BACKGROUND
The double-cab 22 Class locomotives are the second set of mainline locomotives to have been bought from English Electric via UK Crown Agents, third if the 15 class shunters are to be counted as well. 40 were built at Saltley Works in England, and found their way to Malaya between 1971 - 1972. They are named after places in Malaysia.

EARLY YEARS
Their introduction spelled the end of the extensive use of steam locomotives in Malaya - with whatever left of the steam fleet massively retired shortly afterwards. They were used to haul principal expresses of Malayan Railways until the late 1980s among others, and continued to haul freight trains until the mid-2000s. In later years they could also be seen hauling the slower local passenger services.

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
The 22 class was unique among the diesel electrics of MR, in that it was not equipped for MU operation. It was also similar to the 21 class brakewise - it had vacuum train brakes but air locomotive brakes. As with other pre 26 class locomotives, the 22s came with the 'meat chopper' (MCA - Multi-Couple Adaptor) couplers. In the 1990s they underwent a coupler conversion programme to utilise the buckeye knuckle couplers.

LIFE JOURNEY
The first 22 class locomotive to go was the 22128, and was struck off the register sometime between 1977 - 1979. Currently there is no information as to the reason - any information on this will be made as and when it is available. In the mid 1990s quite a number were 'retired' and cut up in Sentul and Gemas. Four were sent over to Australia for brake conversion work earlier (vacuum to air), but the project was not a successful one - they were all abandoned in Australia and had since been cut up. The lack of air train brakes and aging meant that the 22s found themselves less useful as time goes by.

COLOUR SCHEME
The 22 class came painted full-body dark maroon, with a single yellow stripe along both sides of the body, which meet as a speed whisk on either face. By early 1980s, some of the fleet was painted with experimental yellow with a bolder red or orange-ish stripe. Beginning 1984 all were painted in the current grey paintwork with blue, yellow and red stripes running along the body and face; each band of colour being separated from each other by that in white.

	Light engine 22132 SERI MEDAN pictured here outside the old Kuala Lumpur station in 1983. When they first came, the small locomotive number plate on the face was not painted; neither was the Malayan Railways logo present on the faces highlighted with a white circular background. Photo courtesy and reproduced with the permission of Mr Brian Raybould, England, UK
	22113 BANDAR MAHARANI on freight with her driver exchanging token with a station master somewhere up North in 1985. In later years the locomotive number was painted bolder on the faces and sides. Photo courtesy and reproduced with the permission of Mr Malcolm Wilton Jones, England, UK
	Light engine 22135 GELIGA pictured here outside the old Kuala Lumpur station in 1983. One of two varieties of the yellow livery. Photo courtesy and reproduced with the permission of Mr Brian Raybould, England, UK
	22105 KELIAN INTAN pictured here outside the old Kuala Lumpur station in 1983 at the head of a goods train. One of two varieties of the yellow livery. Photo courtesy and reproduced with the permission of Mr Brian Raybould, England, UK
	22119 MATA AYER on a passenger run, captured at Sungkai in Perak in 1985. This very locomotive was a movie star a year earlier when she was briefly featured in a local film Ali Setan. Photo courtesy and reproduced with the permission of Mr Malcolm Wilton Jones, England, UK

AND TODAY...
Currently only four are in active service, and are pulling either the local mail train on the East Coast line or working as shunting engine at Sentul Works (they have been spotted doing the same in and around Tanjong Pagar yard in Singapore), with the ocassional minor freight hauling.

At least two are plinthed around the country - 22121 (as 22102) at the National Museum in Kuala Lumpur, and 22131 in Tampin, Negeri Sembilan. Three more are slated for plinthing at Kangar, Taiping and Tanah Merah (Kelantan).

Click here to view videos of this class of locomotive in action
Click here to view photographs of this class of locomotive

Click here to view videos of this class of locomotive in action
Click here to view photographs of this class of locomotive

Click here to view videos of this class of locomotive in action
Click here to view photographs of this class of locomotive

COMPARE

The Malayan Railways Class 22 locos use the EE 8CSVT Mark III Engine:

The British Railways Class 20 locos use the EE 8SVT Mark II Engine (No intercooler):

The Portuguese / Arrgentinian EE LD 844 C Bo-Bo use the EE 8CSVT Mark II Engine:

Last updated 24th April 2008