605 at New Jalpaiguri shed shortly after delivery in December 1999 Photo credit is Steve Blackmore
The DHR's two diesel locomotives are 4-wheel drive, 400hp diesel hydraulic Class NDM6 built by Sury and Naire (SANCO) of Bangalore. This was a proven design as Nos 601 - 603 were already in use on the Matheran Railway near Mumbai. The locomotives weigh 17 tons and have two fuel tanks with a capacity of 500 litres.
No. 604 arrived at New Jalpaiguri in December 1999, and No. 605 (delivered in red livery) arrived in February 2000. Except when either loco is out of service the normal pattern of use is covering the single daily service each way from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling (Nos 1D and 2D). More intensive working was needed in early 2005 to also cover the normally steam operated daily Kurseong-Darjeeling 'school train' service (Nos 9D and 10D) due to coal/water supply problems.
The two locomotives are based at Siliguri Junction shed, having moved to that new facility in late 2003 when New Jalpaiguri shed closed due to broad gauge conversion work.
604 departs Kurseong with 2D on 1 August 2004 Photo credit is Paul Whittle
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, no. 7406570. Registered office: The Oaks, Bulleigh Barton Court, Ipplepen, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 5UA.
