Around Mirpur Khas, Pakistan, 19/12/1993
Photographs in and around Mirpur Khas, east of Karachi, with trains on some of the small amount of metre gauge track in Pakistan. This was a remnant of the Jodhpur - Bikaner Railway and forms a loop through the villages to the south-east out of Mirpur Khas, but is now abandoned.
The oil fired locomotives were all filthy and some of the older ones looked incredibly decrepit.
The tour group lived and travelled in two broad gauge carriages, a sleeper and a diner, for much of the time in Pakistan. These two carriages were stabled in a platform at Mirpur Khas, which was very convenient for early morning photography of the trains.
1-of-14) Just after sunrise at Mirpur Khas station with activity on the metre gauge tracks, Pakistan, 19/12/93. The oil-burning locomotives are class YD 2-8-2 520, on the left, and class MS 4-6-0 63, on the right.
In the foreground is the buffer stop of the broad gauge line from Hyderabad, which linked Mirpur Khas to the rest of the Pakistan Railways system.
2-of-14) Oil-burning IRS (Indian Railway Standard) class YD 2-8-2 520 (built Ajmer, 1932) stands in the early morning glow at Mirpur Khas station, Pakistan, ready to take out a train on the metre gauge loop to the south.
3-of-14) Decrepit looking oil-burning BESA (British Engineering Standards Association), metre gauge, class MS 4-6-0 63 (built by North British, 1913) stands nearby in the early morning glow at Mirpur Khas station.
4-of-14) Oil-fired, meter gauge, class YD 2-8-2 729 (built by Nippon, 1952/3) backs down from the Mirpur Khas locomotive shed past locals wrapped up against the early morning chill, to pick up its train at the station, 19/12/93.
Oil from passing locomotives covers the sleepers of the nearside track.
5-of-14) Early morning at Mirpur Khas locomotive shed on the metre gauge system.
The liquid on the ground is not water but is the heavy oil used to fire the locomotives, and was very slippery. Another tour member warned against slipping over on it since, from previous experience, any clothes covered in the oil would need to be thrown away.
Under repair on the left is class YD 2-8-2 732 (built by Nippon, 1952/3).
6-of-14) Metre gauge, oil fired BESA (British Engineering Standards Association) class SP 4-6-0 140 (built by Kerr Stuart, 1921) under repair early on a cold morning at Mirpur Khas locomotive shed.
7-of-14) Metre gauge, oil fired, BESA (British Engineering Standards Association) class MS 4-6-0 63 (built by North British, 1913) pauses during shunting around Mirpur Khas station, Pakistan, 19/12/1993.
8-of-14) Metre gauge, oil fired, BESA (British Engineering Standards Association) class MS 4-6-0 63 (built by North British, 1913), is enshrouded in leaking steam as it shunts around Mirpur Khas station.
10-of-14) Oil fired, meter gauge, class YD 2-8-2 729 (built by Nippon, 1952/3) arrives at Kot Ghulam Muhammad with the train from Mirpur Khas, 19/12/93.
9-of-14) Oil fired, meter gauge, class YD 2-8-2 729 (built by Nippon, 1952/3) departs from Mirpur Khas station with a train taking the clockwise route round the metre gauge loop through the villages south of Mirpur Khas.
11-of-14) Oil fired, meter gauge, class YD 2-8-2 729 (built by Nippon, 1952/3) with the clockwise train from Mirpur Khas waits at the station stop at Jhudo for the anti-clockwise train to pass.
12-of-14) Oil fired, meter gauge, class BESA (British Engineering Standards Association) SP 4-6-0 138 (built by Kerr Stuart, 1921) arrives at Jhudo with a train from Mirpur Khas which is taking the anti-clockwise route round the loop.
13-of-14) Oil fired, meter gauge, BESA (British Engineering Standards Association) class SP 4-6-0 138 (built by Kerr Stuart, 1921) departs from Jhudo with a train heading back to Mirpur Khas on the anti-clockwise route.
14-of-14) Oil fired, meter gauge, BESA (British Engineering Standards Association) class SP 4-6-0 138 (built by Kerr Stuart, 1921) near Jhudo with the train heading back to Mirpur Khas.
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