Dar es Salaam’s Unique Suburban Railway 2015 Tanzania 🇹🇿

Tanzania Railways operates only one train on the narrow-gauge (1000 mm) Dar es Salaam - Ubungo Maziwa suburban railway. Service on this 11.95-kilometre line was launched on 29 October 2012. From Dar es Salaam Railway Station, the train runs on the main line until Bakhresa Halt, where it then continues along the Ubungo Maziwa branch line. One push-pull train runs on this line, hauled by a mix of TRL Class 64, Class 65 and Class 73 diesel locomotives. The service has been apparently operating continuously to date, even during the construction works of the new standard-gauge railway.
Diesel locomotive TRL 6501 (former TRC 6501)
This locomotive was almost certainly built around 1992-95 by “ABB Henschel”. Virtually no information can be found on this class of locomotives; all that is known is that Class 65 look very similar to Class 64, which were produced by “Thyssen Henschel” around the late 70s to early 80s. Factory designation for Class 64 is Henschel DHG 1000, so Class 65 would be based on that.
Diesel locomotive TRL 73-14 (former TRC 73-14/7314 → IR YDM-4 6407)
Built in 1977 by “DLW”
Information above is based on the builder’s plate attached to this locomotive; I cannot rule out a small possibility of it being a wrong builder’s plate altogether. This is an old Indian Railways Class YDM-4 locomotive, and it was overhauled already in India: height of the driver’s cab was raised, in addition to a few other modifications. The dash between the class and the road number has been added at some point in Tanzania - but to signify what?
Diesel locomotive TRL 7321 (former TRC 7321 → IR YDM-4 6???)
Built by “DLW”
This is another former Indian Railways Class YDM-4 locomotive, but its history is a bit of a mystery; it seems to be in original condition but missing its builder’s plate. It’s likely to have been part of a batch of ten Class 73 locomotives received in 1998 (unconfirmed), with road numbers 7316-7325.
0:00 TRL 73-14 + TRL 7321 depart from Dar es Salaam Railway Station AKA Stesheni
1:41 TRL 7321 + TRL 6501 between “Ubungo Maziwa” and “Mabibo”
2:47 TRL 6501 + TRL 7321 arrive at Ubungo Maziwa Terminus
4:23 Engine detail of TRL 6501
4:34 Engine detail of TRL 7321
5:21 TRL 7321 + TRL 6501 depart from Ubungo Maziwa Terminus
6:57 TRL 6501 + TRL 7321 on the way to Dar es Salaam Railway Station
7:31 TRL 7321 + TRL 6501 blast through the level crossing on Julius K. Nyerere Road
TRL = Tanzania Railways Limited
DLW = Diesel Locomotive Works
[Filmed on 23-24 Feb 2015]
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