The Railways of Lebanon, May 20th - 24th 2016
1050mm Gauge Locomotives

Thomas Kautzor writes of an often forgotten railway system, yet another victim of political instability in the region.

Together with Torsten Schneider, in May 2016 I visited Lebanon to look at what remains of the railway network. In 1961, the four lines in the country, were reorganized into the ‘Chemins de fer de l’Etat Libanais’ (CEL). For more details, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Lebanon.

There are over 100 pictures so the report has been subdivided as follows:

• Introduction

• The infrastructure of the 1050mm gauge line to Syria

• The infrastructure of the standard gauge railways

• Standard gauge locomotives

The following list shows those DHP 1050mm gauge locomotives allocated to CEL in 1961 and their present status:

Class/No  CEL/DHP

Type

Builder

Constr. No.

Year

Weight (t.)

Notes

B 2"	0-6-2RT	SLM	1585	1904	44.2
B 6	0-6-2RT	SLM	846	1894	44.2	Rayak shed 5/16
B 7	0-6-2RT	SLM	847	1894	44.2	Rayak front of shed 5/16
B 8	0-6-2RT	SLM	848	1894	44.2	Beirut- St. Michel yard 5/16
B 10	0-6-2RT	SLM	986	1896	44.2	Beirut- St. Michel yard 5/16
B 12	0-6-2RT	SLM	1586	1904	44.2	Rayak next to shed 5/16

6	7	8	10	12

Six of DHP’s 13 B class rack-and-adhesion 0-6-2Ts were allocated to CEL, where they kept their initial numbers. No. 3-5 (SLM 843-5/1894) went to CFS in Syria, where they had their rack mechanisms removed and became No. 031.803-805. The other four had all been withdrawn before 1925.

A 31	0-8-2RT	SLM	1741	1906	56.5	Rayak behind shed 5/16
A 32	0-8-2RT	SLM	1742	1906	56.5	Saadnayel plinthed 5/16
A 33	0-8-2RT	SLM	1743	1906	56.5	Rayak shed 5/16
A 34	0-8-2RT	SLM	1744	1906	56.5	Rayak next to shed 5/16
A 35	0-8-2RT	SLM	1745	1906	56.5	Rayak in front of shed 5/16
A 36	0-8-2RT	SLM	1774	1906	56.5	Beirut-St. Michel yard 5/16
A 37	0-8-2RT	SLM	1775	1906	56.5	Beirut-St. Michel yard 5/16

The entire A class went to CEL and survives to this day.

31	32	33	34
35	36	37	37

E 103	0-6-0T	Tubize	874	1893
E 104	0-6-0T	Tubize	875	1893
E 107	0-6-0T	Tubize	878	1893		named MZERIB
E 108	0-6-0T	Tubize	879	1893		named HERMON

The eight E class locos had been ordered for DHP’s Hauran line from Damascus to Muzeirib. The above four locos survived WWI and made it into CEL ownership. Another loco of this class, thought to be No. 106, found itself at the terminus of the Hedjaz Railway in Madinah at the end of WWI. It was recently restored and is now on display at Tabuk station in Saudi Arabia.

201	4wDE	Moyse		1934	24.0	70 hp, Beirut-St. Michel shed 5/16
202	4wDE	Moyse		1934	24.0	70 hp, regauged to SG
203	4wDE	Moyse		1934	24.0	70 hp, regauged to SG

201

S-301	0-10-0RT	SLM	2966	1924	61.4	Rayak works (dism.) 5/16
S-302	0-10-0RT	SLM	2967	1924	61.4	Rayak shed 5/16
S-303	0-10-0RT	SLM	3123	1925	61.4	Beirut-St. Michel yard 5/16
S-304	0-10-0RT	SLM	3124	1925	61.4	Rayak works 5/16
S-305	0-10-0RT	SLM	3125	1925	61.4	Rayak next to shed 5/16
S-306	0-10-0RT	SLM	3720	1940	61.4	Rayak next to shed 5/16
S-307	0-10-0RT	SLM	3721	1940	61.4	Rayak shed 5/16

The entire S class went to CEL and survives to this day.

301	302	303	304	305	306	307

Prior to 1961, Damascus-based DHP adhesion-only locos worked into Rayak, as did Hedjaz Railway locos while the part of the HR in Syria was administrated by the DHP during the French mandate. From 1961 until the closure of the cross-border line, CEL locos would run to Serghaya to interchange with CFS.