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M9 872 approaches Colombo Maradana with a train from Kandy on the final full day of our Sri Lankan trip.
This really was a welcome sight as aside from a number of stored locomotives on Maradana depot we had seen absolutely no evidence of the M9 class for the previous 8 days of the trip, nor my previous visit in 2015 - so they do work sometimes!
10 of these Alstom locomotives were built in 2000 for Sri Lankan Railways at Belfort in France- unlike their more familiar cousins the EWS class 67, these locomotives are fitted with a Ruston power plan and certainly sound quite different as a result!
Since their introduction the class has been plagued by problems with maintenance and the cost and supply of spare parts leaving them as the least utilised fleet of locos in the country, often with only one or two machines in traffic.
My 2024 trip report from Sri Lanka is now online here.
Somewhere between Ella and Kandy - Sri Lanka. Shot out of the train.
If you like it, check our travelvideo from our Sri Lanka Trip: youtu.be/8b9u1Ej83HU
One of my favourite photos from the Sri Lanka trip which we were lucky enough to make before all the lock downs started.
We were already running late, and the loco, the tender tank had been looped to allow a couple of service trains to pass. With night falling fast, it was an eerie scene up in the mountains and clouds at Ambewela.
Here, the loco is entering a deep cutting, the sides graced with beautiful tree ferns lending a primordial feel to the scene.
Sri Lanka, February 2020. © David Hill
One of my favourite photos from the Sri Lanka trip which we were lucky enough to make before all the lock downs started.
We were already running late, and the loco, the tender tank had been looped to allow a couple of service trains to pass. It was an eerie scene up in the mountains and the clouds at Ambewela.
Quite a few of the group remained on the train - it wasn’t the Kodachrome conditions they were hoping for. Their loss.
Sri Lanka. February 2020. © David Hill
A rare sunny (though still not quite a blue sky) picture from this years trip to Sri Lanka.
M8 number 847, a product of Banaras Locomotive Works in India (effectively a WDM-2) is seen arriving into Galle with an express from Belliata to Maradana, Colombo (or was it the other way around?). The amount of smoke produced while simply arriving at the station giving a very strong clue as to why the loco was so filthy!
All through trains reverse here at Galle, involving a run-round of loco hauled trains, often also involving a trip on the turntable. This makes it an interesting place to spend some time watching the shunting and station operations, all controlled from the signalbox just on the left.
Just a short walk from the station is the beautiful Dutch Fort town where we were staying.
My 2024 trip report from Sri Lanka is now online here.
The sun sets over the Ocean in Negombo, close to the airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Finally got round to finish editing all the photos from my India/Bangladesh/Nepal/Sri Lanka trip from last year!
If you would like to use any of my photos please contact me and ask permission first.
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Sri Lanka trip with Bernd Seiler. I spent every day riding on the tender, getting quite a tan and breathing a lot of coal smoke. Big fun !!!
Heading into a tunnel on Bernd Seiler Sri Lanka trip 2020. More than a bit awkward getting into position while rocking down the track, but worth it.
Nearing the end of our Sri Lankan trip, we visited the Matale/Kandy area. The temples around the region were simply amazing. The Aluvihare Rock Temple is a cave temple of great beauty. Thanks to our friend Achira for showing them to us.
From Wikipedia: The Aluvihare Rock Temple (also called Matale Alu Viharaya) is a sacred Buddhist temple located in Aluvihare, Matale District of Sri Lanka.[2] Surrounded by hills, the Aluvihara cave temple is situated 30 km north of Kandy on the Matale-Dambulla road. The history of Aluvihare Rock Temple is traced back to the 3rd Century B.C to the reign of King Devanampiyatissa. It is believed that the King built the dagoba, planted the Bo sapling and founded the temple after the introduction of Buddhism to the country during his reign.
Aluvihare Rock Temple was the historic location where the Pāli Canon was first written down completely in text on ola (palm) leaves.[3] Many monastery caves, some of which exhibit frescoes are situated near this temple.
© 2016 Paul Chan - Canada. Photos are copyrighted. All rights reserved. Pictures can not be used without explicit permission by the creator.
Stilt Fishing is a unique yet a dying technique of fishing in Sri Lanka. The stilt fishermen sit on a cross bar called a petta, tied to a vertical pole and driven into the sand a few meters offshore. Photographing them was one of the highlights of my Sri Lanka trip. Out of a few, this was the second spot where I was lucky to find them fishing.
One of the many different fruits we enjoyed on our Sri Lanka trip.
The Rambutan tree was originally brought to Sri Lanka from Malayasia. This fruit is a bright red, maroon or golden skinned and covered with short, fleshy hairs. Inside there is a mouth watering, sweet, sometimes sour pulp, which covers the single seed inside.
© 2016 Paul Chan - Canada. Photos are copyrighted. All rights reserved. Pictures can not be used without explicit permission by the creator.
Serendib Scops Owl (Otus thilohoffmanni), Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka
This was the main target for our Sri Lanka trip. This endangered species of owl was only discovered in 2001 by Sri Lankan ornithologist Deepal Warakagoda.
