DHR B Class
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The DHR B Class is a class of 2 ft (610 mm) gauge 0-4-0ST saddle tank steam locomotives used on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) in West Bengal, India.
Service history
A total of 34 B Class locomotives have served on the DHR. Some are still on the working roster. One (DHR 778) was sold for private preservation, and four others were sold to Coal India, Assam. The remaining class members have been either plinthed in various locations in northern India or scrapped. Of the few in active service, the locomotives 788 'Tusker' and 'Victor' haul trains between Darjeeling to Ghum stations via Batasia loop, quite a few times a day. Another loco, DHR 780 is kept preserved with two narrow gauge coaches at Eco Park, Rajarhat, as an exhibit.
19B was re-imported to the UK c. 2000 and underwent restoration before spending two decades operating at the Beeches Light Railway.
Livery
Initially, all members of the class were liveried in DHR green. For a short period after World War II, they were repainted black. Later, they ran in an unlined red colour. They were given their current Caledonian blue with white lining after coming into ownership of the Northeast Frontier Railway in 1958.
Preserved examples
| DHR Nº | Manufacturer | Serial Nº | Built | IR Nº | Location | Current status | Image | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | Sharp, Stewart & Co. | 4978 | 1903 | 785 | Dehradun railway station | Display | ||
| 32 | North British Locomotive Co. | 20143 | 1913 | 787 | Siliguri Junction station | Display | ||
| 33 | North British Locomotive Co. | 20144 | 1913 | 788 | Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, India | Operational | ||
| 41 | Sharp, Stewart & Co. | 44914 | 1917 | 794 | Neral shed | Display | ||
| 42 | 795 |
See also
- Rail transport in India#History
- Indian Railways
- Locomotives of India
- Rail transport in India
Notes
Bibliography
- Gammell, C.J. (1985). Relics of the Raj. London: G.R.Q. ISBN 0946863016.
- Hughes, Hugh (1976). Steam in India. Truro, Cornwall: D. Bradford Barton Ltd. ISBN 0851532586.
- Hughes, Hugh (1994). Indian Locomotives: Part 3 – Narrow Gauge 1863–1940. Harrow, Middlesex: The Continental Railway Circle. ISBN 0-9521655-0-3. OCLC .
- Manning, Peter (2013). The Anatomy of the Darjeeling Garratt and the Engine it tried to Replace: the DHR Class "B" saddle tank. Coromandel Valley, South Australia: Peter Manning Design & Drafting. ISBN 9780980621228.
- Marshall, Lawrence G (2001). Indian Narrow Gauge Steam Remembered. East Harling, Norfolk: Plateway Press. ISBN 1871980488.
- Reed, Brian (1972). . Loco Profile 23. Windsor, UK: Profile Publications. OCLC .
External links
Media related to DHR B Class at Wikimedia Commons