4-6-4 Steam Locomotives in Indonesia

Class 1300/C28 (Locobase 4738)

Data from Indra Krishnamurti's [] . See also "New 'Baltic' Type Tank Locomotive, for the Java State Rys", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XXIX [29] (15 December 1923), p. 358-359; "Locomotif C28" in Wikipedia at [] (translated by Google); and Muhammad Pascal Fajrin, "Misi Penyelamatan Lokomotif C2801 dari Depo Karawang" posted 26 January 2026 at [], last accessed 15 August 2026.

German manufacturers delivered this large class of Hudson tanks, which seem to have been scaled-up versions of the C27 (Locobase 4737). Henschel ( works numbers were 18155-18184 in 1921), Hartmann (4426-4440 in 1921), and Esslingen (4022-4034 in 1922).

Indra Krishnamurti described a variant with a slightly different EHS (141.6 sq m/1,524 sq ft) and smaller grate (2.8 sq m/30.13 sq ft).

SS' assigned maximum speed rating for the class of 95 kph (60 mph) when running either smokebox first or bunker first. A C28 is credited with the fastest Indonesian speed recorded, reaching 110 kph (68 mph) in 1920.

Locobase can't improve on Wikipedia's summary of the express services these engines hauled, so to quote the entry; "During the Dutch colonial era, the term "VLUGGE VIER" (meaning "Fast Four") referred to a service on the Jakarta-Bandung route-covering a distance of 175 km [109 miles]-that operated four times daily with a travel time of 2 hours and 45 minutes at a speed of 70 km/h [43.5 mph]. These express trains made only one-minute stops at Karawang, Cikampek, and Purwakarta stations. Meanwhile, the term "VLUGGE VIJF" ("Fast Five") referred to an express service on the Surabaya-Malang route, covering 96 km [59.6 miles] with a frequency of five trips per day; the journey took 1 hour and 30 minutes at an average speed of 65 km/h [40.4 mph]. Additionally, the C28 locomotive hauled express train sets such as the *Eendaagsche Express* and the *Java Nacht [Night] Express*.

C2821 went on display at the Ambarawa Railway Museum. Muhammad Pascal Fajrin recounts the sad story of plans by the Indonesia Railway Preservation Society to restore the C2801. Not long after the IRPS announced its plans, the historical value of the C2801 couldn't prevent from being cut up in 2003 by scrappers dismantling Karawang Depot's other locomotives

Class C27 (Locobase 4737)

Data from "4-6-4 Tank Locomotive, Java State Railways", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XXV [25], whole no. 326 (15 October 1919), pp. 163-164. See also [], a site for the Ambarawa Railway Museum maintained by Rob Dickinson. See also "PNKA Wallahs Part 5 - part of a series of pages by Tony Ford describing the Perusahaan Negara Kereta Api ca 1970" on the international steam website at []; and Glen Allison, "Ambarawa Railway Museum, Java, Indonesia", part of the Steam Punk Train website at [], both last accessed 3 June 2020. . SLM (works number 2575-2588 in 1916), Werkspoor (439-448 in 1919, 469-478 in 1920), and Armstrong Whitworth (180-184 in 1922).

See Indra Krishnamurti at [] for building dates and numbers both of predecessor railways and the Indonesian State Railways. These Hudson tanks were ordered as early as 1916, but even though Switzerland was neutral in World War I, it had difficulty obtaining components and material and the first were delivered two years later.

Narrow gauge and tight curves dictated flexibility and a short adhesion wheelbase. The front bogie traversed 70 mm to each side while the rear bogie enjoyed 80 mm of play. LM described the valve motion as "well-proportioned and light in weight-an important matter, " the report continued, "with locomotives having relatively small wheels and consequently developing considerable reciprocating velocities in the motion at high speed."

The water tanks were set below the boiler between the frames which conferred "ample" water capacity "without unduly raising the centre of gravity or provoling excessive lateral overhang."

"These locomotives were used on routes from Jakarta Kota to Yogyakarta and from Kertosono to Blitar, Malang, Jember, and Banyuwangi." They could reach speeds of 80 kph (50 mph).

The class was described by Tony Ford in 1970 as "fine C27 4-6-4T, used for passenger and mixed work throughout Java. These Swiss designed superheated locomotives, built post First World War have survived the test of time well, with three quarters of the original 39 locomotives still in service [in 1970]."