Ceylon Government Railway No. 1 Leopold

CGR No. 1 Leopold
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Stephenson Serial number 1263
Specifications Configuration: ​  •  Whyte 4-4-0 Gauge 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) Driver dia. 61 in (1.549 m) Total weight 59.00 long tons Water cap. 1500 gal Tender cap. 5.00 long tons Cylinders 2 Cylinder size 16 in × 22 in (410 mm × 560 mm)
Career Operators Ceylon Government Railway Number in class 1 Delivered January 1864 Withdrawn 1901 Scrapped 1901 Disposition Scrapped

Ceylon Government Railway No. 1 Leopold was the first steam locomotive to run for the Ceylon Government Railway (now Sri Lanka Railways). It was designated as a part of the ML Class as per the original classification scheme of the railway, but was scrapped before the reclassification of 1937. Leopold was intended to haul trains on the Colombo-Kandy Main Line. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

History

Leopold was brought to Sri Lanka in January 1864 and started working on the Main Line from March 1864. On 7 December 1864, the locomotive hauled the ceremonial "First Train" of the line from Colombo Terminus to Ambepussa; Leopold, Duke of Brabant (later King Leopold II of Belgium) would be the guest of honour for the occasion and board the train from Veyangoda, and the locomotive was later named in his honour. ^{[1] [4]}

The locomotive would continue to serve the railway on the Main Line from Colombo to Kandy until its withdrawal and scrapping in 1901. It was replaced by a similar locomotive built by the Ceylon Government Railway itself; this new locomotive was also given the number of 1. ^[1]

See also

• Sri Lanka Railways
• Main Line, Sri Lanka
• 4-4-0 locomotive wheel configuration

References

1. Hyatt, David (2000). Railways of Sri Lanka. United Kingdom: COMRAC. ISBN   978-0953730407.
2. Lankaloka, Dinuka (15 April 2020). "Steam Locomotives of Sri Lanka Railways • Ceylon Guide". Ceylon Guide. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
3. malinga (4 April 2024). "Century of scenic rail travel". DailyNews. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
4. "The Sunday Times Plus Section". www.sundaytimes.lk. Archived from the original on 24 January 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
5. Joseph, Dishan (2020). "Grand Iron Queens of Ceylon". Daily News.