillet 0-6-0T steam locomotive and it also
has two 4wDH from Moes. This is 1975 built 14 on 20th August 1984, there
were several others delivered mainly to north coast mills.
Two
Kinds of Baldwins
Mojopanggung was well known for its two American 0-8-0T
steam locomotives, but it also had a 6wDM from E.M. Baldwin in Australia in
1974, the two kinds are seen here at the mill on 23rd August 1999:
The British Connection
With one
exception, not many diesels have come from Britain. That exception is Ruston,
who sold some 300 locomotives to Sporijzer after World War 2, but very few
went to the Javan sugar mills. One of these was 1951 built 4wDM Tasik Madu 1
which I photographed on 26th May 1979. These days it's still alive and well
but looking a little strange with a part steam outline for use on the mill's
tourist operation. (There is a picture of a cape gauge Ruston on my page
about the Forest Railway at Bojonegoro.)
There were a number of Baguleys sent to Indonesia, most went
to Sumatra. However, this 4wDH went to Kedawung in 1950 and was still at work
when photographed by Ray Gardiner in the late 1990s:
Krebet has three 1973 built 4wDM Motor Rail locomotives -
many more locomotives from this manufacturer also ended up in oil palm estates
in North Sumatra. This is 5 on 15th August 2003. It's a strange (at least to
me) creature with
hydraulic transmission and a final chain drive:
American Interlopers
In
my travels I have bumped into a couple of Brookville diesels. 1956 built
4wDM Cepiring 1 was photographed on 9th August 1986:
While further east, 1949 built Asembagus 6
was on a trip to the seaside on 14th September 2002:
Chinese Interloper
Thomas Kautzor spotted this new arrival at
Semboro in 2010, apparently it was there in 2008 but if anyone in my tour
group noticed it, they didn't tell me! (I was at the sugar mills near
Probolinggo that day). Quite why Semboro should want this, heaven knows,
its builder's details are yet to be confirmed. John Browning tells me that
he had been told by Ahmad Z Arif that it arrived in 2009 painted red and
worked a bit in 2010 before being set aside.
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