1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Class E1 Steam Locomotive: MediaJet· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
The Ceylon Government Railway E1 was a class of steam tank locomotive produced for and used by British Ceylon's (later Sri Lanka's) national rail operator.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 128 years ago, in 1898.
- Weighs about as much as 8 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 9.8 m long: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.
spec sheet
- built
- 1898–1928
- status
- preserved
- number built
- 20
- kind
- Steam
- traction
- steam
- origin
- 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
- builders
- Dübs and Company, North British Locomotive Company, Hunslet Engine Company, Robert Stephenson and Company
- operators
- Sri Lanka Railways
- top speed
- —
- power
- —
- gauge
- 1,676 mm Indian broad gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 0-6-2 (E1
- length
- 9.8 m
- weight
- 48.5 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q132645123, Wikipedia: Ceylon Government Railway E1 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.