"Mystery" loco

Nepal WD Hunslets - was "Mystery" loco

I have been forwarded this poor quality photo with a request to identify the loco if possible - or at least who built it!



My initial thoughts were it looks like a War Department Hunslet with extended side tanks.


Any thoughts?



Charlie

 

Undoubtedly an ex WD Hunslet, with extended side tanks. The Cab, chassis, bunker, belpaire firebox and dome (and, descending into rivet-counter mode, the worksplate) match perfectly, though the front does have a distinctly L&Besque Manning Wardley quality to it, with the flush tanks.

 

Missing Lyd Picture ?

 

For a happy moment I thought that too.

 

I have a feeling that a couple of Hunslet WD tanks were rebuilt like this in Burma or somewhere similar, but the book which will tell me is in eldest daughter's room.

 

Yep Looks like one of the two WW1 Hunslets from Nepal either HE 1536 or 1537

 

Nepal - that's the place, thank you!

 

There is a better quality picture of an identical loco on page 81 of Don Townsley's book "The Hunslet Engine Works". It says that there were two of these conversions in Nepal, HE1536/26 PASHUPATI and HE1537/26 GUHYESHWARI.

 

Thanks chaps - mystery solved within 24 hours!

I've had a quick search on the 'net and found this page which has clearer photos of 'Pashupati' and 'Guhyeshwari' in 1999.


Charlie

 

I'm surprised Graham Lee hasn't bought these by now! It'd be interesting to see how they would fare on the W&LLR....

 

Much too small for any useful work I am afraid

Paul H

 

Pic of Guhyeshwari by the late Basil Roberts.

 

I'm afraid I have to agree with Paul,

Very nice though they are, a little lightweight for W&L standard trains, with a low TE.

Nice as additional machines if I won the lottery and could negotiate one though!

Nice to dream from time to time, nice photo's guys.

 

I have an idea that, in the dim past, someone tried to "liberate" these. Unfortunately the feeling around those who were negotiating the sale was that these were valuable historic artefacts and the price had to match. It may be apochryphal but I think figures of around £100+K ex site were bandied around. If they were sold at scrap value (£250-300/tonne for scrap steel at the moment), the cost of recovery and shipping, before any restoration costs are calculated in, would still make it a very expensive enterprise; but as has been said - nice to dream!

Ian

 

Yes you are right. I have tried in the past to get one of the locos from Nepal. I was more interested in the Kerr Stuarts but as they were there the Hunslets were considered..

It started off reasonable and some progress as made. Then word got out and up went the price, plus all sorts of 'middle men' got in the way. Transport was sorted. Then the political instability came in. I have a watching eye on these from my colleagues in India. Never say never, but I can not see any movement short term.

 

I was unaware that there were any Kerr, Stuarts in Nepal.....

Cheers

Alan

 

Ooops. Long time ago, the Avonside loco (which I like an idiot called a Kerr Stuart) and the 0-6-2 Hunslets.. The leg work was done by my Indian colleague and a contact in the local airline.

 

If you want more info on these War Office Hunslets, take a look at:

http://hughesi.460.users.btopenworld.com/frontpage.html

There's more photos of the locos in Nepal, plus various other countries, as well as information on Hunslet 1215 - the only War Office Hunslet to have been repatriated to the UK.

Cheers,

Chris.