Diesel Locomotives of Sri Lanka
Jaffna Collection
Images by N SenthilKumaran
My good friend Kumaran who now resides in Singapore sent me the following images taken by him in his younger days in the Northern Peninsular. They were taken in 1983~1984, c. Colour film were new and costly in Sri Lanka in the 80's. Kumaran spent a small fortune to capture these images in colour. Even the film processing lab staff would ridicule Kumaran for wasting precious film on trains and other railway infrastructure! But Kumaran has the last laugh now, these few images are priceless with their maturity. It gives a rare glimpse of the last era the trains reached the northern tip of Sri Lanka.
I Hope the locomotives would be fortunate to do the same run again soon!
Thank you Kumaran for sharing your precious collection with the rest of the world.
Images added - 17th January 2011
| |
|
|
|
|
| Down Yal Devi with Class M4 on the point approaching Kondavil station one hot Jaffna afternoon in the early 1980s. Boxes woven out of palymyra palm leaves contain locally produced tobacco leaf bound for Colombo and the south- can be seen on the left. |
Kondavil station platform. Government food warehouse seen in the background. Like most railways stations on the northern line , rails where used in constructing the shelters over the platforms and guard rails as seen at left. | KKS shed with Class M2 and Class M4 locos. Taken in 1980 or thereabouts.M4 is to return to Colombo on the down express or mail trains. M2 is on roster for local services to Pallai, water train (to Jaffna) and KKS cement works shunting. | Driver and assistant in cab of Class M4 loco heading a down Yal Devi, await the clear signal from Kondavil Station Master.1984. | In cab shots Class M6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| In cab shots Class M6 – Driver K. Premadasa and assistant work the morning morning Yal Devi down to Colombo. | Driver K. Premadasa and assistant in cab of a Class M6 loco working a morning down Yal Devi to Colombo. Photo taken at Killinochchi station in 1983 or 1984. | View over drivers assistant’s shoulder in a Class M4 loco heading a down express train to Colombo. Taken somewhere in Jaffna peninsula in early 1984, just after the rainy season. |
Control stand of Class M4 loco heading a down express train from KKS to Colombo. Everything ready to go. Driver’s schedule and papers tucked between stand and windshield. Notebook/diary and food parcel on stand. Tablet hooked over the speedometer at left. Standard operating procedure in the spacious cabs of these MLW built locomotives. |