Class M2b 594 Prince Edward Island passing the Black Bridge at Gampaha
Class M2 Specifications:
Locomotive Class: M2
Sub Classes: M2a, M2b, M2c, M2d
Manufactured Country: Canada
Manufactured Company: General Motors Canada
Imported Year: 1954
Type of Locomotive: Diesel Electric
Prime Mover: General Motors – GM V12 12-567c (2 stroke)
Maximum Power: M2,M2a,M2b,M2c- 1425hp M2d- 1310hp
Maximum Speed: 112km/h
Axel Arrangement: M2,M2a,M2b & M2d: A1A-A1A | M2c: Bo-Bo
Main Generator: GM-D32
Traction Motors: Four GM-D29 motors
Maximum Tractive Effort: 38,000 lbs @ 25%
Continuous Tractive Effort: 28,000 lbs @ 12 mph
Weight: 79 Tons
Colour: Red & Green early days. Now Light blue, Dark blue, Silver with & Yellow color strip
No. of Locomotives: 14
Locomotive Numbers: 569-629
Do you remember the locomotive which was caught by Tsunami? It is a locomotive of the Class M2. These locos have been in service for about 60 years continuously.
Sri Lanka received 5 of these giants from Canada under the foreign aid program named “The Colombo Plan” in 1954, numbered 569,570,571,572 & 573. SLR named these locomotives after the names of 5 Canadian states as a respect for their donation. After Canadian newspapers stated about this & the Canadians were in doubt because only selected names of the states were used for the M2s. As a solution for this Mr.B.D.Rampala, the General Manager proposed Sir John Kothalawala to ask for more engines. Therefore Sri Lanka received a total of 10 locomotives.
The first 5 locomotives was categorized under M2 class while 3 of the other 5, (591,592,593) categorized as Class M2a and the rest (594,595) as Class M2b. Because these locomotives was successful, SLR bought 4 more locomotives numbered 626,627,628,629. 626 & 627 was put into M2c & the other 2 to M2d. M2c sub class locomotives differ from the other sub classes because the M2c was designed to run in up country line. It possess Bo-Bo axle arrangement, Dynamic Brakes & Sand box facility.
A M2 was first used to haul Ruhunu Kumari express train on 24th of April 1954.Following chart shows the information about M2 locomotives
Locomotive Class |
Loco Number |
Name |
Horse Power (hp) |
Axle arrangement |
| M2 | 569 | ONTARIO | 1425 | A1A-A1A |
| 570 | ALBERTA | |||
| 571 | SASKATCHEWAN | |||
| 572 | BRITISH COLUMBIA | |||
| 573 | QUEBEC | |||
| M2a | 591 | MANITOBA | 1425 | A1A-A1A |
| 592 | NOVA SCOTIA | |||
| 593 | NEW BRUNSWICK | |||
| M2b | 594 | PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND | 1425 | A1A-A1A |
| 595 | NEW FOUNDLAND | |||
| M2c | 626 | MONTREAL | 1425 | Bo-Bo |
| 627 | VANCOUVER | |||
| M2d | 628 | KANKASANTHUREI | 1310 | A1A-A1A |
| 629 | GALLE |
Almost all of these locomotives are still in service. Locomotive No.570 Alberta was stationed in Kankasanthurei from 1992 to 1996 due to the civil war which was later brought to Colombo by a ship. It got repaired at the Ratmalana Railway Workshops. After that on the 30th April 2014 it crashed with a S11 DMU & again been repaired in Rathmalana these days. Loco no.571 Saskatchewan was destroyed by LTTE on 1985. Later it has been scrapped. No.591 Manitoba was caught by Tsunami on 2004 and the Alternator, which was rusted has been removed from the locomotive & it got replaced by the alternator of New Brunswick when its alternator was replaced by Ontario’s Alternator. Manitoba was introduced back to the service on the 26th of December 2008.
Although M2c was specially designed to run on up country railway, it’s now being used at almost every railway line except Kelani Valley & Matale Lines. Class M2d, the low powered version of the Class M2 was brought for transportation purposes of the cement workshops at Galle & Kankasanthurei & now these 2 locomotives are used on passenger trains. Even though M2, M2a, M2b & M2c was produced in Canada, the M2d sub class was produced in USA. And naming these two giants in Sinhala is also a specialty.
Credits to Gehan Chandika & Nipuna Dodanthenna.
Photo Gallery
573 at Canada before imported to Sri Lanka
Class M2d 628 ‘Kankasanthurei’
Name board of M2d 628 ‘Kankasanthurei’
628 ‘Kankasanthurei’
Control Panel of M2s
Class M2d 628
Class M2 570 ‘Alberta’ before facing the accident at Pothuhera
Name board of M2 570
Alberta leaving Colombo Fort for the last time before the accident at Pothuhera
Class M2c 627 ‘Vancouver’ at Veyangoda
Class M2b 595 ‘New Foundland’ at Pallewela
Class M2a 591 ‘Manitoba’ at Veyangoda
Class M2a 593 ‘New Brunswick’ at Gampaha
Vancouver at Gampaha
I was very impressed and loved the M2 ‘s gifted by Colombo plan which has done yeoman services to the srilankan Railways credit goes mostly to the CGR maintenance Engineers Technicians and workers who made them the best in the CGR. work horses of General motors. Now you have the more complicated efficient Eco Friendly economical diesel Electrics manufactured by General electrics corporation. if you want the Sr-ilankan railways to gor for another 50 years with the diesel Electric locomotives for the long distance long hauls.
Thanks for the comment
you need to show the driver control panel more clearly. I believe there a layout difference in the M2 series.
I am delighted to read this webpage. It transported me back to my childhood, when I used to eagerly watch Canadian Engines with awe, standing beside the railway close to Ganemulla Station, not far from my home where I used to live until 1957. Even after I left the area, I used to memorise the names of all locomotives bearing the names of Canadian Provinces. They were my favourites, and having seen the large Colombo Plan exhibition held in Colombo in the early 50s, I can remember as a child that these locos started to appear on our railways. There reverberating sounds from distance, announcing their imminent arrival still echoes in my ears, and the thundering vibrations of the ground under my feet as they passed by me, I can still feel as a memory. I am so pleased that most of the locomotives are still in service, and I too still love trains. My regret is that I did not become an engine driver, and instead ended up as a specialist aeronautical engineer in England – ah well, that is another story.