Locomotives of Sri Lanka Railways

Early steam powered train on the hill-country railway line

Sri Lanka's first railway locomotive was Leopold, in 1864. It was one of seven 4-4-0 locomotives built that year for the Ceylon Government Railway by Robert Stephenson & Company (nos. 1–5) and Beyer, Peacock & Company (nos. 6 and 7).[3] Many more steam locomotives were added to the system, through to the 1950s. All the steam locomotives bar three were manufactured in the United Kingdom; the exceptions were three 4-4-0s built at the railway's Maradana Works near Colombo in 1900 and 1905. In 1938, locomotives were reclassified, based on wheel arrangement and gauge. Sub-classification was based on weight, modifications, heating type, boiler capacity, or other features.[4]

Throughout its history, Ceylon Government Railway had 410 steam locomotives.[5]

The Railways upgraded its service to diesel locomotives, under the leadership of B. D. Rampala in the mid 1950s.[2] In 1953, the first locomotives from British builder Brush Bagnall were imported. Since then, the Railways have imported locomotives from Canada, Japan, West Germany, India, France, and China[6][7][8]

In the 1990s, Sri Lanka Railways converted the narrow gauge (2 ft 6 in (762 mm)) Kelani Valley line into 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge. This was the last narrow gauge line left in Sri Lanka, and its conversion to broad gauge put the fleet of narrow gauge locomotives out of use. All operational locomotives in the country today are broad gauge.

As of March 2022, Sri Lanka does not have commercially operational electric locomotives or train sets. Electrification has been proposed, to improve energy efficiency and sustainability.[9]

Class M6 No. 788 painted in the M6's unique ICE (Intercity Express) livery

Sri Lanka's locomotives have appeared in several different liveries over the years.

The steam locomotives were mainly black.

With the introduction of diesel locomotives, coloured liveries appeared. Typical for many locomotives is a livery that has thick horizontal bands of dark blue, light blue, silver and a yellow stripe. Also common for many locomotives is a livery of horizontal bands of green, brown, and a yellow stripe. Various other liveries also exist. M6 ICE locomotives have a unique ICE livery of brown and orange.

The DMUs are painted in various liveries, unique to their classes. Typically they feature horizontal bands of colour running their entire length and a solid colour on the front and back ends.

Number plate on class M6 No. 795

Steam locomotives were numbered from 1 upwards, reaching 161 in 1911. Whereafter replacement locomotives were given the same number as the locomotive that they replaced with an "R" prefix; until such time as the old locomotive, now running with an "O" prefix, was finally withdrawn.[10] This system was abandoned in 1928,[10] with new locomotives being numbered from 249 upwards,[11] and reaching 336 by 1940, and 362 in 1951 when the last steam locomotive — a 4-8-0 from WG Bagnall — was delivered.[12]

Narrow gauge locomotives were numbered in the same list as broad gauge locomotives. Diesel locomotives and multiple unit numbering started from 500 – an Armstrong Whitworth 122 hp 0-4-0 diesel-electric shunter delivered in 1934[12] – and reached 840 in 1991.[13] and included one locomotive experimentally converted to electric traction.[4][14]

Steam locomotives were used on regular services until the 1970s.[2][4]

