Mallets to the Mountains

Travelling on the day train from Yogya to Bandung (or vice versa), there was always a long stop at Banjar. Even after dieselisation this continued because more powerful locomotives were needed for the climb to Bandung than for the stroll along the coastal plains to the east. This was now quintessential Mallet country.

Early visitors had a superb bonus in the form of Banjar's allocation of BB10 0-4-4-2T, the oldest of Java's Mallets which worked the coastal branch to Cidulang, a working which finished long before my arrival. In 1977, I remember finding battered BB1014 in steam on the shed during a brief stop over but this was the best I achieved.

Local trains on the main line west of Banjar were always likely to have a CC50 at the front and the main problem was finding a photographic angle which disguised the lightweight load.

On our circular journey round Java, we will make only the briefest of stops for the time being at Cibatu, continuing on to Bandung with the giant DD52 2-8-8-0 Mallets as well as the better recorded CC10 and CC50. Finally in the last section we shall meet the Mallets on their own home ground, the Cikajang branch.