Our tracker to find the owl came back to us after one hour and told us good news and bad news, good news he had found the owl but the bad news was that he didn't think it was possible for us to even see it as it was quite a hike through the rainforest and it was perched in a really dense dark place. We decided to try anyhow. To get this photo I had to lie on my back on the floor of the rainforest and find the narrowest gap between the leaves and branches to shoot with 700mm. I was picking leeches off for the next hour which ultimately resulted in me getting blood poisoning from an infected leech bite.
Not the greatest photo...but at least a photo of this elusive endangered owl.
It is 70 years to the day that the first five M2 class locomotives were handed over to Sri Lanka Railways (Then Ceylon Government Railway).
Built by General Motors of Canada to the EMD G12 design and initially imported as part of the 'Colombo Plan' aid package the first five locomotives, dating from 1954 were named after Canadian provinces;
569 'Ontario'
570 'Alberta'
571 'Saskatchewan'
572 'British Colombia'
573 'Quebec'
Eventually 14 of the class were imported to Sri Lanka and today they are still regarded highly there working front-line trains across the island.
Only one of the class has been withdrawn, that being 571 'Saskatchewan' which was quite literally blown up by Tamil terrorist action during the countries long civil war.
I have little doubt that these engines will live to see another decade of operation.
Here, in early December doyen of the class, 569 'Ontario' is pictured at Negombo working the 07:40 from Colmobo Fort to Puttalam, a regular booked M2 turn on the 'mixed' train (though running here without any wagons).
My 2024 trip report from Sri Lanka is now online here.
Another wet scene from Kandy, Sri Lanka, as Paxman Valenta powered class M5B 778, shunts to the loco stabling point having deposited its stock in the carriage sidings.
Fortunately proceedings are being watched from the dry comfort of the 63-lever-frame box which controls the station.
My 2024 trip report from Sri Lanka is now online here.
After arriving in the mountain town of Ella on Day 3 of our Sri Lankan Trip, we thought we would start with a beautiful easy walk up to Little Adam's Peak, Heather and her friend, Achira spotted this Chameleon on our way up to the peak.
© 2016 Paul Chan - Canada. Photos are copyrighted. All rights reserved. Pictures can not be used without explicit permission by the creator.
This was made in my Sri-Lankan trip last summer. You can't notice from the photo, but this lovely butterfly was big like my palm!
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After arriving in the mountain town of Ella on Day 3 of our Sri Lankan Trip, we thought we would start with a beautiful easy walk up to Little Adam's Peak. On our way up to the peak, there was an entry path up to The Spice Lodge; and this cow and its owner was coming down.
© 2016 Paul Chan - Canada. Photos are copyrighted. All rights reserved. Pictures can not be used without explicit permission by the creator.
Continuing my Sri Lankan trip I spent a 2nd morning watching the train movements at Galle station.
After Class M2D 628 had brought in its passenger train and had moved off into the shed (can just be seen) resident British built Hunslet Class Y shunter 682 started to move the fuel tanks around which are sited just to the side of the loco shed.
The end tank was apparently empty and had to be shunted from the rear to the front.
Having collected & deposited the two full tanks in front of the shed 682 retrieves the empty one to place on the front of the other two.
It was fascinating watching this manoeuvre made even more impressive as the shunter who had to keep changing the points walked around performing his task completely bare footed!!
That’s Sri Lankan railways for you.
There were 28 of these British built engines delivered between 1968 & 1973 and nearly all are still fully operational across the network.
Taken on 31st January 2024.
Copyright Ken Davies. All rights reserved.
A quick walk down memory lane... this is a quick clip of our sri lankan trip two years ago.
Safari Highlights
With any serious photography during the day curtained because of the rain, attention has turned to some night photography at Kandy railway station in Sri Lanka.
By nightfall there are few trains left to run, and the loco-hauled pickings are even fewer.
Fortunately M5c 755 has arrived with a local train from Nawalapitiya and has run-round ready to head to the carriage sidings for the night.
The M5 class were built by Hitachi and delivered in 1979. Problems with their original equipment saw much of the class withdrawn with some locomotives subsequently re-built. The M5c subclass is now powered by a Caterpillar prime mover.
My 2024 trip report from Sri Lanka is now online here.
Sri Lanka trip, day 4: a head detail view of the colourful reclining statue of Buddha in the rock temple of the Isurumuniya Monastery, Anuradhapura.
Sri Lanka trip, day 4: a second shot of this young girl out walking with her father in the Mahamewna Gardens, Anuradhapura. In this shot she gave me a full smile.
Sri Lanka trip, day 13: this lady walked past carrying a bundle on her head, and was happy to pose on the beach outside the Heritance Ahungalla.
This picture is taken in the absolutely gorgeous NP Horton Plains. Famous for its fog, the place is home to a nice variety of attractions. You can find some of world's most impressive cliffs (World's End & Mini World's End) and green covered hills like these in the shot. I would recommend the hike to World's End to everyone ever going to Sri Lanka. For me personally, this was the highlight of my Sri Lanka trip.
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