Album Myanmar from tarboat

Top of the spiral

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 06:25:23 +0000

tarboat has posted:

1927 built Bagnall 2-6-2 No.42 arrives at the top of the spiral just below the Wallah Gorge loading bunkers on the Burma Mines Railway.

Zig-zagging

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 06:41:19 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Kerr Stuart 0-4-2 2383 of 1914 climbs a zig-zag above Wallah Gorge on the Burmah Mines Railway. The hopper wagons are for carrying ore from the mines at at the top of the line at Bawdwin. Sanding the rails is all manual.

Zinc smelting

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 06:08:52 +0000

tarboat has posted:

The new smelter at Namtu was constructed after the Second World War during which the old smelter was destroyed. It processed lead, silver, zinc and copper from the Bawdwin mines but has been out of use for some time. These pots were used for smelting zinc. It was suggested that the smelter would reopen in 2012 but I have not heard anything of this since my visit.

Namtu yard

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 20:17:08 +0000

tarboat has posted:

1927 built Bagnall 2-6-2 No.42 prepares its train in the yard at Namtu before heading to Wallah Gorge on the Burma Mines Railway.

Fighting for grip

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 06:22:24 +0000

tarboat has posted:

The sanders are hard at work as a train of ore hoppers climbs the valley to Tiger Camp on the Burma Mines Railway. The locomotive is a rare surviving product of Stoke-on-Trent builders Kerr Stuart(Works No 2383/1914).

Marmion Shaft

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 06:39:29 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Marmion Shaft at the Bawdwin lead/zinc mine in north-east Myanmar. It was sunk in 1914 down to the sixth (adit) level at c700ft and was subsequently deepened to serve 14 levels in total to a depth of 1700ft. The winding house contains two electric winders manufactured at the Siemens Works of English Electric at Stafford in the UK in 1925. The ore is trammed out of the mine via a two mile adit known as "Tiger Tunnel".

Rail truck

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 06:49:17 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Local transport at Bawdwin on the top section of the Burma Mines Railway was this converted Hino truck. This is No.2 of 3 and has direct drive to the front wheels and belt drive to the rear.

Empties at Wallah Gorge

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 13:35:07 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Burma Mines Railway locomotive No.13 (Kerr Stuart 2383/1914) on arrival at Wallah Gorge with empty ore wagons.

Sand

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 06:33:43 +0000

tarboat has posted:

On a misty morning in Namtu, Bagnall 42 (2238/1927) is loaded with sand before a run uphill to Wallah Gorge on the Burma Mines Railway.

Onto the tippler

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 05:59:20 +0000

tarboat has posted:

An overhead wire electric locomotive pushes a loaded ore wagon onto the tippler at Wallah Gorge above the Burma Mines Railway. I hope that helmet is well insulated!

Namtu New Smelter

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Sun, 25 Jul 2021 17:31:41 +0000

tarboat has posted:

The new smelter at Namtu was constructed after the Second World War during which the old smelter was destroyed. It processed lead, silver, zinc and copper from the Bawdwin mines but has been out of use for some time. It was suggested that it would reopen in 2012 but I have not heard anything of this since my visit.

Electric haulage

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 07:07:07 +0000

tarboat has posted:

A quick chat as the mine locomotive drags empty ore wagons off the tippler at Wallah Gorge above the Burma Mines Railway.

Keep your head down!

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 05:39:07 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Not much headroom as an overhead wire electric locomotive brings tubs of ore to the tippler and loading bunkers at Wallah Gorge above the Burma Mines Railway.

Flash!

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 10:21:00 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Sparks fly as an overhead wire electric locomotive brings tubs of ore out of the tunnel at Wallah Gorge leading from the Burma Mines Tiger Tunnel workings to the tippler and loading bunkers.

Slag pots

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 07:11:31 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Slag pots in the new smelter at Namtu, Myanmar which was constructed after the Second World War when the old smelter was destroyed. It processed lead, silver, zinc and copper from the Bawdwin mines but has been out of use for some time. It was suggested that it would reopen in 2012 but I have not heard anything of this since my visit.

Tippler

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 07:23:10 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Tippler house for lead/zinc ore being tipped for grading and moving to the loading bunkers at Wallah Gorge in north-east Myanmar. The ore from the deep mine at Bawdwin is brought out along the adit level to Tiger Camp and then through another tunnel to the bunkers here where it can be transferred to the Burma Mines Railway for transporting to the smelter at Namtu. The timber and corrugated iron architecture is typical of the Burma mines.

Loading chutes

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Sat, 11 Jan 2020 07:48:15 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Kerr Stuart 13 shunts ore hopper wagons against the loading chutes at Wallah Gorge on the Burma Mines Railway.

Tiger tunnel

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 07:24:52 +0000

tarboat has posted:

The main access into the copper/silver mines above Wallah Gorge is via a long tunnel to the workings. This was developed by Burmah Mines Ltd in 1914 and is named 'Tiger Tunnel'.

Pay Office

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 07:24:49 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Pay office at the mine exit above Wallah Gorge on the Burma Mines Railway. The Tiger Tunnel into the mine is in the cutting and this is marked by a Tiger Head sculpture just below the footbridge. Armed guards are everywhere around the mines due to the threat of attack by separatists. Since this visit the area has become closed after serious attacks and many deaths.

Fixing the road

nobody@ipernity.com (tarboat) — Tue, 31 Dec 2019 06:43:49 +0000

tarboat has posted:

Kerr Stuart No.13 eases a freight past a gang of women repairing the road at Namtu on the Burma Mines Railway.