Steam in Pakistan 2006

The following report from Thomas Kautzor is extracted/adapted from the Yahoo Pakistan Railways Group - pakistanrailways-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. 

On January 26th 2006, I visited Mughalpura Workshops in Lahore and found following steam locomotives:

BROAD GAUGE:

0-4-2 Scinde Punjab & Delhi Ry. No. 1872 EAGLE (R. Stephenson & Co. 1872/1871) – preserved at the entrance;
4-6-0 NWR L class No. 448 (Dübs & Co. 3979/1897) – preserved at entrance;
0-6-0 SGC 1225 – stored outside, without tender;
0-6-0 SGS 2473 – under restoration inside works, with tender freshly painted;
4-4-0 SP/S 3078 – stored outside, first pair of driving wheels missing, with tender from SGS 2510;
2-8-2 CWD 5098 – stored outside with tender;

METRE GAUGE:
2-8-2 YE 732 (Nippon Sharyo 1601/1952) – only frame & boiler on flat wagon; 
numerous tenders, including from 4-6-0 SP 127/M 65, SP 138;

NARROW GAUGE:
2-8-2 G/S 62 (NBL 22766/1921) – under restoration inside works, with tender;
2-8-2 G/S 63 (NBL 22767/1921) – frame and tender inside works;
2-6-2 ZB 201 (Bagnall 2339/1928) – stored outside on flat wagon;
2-8-2 ZE 234 (Hanomag 10739/1930) – stored outside on flat wagon;
1 frame & boiler – inside works.

A steam roller is also preserved at entrance, and various steam cranes were undergoing maintenance.

According to Mr. Farooq Aziz, Divisional Superintendent/Workshops, one of the locomotives inside the workshops was to be made operational (probably the B.G. SGS 2473) whilst another one was to be restored for display (most probably the N.G. G/S 62).

I did not have the time to look for the following locomotives, which had earlier been reported stored for preservation at the Electric Locomotive Stores Depot, Mughalpura, and was unable to find out anything about their situation from workshops staff:

4-6-2 XB 450 LORD WELLESLEY (Armstrong Withworth 1065/1930);
2-8-0 HG/S 2270 (Vulcan Foundry 3646/1923);
4-6-2 XA 2657 (Vulcan Foundry 4364/1929).

The following day I traveled first to Alipur Chatha, a station between Wazirabad Jn and Hafizabad, only to find out that Punjab Irrigation Department HG/S 2178 (Kitson 5066/1914) as well as the tracks linking that station with Quadirabad Barrage on the Chenab River had been removed for scrapping three years ago according to the station master. He even sent one of his aides to show me the place where the locomotive used to stand, and all that remains is the track-bed from a three-track siding.

From there I went to the Punjab Irrigation Dept. Sikhanwala Quarry workshops at Nishtar Abad station, the next station after Lalian towards Shahinabad Jn. / Sargodha Jn. There I found in storage the following items:
0-6-0 FS 556 (with plate Vulcan Foundry 3185/1916) – marked IRRIGATION DEPARTMENT SHAHPUR DIVISION;
0-6-0 SG 1179 (Vulcan Foundry) – marked IRRIGATION DEPARTMENT SHAHPUR DIVISION;
0-6-0 SGS 3991 (Vulcan Foundry 2031/1905) – marked IRRIGATION DEPARTMENT SHAHPUR DIVISION;
0-6-4T 56324 (with plate Baldwin 56324/June 1923);
0-6-0DH (Plymouth 6244/1961) – exported by Pressed Steel Car Co. Inc., marked SIKHANWALA QUARRY;
a Ruston & Hornsby steam road traction engine;
a 4-wheel tender;
6 4-wheel wooden brake vans;
6 4-wheel covered steel wagons;
16 4-wheel flat steel wagons.

The workshops are linked to the short branch between the station and the quarry, where more flat wagons were reportedly stored, but the tracks outside of the workshops are heavily overgrown. According to a former locomotive driver the railway has been out of use since 1993 and the rocks transported by road. One of the engines was last steamed in January of 1994 for a group of British enthusiasts. I was able to look at the site and take pictures while one of the two security guards on duty called the engineer in charge from his office at the quarry. When he came he told me I would need to get an authorization from the Irrigation Dept. at Sargodha, but I had already finished what I came for.

During the following week I took part in the GlobeSteam Pakistan tour 2006, where we used the PR active steam fleet based at Peshawar and Rawalpindi. These are: 

At Peshawar:
2-8-0 HG/S 2216 (Kitson 1916)/ 2277 (Vulcan 1923)/ 2306 (Vulcan 1923) – all three serviceable, used on the Khyber Safari Trains, which at the moment operate on a charter basis and can be booked through Sehrai Travel & Tours in Peshawar, tel. 091-5272084/5;

At Rawalpindi:
2-8-0 HG/S 2264 (Vulcan 1916)/ 2303 (Vulcan 1923) – both serviceable, used on the Sunday Gandhara Safari Trains to Golra Sharif;
2-8-2 CWD 5734 (Canadian Loco. Co. 2259/1945) – not serviceable, on display at Rawalpindi Cantt. Station;
2-8-2 CWD 5735 (Canadian Loco. Co. 2260/1945) – serviceable, but out of use at the Loco Shed due to a broken motion (a replacement part is expected from Mughalpura Workshops).