Photo	Class	Numbers	Type	Quantity	Manufacturer	Year	Notes
	—	1–15, 24–25, 28–29, 39–40, 43–47	4-4-0	26	Robert Stephenson & Company (5) Beyer, Peacock & Company (7) Kitson & Company (14)	1864–1880	5-foot driving wheels
	—	20–23, 26–27	4-4-0	6	Beyer, Peacock & Company (4) Kitson & Company (2)	1868–1872	6-foot driving wheels; 16″×22″ cylinders
	—	63–71, 89–92	4-4-0	13	Dübs & Company	1892–1895	6-foot driving wheels; 17″×24″ cylinders
	—	16–19, 41–42	0-6-0	6	John Fowler & Co	1868–1878
	—	30–31	0-4-0ST	2	Robert Stephenson & Company	1868	Ex Breakwater branch; absorbed in 1874; a third loco was not taken into stock
	—	32–38, 48	4-4-0T	8	Robert Stephenson & Company (3) Kitson & Company (5)	1876–1880
	—	30–31, 1 (second)	4-4-0	3	CGR Maradana Works	1900–1905	5-foot driving wheels; 16″×24″ cylinders
	—	163	0-6-0CT	1	RW Hawthorn, Leslie & Company	1913	Crane tank
	A1	18–19, 41–42	4-8-0	4	Kitson & Company	1913–1921
	A2	155–156	4-8-0	2	Kitson & Company	1911	renumbered 16–17
	A3	275–278, 296–297, 334–336, 357–362	4-8-0	15	Hunslet Engine Company (6) WG Bagnall (9)	1928–1951
	B1	4, 30, 242–262, 279–290 294–295 347–342 351–356	4-6-0	49	Beyer, Peacock & Company (25) Armstrong Whitworth (12) Robert Stephenson & Company (12)	1927–47	“Governor” class – many named; no. 30 Sir Thomas Maitland, runs the Viceroy Special service.[4][15]
	B2	1, 3, 25–29, 39–40, 43–47 193–196, 204–213, 222–228	4-6-0	35	Kitson & Company (3) Robert Stephenson & Company (11) Vulcan Foundry (21)	1925–1925	No. 213 preserved and operational
	B3	8–11, 22, 169–171, 185–192	4-6-0	16	Kitson & Company	1913–1914
	B4	72–75, 147–147, 158–159	4-6-0	9	Neilson & Company (4) Kitson & Company (5)	1893–1912
	B5	76–80	4-6-0	5	Neilson & Company (3) Vulcan Foundry (2)	1894
	B6	49–62	4-6-0	14	Kitson & Company (10) Vulcan Foundry (4)	1882–1890
	B7	81–88	4-6-0	8	RW Hawthorn, Leslie & Company	1894
	B8	214–219, 232–240	4-6-0	18	Hunslet Engine Company (13) RW Hawthorn, Leslie & Company (2) Nasmyth, Wilson & Company (3)	1922–27
	B9	140–141	4-6-0	2	Hunslet Engine Company	1908	renumbered 134–135
	B10	109–119	4-6-0	11	Dübs & Company	1901
	C1	241, 343–350	2-6-2+2-6-2	9	Beyer, Peacock & Company	1927, 1945	1945 locos later converted to oil firing
	D1	270–274	2-6-4T	5	Robert Stephenson & Company	1928	“College” class, most named;
	D2
	D3	12–15, 20–21, 131–139, 150–151, 164–168	2-6-4T	22	Robert Stephenson & Company (20) RW Hawthorn, Leslie & Company (2)	1907–1914	131–139 renumbered 32–37, 131–133; 150–151 renumbered 38, 40; 12 rebuilt as class D1 and numbered 298 in 1930; D3 class saturated, reclassified D2 when superheated
	E1	23–24, 93–94, 101 162, 179–183, 197–200	0-6-0T	15	Dübs & Company (3) North British Locomotive Company (5) Hunslet Engine Company (7)	1898–1915	Most rebuilt as 0-6-2T; No. 93 built in 1898 is the oldest surviving steam locomotive in the country - now at National railway museum, Kadugannawa
	E1	265–269	0-6-2T	5	Robert Stephenson & Company	1928
	F2	2, 5–7, 144–157, 172–173	4-4-0	20	Vulcan Foundry (5) North British Locomotive Company (15)	1911–1913	144–151 delivered as 152–154, 157–161; F2 saturated, reclassified F2 when superheated. All scrapped
	F3	95–100, 124–129	4-4-0	12	Dübs & Company (6) Kitson & Company (2) North British Locomotive Company (4)	1900–1903
	H1	293	2-4-0+0-4-2	1	Beyer, Peacock & Company	1930	Narrow gauge Garratt
	J1	220–221, 263–264, 291–292	4-6-4T	6	Hunslet Engine Company	1924–1929	Narrow gauge
	J2	142–146, 160–161, 174–178, 184, 201–202	4-6-4T	15	Hunslet Engine Company (11) North British Locomotive Company (4)	1908–1919	Narrow gauge; 142–146 renumbered 136–140
	K1	102–108	4-4-0T	7	Hunslet Engine Company	1900–1901	Narrow gauge
	L1	120–123, 130, 203	0-4-2T	6	Sharp, Stewart & Company (4) Hunslet Engine Company (2)	1902–1904, 1920	Narrow gauge
	R1	301–313	Steam railcar	13	Sentinel	1925–1927	Some were later fitted with small under-floor diesel units and were reclassified T2
	R2	317–320	Steam railcar	4	Sentinel	1928	Some were later fitted with small under-floor diesel units and were reclassified T2
	R3	321–327	Steam railcar	7	Sentinel	1928	Some were later fitted with small under-floor diesel units and were reclassified T2
	R4	314–316	Steam railcar	3	Clayton	1928	Some were later fitted with small under-floor diesel units and were reclassified T2
	V1	328–330	Steam railcar	3	Sentinel	1927	Narrow gauge
	V2	331–333	Steam railcar	3	Sentinel	1928	Narrow gauge

▪ Another 2 WDG4D locomotives are to be arrived

▪ In February 2018, local newspapers and news websites reported that General Electric company, USA won the tender for 10 diesel electric locomotives for the use of upcountry railways.

• In September 2018, Sri Lankan Railway ordered 160 passenger coaches from India under $318M line of credit given by India. The deal also included 20 container carriers and 30 fuel tank wagons.

• Sri Lanka Railways
• Locomotives in India

• Hughes, Hugh (1990). Indian Locomotives: Part 1 – broad Gauge 1851–1940. Harrow, Middlesex: The Continental Railway Circle. pp. 93–99. ISBN 0-9503469-8-5.
• Hughes, Hugh (1994). Indian Locomotives: Part 3 – Narrow Gauge 1863–1940. Harrow, Middlesex: The Continental Railway Circle. p. 31. ISBN 0-9521655-0-3.
• Hughes, Hugh (1996). Indian Locomotives: Part 4 – 1941–1990. Harrow, Middlesex: The Continental Railway Circle. pp. 92–95. ISBN 0-9521655-1-1.

• Sri Lanka Railways Official Site
• List of steam locomotives