Last of the BESA 4-6-0s
In the early 1900s the first attempt to standardise locomotive design (BESA) for the railways in India was made. By the time I got to India in 1978 there were around 200 locos left in service on the broad gauge that followed these original designs, but most were either 2-8-0s or 0-6-0s.
Only six examples of the original classic broad gauge 4-6-0 design remained in service, all allocated to the Western Railway shed at Vadodara (Baroda) for use on local shunting, and for passenger trains on the branch line to Kathana - which we traveled on.
H 24313 was one of a batch built by William Beardmore & Co of Dalmuir, Glasgow in 1923 and photographed shunting at Pratapnagar on 1978.10.22