On Sunday 5th February 2006, after the departure of the group, I travelled on the Gandhara Steam Safari from Rawalpindi Cantt. (dep. 14:30) to Golra Sharif Jn. (15:00/16:15), were there is enough time to view the exhibits of the PR Heritage Point, before returning to Rawalpindi (arr. 17:00). The train consisted of HG/S 2303 and two coaches, full of families and school classes. This train runs every Sunday, but seats need to be booked in advance due to high demand. The one-way fare is Rs. 40 (U$ 0.67), a return ticket costs Rs. 50 (U$ 0.84).

During my stay I also saw the following PR narrow gauge (2'6") locomotives displayed at various stations:
2-8-2 G/S 64 (NBL 22768/1921) – preserved at the PR Heritage Point, Golra Sharif Jn.;
2-6-2 ZB 202 (Bagnall 2340/1928) – plinthed in front of Peshawar Cantt. station, together with a coach and a brake van;
2-6-2 ZB 203 (Hanomag 10759/1932) – plinthed in front of Rawalpindi Cantt. station, as well as a trolley, three coaches and a brake van across the station in front of the Divisional Superintendent's Office;
2-6-2 ZB 205 (Hanomag 10761/1932) – plinthed in front of Lahore Jn. station;
2-8-2 ZB 207 (Hanomag 10763/1932) – preserved at the PR Heritage Point, Golra Sharif Jn..

2-8-2 G 54 (Nasmyth Wilson 1021/1913), previously preserved at the PR Golf Course, Lahore, was not found. The golf course was privatized 2 years ago and is now the Royal Palm Golf & Country Club, and present whereabouts of the locomotive and accompanying coach is unknown to its employees.

I also visited two non-PR narrow gauge (2'0") industrial railways. 

One was the Changa Manga forestry railway, which is located 70 km south of Lahore. The railway belongs to the Punjab Forestry Department and contrary to earlier reports, it is still used mainly to transport wood cut in the adjoining forest. From the yard a 2 km. line heads east and a 4 km. line heads north. Both lines are joined at their middle by a connecting line. Across the road from the yard is a triangle with a passenger station, and there is another triangle with a station on the line heading north where there is an amusement park. At the time of our visit wood was being cut close to the yard, with temporary track laid from the east line. Two trains are used for transporting logs, one steam and the other diesel, both with 5 to 7 flat bogie wagons. These head out at 8 a.m. and operations end around 3 p.m.. Passenger operations take place on Saturday afternoons on a charter basis and Sundays for the general public, using the diesel locomotive. The adult fare is Rs. 20, the child fare Rs. 10 and price for a charter train is Rs. 400 (U$ 6.69). Charters can be arranged through the Assistant Manager, Mr. Muhammad Rafi at 049-4381023.

Motive power consists of 3 steam and 3 diesel locomotives:

0-4-0WT 1763 (Andrew Barclay 1763/1923, boiler PB 1219, supplied via Parry Engineering, Calcutta) – serviceable;
0-6-0WT 17208 (John Fowler 17208/1927, boiler PB 1868) – under repair
0-6-0WT 21496 (John Fowler 21496/1936, boiler PB 2378) – in use;
0-4-0DM (Brookville 3538/1950, ex. Dalmia Cement, Karachi) – stored in shed o.o.u.;
0-4-0DH NO 894 (Ageve DHL-60 M12 894/1981) – stored in shed o.o.u.;
0-4-0DH NO 895 (Ageve DHL-60 M12 895/1981) – in use;
a 4-wheel 5-seat railcar, converted from a auto rickshaw at Changa Manga.

All three steam locomotives run together with bogie tenders, built on the frames of log wagons. There is also a 0-4-0T plinthed at the amusement park (boiler PB 1125) together with a 4-wheel wagon truck, which is believed to be Hunslet 1077/1911, supplied via T.A. Martin, Calcutta. Lying around the yard are the frames of two 4-wheel diesel locomotives.

Rolling stock for the passenger trains comprises:
7 open coaches (8 wooden seats);
2 covered coaches (8 upholstered seats);
2 semi-closed coaches (7 upholstered seats);
3 closed coaches (longitudinal benches);
2 covered coaches (8 wooden seats);
2 closed aluminium coaches (8 upholstered seats);
1 closed wooden coach (6 upholstered seats).

All of the coaches are built on the basis of bogie logging wagons, of which there are 15 to 20 in use. There are also some 4-wheel trucks to transport the temporary tracks, as well as a 4-wheel flat wagon and a 4-wheel hand-trolley used by the track-laying crew.

The other industrial railway that I visited was at the Khewra Salt Mine Tourist Resort, in the Salt Range near Malakwal. The mine was opened in 1916/17 and belongs to the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC). The electric mining railway was in use until 1998, nowadays it is used to ferry visitors 3 km. inside the mine which was opened as a tourist resort in 2002. The trackbed of the former lines to the Khewra railway station can still be identified, but the only track left outside the mine goes across a large bridge to the shed.

The train consisted of a 4-wheel electric locomotive, 9 covered 4-wheel coaches and 2 closed 4-wheel coaches. Another electric locomotive was stored inside the shed, together with a closed green 4-wheel coach with upholstered seats. Outside of the shed there were 14 more covered coaches, one open coach, one closed coach and a 4-wheel water tank wagon.

The mine can easily be reached from the Lilla interchange on the Rawalpindi – Lahore Motorway, it is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., entry costs U$ 6.00 for tourists, Rs. 30 for Pakistani visitors and there is a tourist guesthouse within the complex.