Class M5

Class M5c 776 at Gampaha Black Bridge

Class M5 Specifications:

Locomotive Class: M5

Sub Classes: M5a, M5b, M5c

Manufactured Country: Japan

Manufactured Company: Hitachi

Imported Year: 1979

Type of Locomotive: Diesel Electric

Prime Mover: M5: MTU-IKEGAI 12V 4-Stroke

                           M5a: MTU-12V 396TC13

                           M5b: PAXMAN Valenta 12 RP200L

                           M5c: Caterpillar 3516-DITA

Maximum Power: 1500hp

Maximum Speed: 60mph

Axel Arrangement: Bo-Bo

Weight: 66 Tons

Colour: Red & Green (Original)

                M5a: Light green with an orange colour strip

                M5b: Red coloured face, Green coloured body with a yellow strip

                M5c: Maroon colour with a yellow strip

No. of Locomotives Imported: 16

Locomotive Numbers: 767-782

After steam locomotives were withdrawn from the service, SLR took steps to import many locomotives from different countries to avoid locomotive shortage. These M5 locomotives also have been imported as a result of the above incident. This has the “Dual Cabin” facility, which allows the driver to drive the locomotive both ways without turning (M1 locomotives also had this facility).

These engines was less in weight than the other locomotives. But had greater power. M5s was used mostly in the up country. The bus-like design allowed the driver to get a clear view of the rail road. This too helped these locos to be popular in up country tracks.

However in few years after these locomotives operated in Sri Lanka, different technical issues kept rising. Following is a reason which lead to the failure of M5s. The prime mover of these locomotives was MTU-IKEGAI & it was a Japanese product although the real owners & designers was a German company called MTU. IKEGAI Company took the original plan from the MTU Company & they re-built it by themselves. The lack of experience when re-building the prime mover or the engine is considered as a reason for this failure.

Due to above reasons all the M5s were taken out from the service. Few years later most of these engines was replaced by different engines under the Transport Rehabilitation Project (Railways). Replacing the prime mover is not an easy task. Most of the things should be planned from the beginning. However all of this replacements was done by Sri Lankan Engineers.

Out of the all locomotives M5 No.769 was repaired at the first phase. Its prime mover was replaced by MTU-12V 396TC13, a Class S8 spare engine which has a low power of 800kW. As a result M5a sub class was introduced & this was the only locomotive of M5a class. However this locomotive is now out of service because of an electrical system failure & the engine of this loco was removed & installed to a S8. And now SLR going to scrap it.

In the second phase 4 locomotives was selected & was fitted with PAXMAN Valenta 12 RP200L engines. These engines had a power of 1300kW. Locomotive numbered 768, 772, 777 & 778 was repaired in this phase. These four was categorized as M5b & the colour of the locomotives got changed to red & green.

Eight more locomotives was selected & repaired in the 3^rd phase of the program. Here the engine or the prime mover used was Caterpillar 3516-DITA manufactured by CAT Company. These engines had a power of 1620kW. Locomotives no.767, 771, 776, 779, 781, 782, 770 & 775 was repaired in this phase, painted in maroon colour & categorized into M5c sub class.

Out of M5c locomotives No.775 was developed with an Air Brake system. The ambition of this was to run it with Chinese carriages imported to Sri Lanka around 2010. But it was unsuccessful.

No. 774 locomotive which was withdrawn in 1990 is still at Rathmalana workshop yard. SLR still have not come to a final decision to repair these locomotives. No.773 was withdrawn due to an accident in Rambukkana & No.780 too is out of the service due to a derailment in Balana. Following table shows the information about all 16 M5 locomotives.

Locomotive Number	Class	Notes
767	M5c
768	M5b
769	M5a
770	M5c	For the railway museum
771	M5c
772	M5b
773		Accident in Rambukkana
774		At Ratmalana
775	M5c	Added air brakes
776	M5c
777	M5b
778	M5b
779	M5c
780		Derailed
781	M5c
782	M5c