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Pakistan Railways' broad gauge system was quite steamy in January 1988. Three BESA (British Engineering Standards Association) types which originated in the early 1900s could still be seen at work, including SPS inside cylinder 4-4-0s, a type which had been common on many UK railways, but had virtually disappeared by the early 1960s. The type had finished in India too, but were still at work in Pakistan and Malakwal was the centre to see them in action. There was also the added attraction of SGS inside cylinder 0-6-0s, another BESA design, a typically British locomotive type, and BESA HGS 2-8-0s.
4-4-0 2998 is at Jaurah Casnana on train 433 from Sargodha to Lala Musa.
Classmate 2999 departs Malakwal with train 434 from Lala Musa to Sargodha. This had arrived from Lala Musa with another 4-4-0, 3005. Plenty of semaphore signals here to add to the scene.
Next morning 2999 returned on train 433 from Sargodha which it worked through to Lala Musa. Note the fine signal gantry in the background.
4-4-0 3078 trundles train 202 from Lala Musa across the Lower Jellum Canal Bridge on its way into Malakwal.
0-6-0 2410 arrives from Gharibwal with a mixed consist, two carriages and 12 tank wagons, while 4-4-0 3078 waits to come off shed for another working.
Very smart 4-4-0 3005 awaits its next duty at Malakwal shed.
Even smarter 0-6-0 2405 is well dressed, not even on a railtour, it was seen at Khewra on train 470 from Malakwal.
4-4-0 3172 steams out of Malakwal at 08.05 on train 455 to Lala Musa.
In two days at Malakwal, we saw eighteen 4-4-0s either working, spare or under repair - pretty good for 1988!
Two 4-4-0s and an 0-6-0 by the signal box at Malakwal.
2999 again, on train 457 from Khusab to Malakwal, at Pind Dadan Khan.
ALCO supplied main line diesel locos in the 1950s. They were rebuilt in the 1970s.
ALCO Co-Co 3820 is seen here. Our group caught the Bolan Mail from Kotri Junction to Quetta, an overnight journey, hauled by ALCO 3835, with 12 coaches including our two sleeping cars. I had half an hour or so ride in 3835's cab en route.
We were too late to find any class XA 4-6-2s at work at Kundian Junction. All five on shed had been withdrawn from service.
At Khanewal Junction was this HGS 2-8-0 2256, resting between shunts.
Multan was visited and was still quite steamy. The signal cabin dates from September 1906.
Somewhere to wait for your train out of the heat at Multan.
Well kept HGS 2-8-0 2258 stands outside the neat loco depot at Multan.
The loco crew on HGS 2284 at Multan.
The most modern broad gauge steam locos were CWD 2-8-2s built in Canada in 1945. This is 5188 on train M344 from Multan to D G Khan, a journey of 169 kms. Seen at Chenab West Bank station, near Sher Shah Junction.
CWDs were also active at Samasata, represented here by 5124 on the midday passenger to Bhawalpur Nagar.
Samasata had a reasonably sized depot, 26 steam locos were present, mostly CWD with a few HGS. About half of the CWDs were stored. There were also two metre gauge locos, 4-6-0 141 and 2-8-2 730, on wagons, heading for Lahore Workshops.
Samasata station shunter was HGS 2213.
Old stager SGS 0-6-0 2411 was still putting in a shift at Rawalpindi.
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