Today we arrived nice and early at Semboro Mill but a Sunday in Ramadan seems to be a good excuse for poeple to not turn up for work. We had to wait about an hour befoew we received our permissions. This gave us plenty of time to take artistic photographs around the office.
A feature of Semboro is the pair of fireless steam locomotives. These are powerful engines that shunt the full loris and draw their steam from the mill supply. Thus they are referred to as loko susu, 'suckling locos'.
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| Number 3 taking its steam charge |
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| Number 2 brings cane from the yard |
We then headed out to see some action on the field lines and found a train delivering empties. The large Japanese diesels look attractive in yellow livery. More interesting still are four small 4-ton Schoemas that are capable of hauling loris on portable track in the fields.
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| Delivering loris to the field |
Close by, number 10's helper, number 23, had met with an unfortunate accident.
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| Derailed by spreading track. |
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| Navvy train to the rescue. |
The third of the small locos shunting close to the mill yard.
In searching for the last small loco, we came acrosss this man leading his water buffalo along the track. These strong animals are the alternative to the small locomotives for hauling loris on the portable track.
After lunch we went back to the mill and checked out the loco shed.
We then went in search of more field trains and were fortunate to find the last small locomotive hauling a load on portable track and over jump points onto the main line (which is double track at this point).
We then got a ride with a big loco to a bridge and road crossing further down the line. This time I got to ride in the loco. Others were on the 'tender' that each large diesel has attached to it.
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| Excited passengers |
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| Our driver |
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| Heading further out. |
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| Today's entry in the champion cock competition |
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| Sun low over the irrigation channel |
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