The DHR A Class was a class of 2 ft (610 mm) gauge 0-4-0WT well tank steam locomotives used on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) in West Bengal, India.[1] It was the DHR's first standard design of locomotive.[2]

DHR A Class
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Builder
Total produced8
Specifications
Configuration:
 • Whyte0-4-0WT
 • UICB n2t
Gauge2 ft (610 mm)
Driver dia.26 in (0.660 m)
Loco weight12 long tons (12 t)
SuperheaterNone
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size10 in × 14 in (254 mm × 356 mm)
Career
Operators
ClassDHR A Class
Number in class8
Numbers9–16
LocaleWest Bengal, India
First run1881
Withdrawn1954 (1954)
DispositionAll scrapped, frames of one of these kept at Tindharia
[1]

Service history

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A total of eight A Class locomotives served on the DHR. The first two, nos. 9 and 10, were built by Sharp, Stewart & Co. in 1881. The next four, nos. 11 to 14, were built the following year by Hunslet, although Sharp Stewart supplied the wheel centre forgings, chimney bases, all iron and brass castings and finished injectors. The final two members of the class, nos. 15 and 16, were built by Sharp, Stewart in 1883.[3]

With the exception of numbers 9 and 10, all had been withdrawn from service by 1911.[4] Number 10 was withdrawn in 1944[4] while in 1948 no 9 passed into the ownership of the Indian government, along with 34 B Class engines.[5] It was withdrawn in 1954.[2][6]

Livery

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All members of the class were painted DHR green throughout their time in service.[2]

Preservation

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Only the frames of one A class were saved following withdrawal, these are kept at Tindharia.[4]

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Hughes 1994, pp. 34–37.
  2. ^ a b c Reed 1972.
  3. ^ Hughes 1994, p. 34.
  4. ^ a b c Vardhan, Harsh. "IRFCA". irfca.org. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  5. ^ Subba, Nayan (20 May 2011). "The last days of the 'Fairy Queen'". Darjeeling Times. Archived from the original on 3 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  6. ^ Hughes 1994, p. 36.

Bibliography

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  Media related to DHR A Class at Wikimedia Commons