Javan June

About 1970 enthusiasts became interested in going to Java, it was rarely visited before that. Observations made that year were published in 'PNKA Power Parade' by A E 'Dusty' Durrant and revealed a fascinating variety of steam locos at work, including 0-4-0 tram engines running roadside and through city streets, spindly 2-4-0s built by Sharp, Stewart in the 1880s, rack locos, 2-12-2 tanks, 2-6-6-0 and 2-8-8-0 Mallet tender locos, modern 2-8-2s and much more. Durrant reported there were 650 PNKA steam locos in existence at the end of 1970. That was just on the Javan and Sumatran main lines - there were also many sugar factories with plenty of steam including Mallets.

I had a short work assignment in Jakarta during June 1977 and managed to extend it to see some steam activity on the island. From my hotel room balcony, I could see the railway and used to watch a passenger train hauled by a modern class D52 2-8-2 passing at breakfast time en route to Jakarta Kota station.

The first live steam loco I saw,on 3 June, was 4-6-4T C2710 which departed Jakarta Tanahabang station at 16.25 for Rangkasbitung, after a tropical downpour, hauling one carriage and two vans full of passengers. It was doing the same duty on 11 June. The only other steam I saw at this station was preserved 60cm gauge 0-8-0T TD1002.

At another Jakarta station, Jatinegara, is a different class of 4-6-4T, C2826, on 11 June. Several D52 2-8-2s were also active.

There were steam tram locos, in the Dutch tradition, a pretty rare breed by this time. The one shown is an 0-4-0 B1903 acting as a pumping engine at Tulungagung on 19 June, a duty on which Durrant also photographed it in October 1971.

The loco was built for this line in east Java, which ran through Tulungagung from Kediri to Blitar.

Another gem, Sharp Stewart built 2-4-0 B5002 in steam at Madiun in east Java on 19 June.

There were also 4-4-0s at Madiun, such as B5308, below, which departed at 10.10 on a mixed train.

At Cepu in central Java on shunting duties was 2-6-0T C1206, 20 June. A noteworthy point about this loco is that it is a compound. Sister engine C1201 was also in use here.

Below at Cepu was neat 4-6-0 C51 06, one of ten of the class built by Beyer, Peacock, Manchester in 1913.

Then there were Mallets, working from Cibatu in west Java. Below is 2-6-6-0 Compound CC5001 on 4 June.

The trains I saw with Mallets were somewhat featherweight, but nonetheless a sight to behold in 1977. The even bigger 2-8-8-0 Mallets had, I think, ceased working.

Surabaya had been the place to see steam trams wending their way through crowded city streets, so I went there early one morning more in hope than expectation. Making enquiries, I was informed they weren't running, I was out of luck. All I found were these two that obviously wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon - especially as there were families living under the locos. The front one B1240 was an 0-4-0 tram, built by Werkspoor in 1903.

I had time on 19 June to look in unofficially at a sugar mill or two in the vicinity of Madiun. At PG Pagottan was 0-8-0T No.5, above,shunting full cane cars. The gauge is 700mm and the loco is a Henschel of 1920. Also at Pagottan was a Luttermoller 0-10-0T No.6,below, built by Orenstein & Koppel in 1923. A report from July 2013 has No.6 still working here, along with two other steam, all converted to fireless locos. The livery was somewhat garish: orange, with black,white and light green stripes! (The Luttermoller design has flexible geared drive on the leading and trailing wheels.)

A quiet period at Rejo Agung, also near Madiun. Four locos were in steam, this one is 10 'Merapi' a Hanomag 0-8-0T of 1924 in an attractive blue livery. It is a woodburner, at least one of the others was an oil burner.

I called in at Ngadirejo mill, near Kediri, which featured yellow liveried Mallet tanks. Pictured during a lull in proceedings are two of the fleet, 189 and 226, the latter receiving some attention.I have a note that I took a shed picture showing eleven Mallets, will have to try and find it.

Mallet 200 sits at the shed, partly obscuring 207.

Mallet 201 had been engaged in some gentle shunting movements. As my visit was in the middle of the day, there was little activity out on the canefield lines.

In the early 1970s I discovered that a Stock Exchange quoted British firm had owned a sugar mill or two in Java, so I wrote to their head office in London. While they had no records of locomotives, they did point me to one of their retired managers who happened to live in my home town. I contacted the gentlemen who was very helpful about his time managing a mill in Java - from memory I think it was near Cheribon - which had six or seven steam locos, and he mentioned visiting Orenstein & Koppel's locomotive works in Germany in 1938 to investigate possible new locos - but the War put a stop to that!