Robey Engines in Burma

This is part of a series of pages covering the known steam engine manufacturers for Burma. Click here for the full list.

Click here for a page of Robey engines found in India in 2007.

This page is provisional and will be updated shortly after consultation with my tame expert, Dave Davies!

Dave Davies of the Robey Trust was uniquely helpful after my 2005 visit to Burma. The most reliable way of identifying these engines is through the re-order plate which includes the engine number. These numbers may occasionally appear on standard makers plates but both of these tend to 'wander'. Robey engines for India seem to have been supplied through Alex Lawrie and Balmer, Lawrie of Calcutta, presumably effectively the same company. In Burma their agents were Stewart Raeburn.

This is an A class (#15873/1896) at work in Shwebo in 2006: 

This dust covered 10" engine (#43986/1928)  found in Kachin State in 2007 is of AA class:

This is an engine of the same type but 14" ( #28812/1910) seen working in Irrawaddy Division in 2005, The 'round the corner' valve gear is very characteristic of these engines although Tangyes of a certain age (in the number range 11xxx, usually badged for Hosain Hamadanee have something similar):

This chunky engine (#41539/1924) of Class AP was in store in Irrawaddy Division in 2005:

Most engines we have found have been of D Class (which are the common type in India) although for some reason these tend to be plateless. This 8¼" engine (#23878/1903) was working in Irrawaddy Division in 2006.

This is an unidentified larger engine of the same class, at work in Irrawaddy Division in 2005. It has lost the use of the second eccentric. 

By way of contrast, this one, photographed in the same area in 2009, is intact with original governor (like the Indian engines) which I guess is original (we saw another similar dismantled for repair):

This Robey with piston valves (#54878) must have been the most modern engine I have seen in the country, it was near Shwebo in 2006. The pile of tools indicate that the engine was under repair when we visited - the staff quickly put it back together and ran it for us as you can see!

This is a stripped down large engine (#56020), perhaps the same model, seen in store in Mon State in 2007:

In many ways the most interesting Robey we have seen is this derelict drop/trip valve engine in Irrawaddy Division (#22990/1903). It was originally fitted with Richardson's Governor:

Click here for the full list of known steam engine manufacturers for Burma.