The M class

A series of 10 2-6-0 locomotives built in the USA by Baldwin. They had 8-wheel bogie tenders.

These lightweight, small-wheeled locomotives were ordered as replacements for some of the ageing fleet of locomotives in the Construction department of FMSR and were intended to be used in the construction of the East Coast line.

Above: Construction Department CD32. Photograph reproduced with permission from the Stephenson Locomotive Society, it is thought to be from the H M le Fleming collection.

Maker	Number	Date	Original Railway / No		FMSR No.	MR No.	Notes
Baldwin	54587	1920	FMSR Const dept	CD25	99 - 234 - 122	951.01	Kra, Op. by RSR to 11/1951
Baldwin	54588	1920	FMSR Const dept	CD26	100 - 235 - 125	951.03	Kra, held by RSR to 11/1951
Baldwin	54589	1920	FMSR Const dept	CD27	124		Destroyed Kra, by 1945
Baldwin	54590	1920	FMSR Const dept	CD28	123	951.02	Kra, held by RSR to 11/1951
Baldwin	54591	1920	FMSR Const dept	CD29	126	951.08	Sold 1939, ret 1945, Singapore 58
Baldwin	54592	1920	FMSR Const dept	CD30	127 - M2	951.09	found Kra, Scrapped Prai 8/1948
Baldwin	54593	1920	FMSR Const dept	CD31	128	951.04	Kra, returned
Baldwin	54594	1920	FMSR Const dept	CD32	129	951.05	Kra, returned
Baldwin	54595	1920	FMSR Const dept	CD33	130	951.06	Kra, held by RSR to 11/1951
Baldwin	54596	1920	FMSR Const dept	CD34	101 - 236 - 131	951.07	Withdrawn 8/1956

Further notes: Kra line (Tung Song - Kan Tang) is the southern part of the Burma - Siam Railway, north of the border with Malaya. 7 locos (122, 123, 125 & 127-130) were sent there by the Japanese army and 4 (122, 123, 125 & 130) were written off by FMSR in 1946. 122 was later repaired and was seen at Surat Thani on 31 Oct 1946 and shunting at Surat Ferry on 22 Apr 1947. It was derelict at Tung Song on 18 Oct 1949 and was officially sold to RSR in November 1951, who immediately sold it for scrap. 123, 125 and 130 were seen out of use on the Kra line in 1945 and derelict at Chumphorn on 18 Oct 1949. 128 & 129 were returned after the war and 127 was found in Kra in 1946 and returned to Prai where it was scrapped. In addition to these 124 was destroyed during WWII, having reportedly been sent to Kra also. 126 was sold to the Nippon Mining Company in 1939 and reportedly used by the Japanese army on the East Coast line. FMSR re-acquired it after the war and used it to rebuilt the East Coast line until 1953. It was then overhauled and seen at Prai, later going to Singapore as shed pilot until withdrawal and scrapping in 1958.

122, 125 & 131 had all been fitted with vacuum brakes in 1924 and transferred to the main fleet as 99, 100 & 101 for eventual use on the Port Dickson branch, being renumbered 234, 235 & 236 around 1928 before being renumbered with the rest of the class in 1932. After WWII 131 was noted active at various points between Gemas and Prai until withdrawal in 1956.

The above notes were compiled using information supplied by R. Ramaer and Len Stanway

Leading particulars:
Wheel arrangement:	4-6-2 with 8-wheel bogie tender.	Boiler pressure:	160 lbs.
Fire grate:	13.1 sq. feet.	Heating surface:	761 sq. feet.
Fuel capacity:	6 tons.	Water capacity:	1,830 gallons.
Max. axle load:	9.45 tons.	Fixed wheel-base:	9 feet 8 in.

Other particulars:

Introduced

Class

Numbers

Cylinders

(3)

Tractive

effort

Loco

weight

Tender

weight

Overall

length

1921

(951)

CD 25 - CD 34

122 - 131

951.01 - 951.09

14" x 18"

12,257

29.575

23.75

43' 9½"

Unclassified	A & B classes	A² class	C¹ class
Burma E and O	C² class	D class	E class
F class	G class	H class	I class
J class	K¹ class	K² class	L class
M class	O class	P class	Mallet
Q class	R class	S class	T class
WWII	Sentinel	WD class