#1943

Indonesian Railways Class E10

🇯🇵 Japan ·built by Maschinenfabrik Esslingen· from 1922· class of 22+17 0-10-0RT in the Dutch East Indies/Indonesia

5 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. Lokomotif E10: Andra Radithya· CC BY-SA 4.0
2. DKA E10 (10 16 B): Joachim Lutz· CC BY-SA 4.0
3. DKA E10 (E 10 60 D): Joachim Lutz· CC BY-SA 4.0
4. DKA E10 (E 10 60 F): Joachim Lutz· CC BY-SA 4.0
5. E10 class 0-10-0T rack locomotive on a train near Padangpandjang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. August 1972. (53335096386): Frank Stamford from Australia· CC BY 2.0

what is it?

The E10 class are a class of 0-10-0RT steam locomotives built by Maschinenfabrik Esslingen, Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works, and Nippon Sharyo that hauled both passenger and freight trains on the rack railway between Sawahlunto and Padang in West Sumatra. They were nicknamed "Mak Itam", derived from the Minangkabau phrase "black uncle". These locomotives were capable of hauling coal trains up to 130 tons, and had four cylinders, with two of them being used to drive the rack gears.

who runs it

Kereta Api Indonesia Staatsspoorwegen ter Sumatra's Westkust

base stats

speed 50 km/htop speed
power 559 kWpower output
built 39made in total

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 104 years ago, in 1922.
559 kW is about 7 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
10.2 m long: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
Served for 59 years (1921–1980).

steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.

spec sheet

built: 1922–1966
in service from: 1921
retired: 1980
status: retired
number built: 39
kind: Steam
traction: steam
origin: 🇯🇵 Japan
builders: Maschinenfabrik Esslingen, Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works, Nippon Sharyo
operators: Kereta Api Indonesia, Staatsspoorwegen ter Sumatra's Westkust
top speed: 50 km/h
power: 559 kW
gauge: 1,067 mm Cape gauge
wheel arrangement: 0-10-0
length: 10.2 m

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q19943030, Wikipedia: Indonesian Railways Class E10 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.