Arakan Light Railway Beyer-Garratt Locomotives in Burma
Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media
Class 1 (Locobase 573)
Gavin Hamilton - [
] . See also Wikipedia's entry describing ALR at [], last accessed 15 August 2021; and A[rthur] E[dward] Durrant, Garratt Locomotives of the World (revised edition) (Newton Abbott, UK: David & Charles, 1981), pp 59-60. Works numbers were 5702-5703 in 1913.
Hamilton noted that this was the smallest Beyer Garratt. Originally organized in 1913 as the Buthiduang-Maungdaw Tramway to connect two towns in western Burma near East Bengal. Part of their preparation included this first Burmese Garratt.
Wikipedia said that the BMT was later acquired by Martin's Light Railways Company of Calcutta. That company registered the Arakan Light Railway Company in order to purchase and complete the line. They were aided by support from the Governments of India and Burma and the Arakan Flotilla Company.
Their ultimate owners' operation as a tramway explains the full shrouding over the valve gear.
The 18.5 mile (30 km) line opened on 15 February 1919, but, Wikipedia says, "receipts were disappointing and covered only half the expenses, resulting in liquidation and sale to the Indian Government for dismantling."
Scrapping the ALR ended in 1926 and Durrant speculated the two engines "lay derelict until they rusted to pieces."
| Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media | |
|---|---|
| Class | 1 |
| Locobase ID | 573 |
| Railroad | Arakan Light Railway |
| Country | Burma |
| Whyte | 0-6-0+0-6-0 |
| Number in Class | 2 |
| Road Numbers | 1-2 |
| Gauge | 2'6" |
| Number Built | 2 |
| Builder | Beyer, Peacock |
| Year | 1913 |
| Valve Gear | Walschaert |
| Locomotive Length and Weight | |
| Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) | 9.67 / 2.95 |
| Engine Wheelbase (ft / m) | 24.17 / 7.37 |
| Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase | 0.40 |
| Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m) | |
| Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg) | 8848 / 4013 |
| Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg) | 53,648 / 24,334 |
| Engine Weight (lbs / kg) | 53,648 / 24,334 |
| Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg) | |
| Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg) | 53,648 / 24,334 |
| Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML) | 550 / 2.08 |
| Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) | 1 / 1 |
| Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m) | 15 / 7.50 |
| Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort | |
| Driver Diameter (in / mm) | 24 / 610 |
| Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa) | 184.20 / 1270 |
| High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm) | 8.5" x 12" / 216x305 (4) |
| Tractive Effort (lbs / kg) | 11,312 / 5131.04 |
| Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) | 4.74 |
| Heating Ability | |
| Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm) | |
| Flues (number - dia) (in / mm) | |
| Flue/Tube length (ft / m) | |
| Firebox Area (sq ft / m2) | 50 / 4.65 |
| Grate Area (sq ft / m2) | 12 / 1.11 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 522 / 48.50 |
| Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2) | |
| Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 522 / 48.50 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume | 331.17 |
| Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information) | |
| Robert LeMassena's Power Computation | 2210 |
| Same as above plus superheater percentage | 2210 |
| Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area | 9210 |
| Power L1 | 3609 |
| Power MT | 889.85 |