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Preserved Railway Vehicles at the Sabah State Museum

The Sabah State Museum, located in the hills of Kota Kinabalu, displays exhibits on the state's natural history, archaeology, and folklore. Outside, you can view vehicles such as railway rolling stock and cars. Admission to this area is free. The following is a description of the steam locomotives on display.

3-006 GAYA Locomotive

Sabah State Museum 3-006 GAYA, 1996 Sabah State Museum 3-006 GAYA, 2012 Sabah State Museum 3-006 GAYA Sabah State Museum 3-006 GAYA Nameplate

The 3-006 "GAYA" was built in 1913 by the Hunslet Engine Company in Leeds, England, under works number 1110. It was originally a 2-C-2 tank locomotive, but was rebuilt into a 2-C tender locomotive at the Tanjung Aru workshops in 1954. The name "GAYA" is believed to have come from a station near Tanjung Aru. When Mr. Peter photographed it in 1996, it had no roof, but by 2012 a shelter had been added.

No.7 Sir H. Ralph Hone Locomotive

Sabah State Museum No.7 Ralph Hone, 1996 Sabah State Museum No.7 Ralph Hone, 2012 Sabah State Museum No.7 Ralph Hone Sabah State Museum No.7 Ralph Hone side view

The No.7 "Sir H. Ralph Hone" locomotive was built in 1912 by the Hunslet Engine Company, with works number 1092. Judging from its appearance and wheel arrangement, it may have been of the same type as the GAYA tank locomotive. It was used for passenger service from 1912 to 1957, and then for freight service from 1958 to 1968. Sir H. Ralph Hone was a British lawyer and military officer who served as Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Sabah from 1950 to 1954, contributing to the postwar reconstruction.

No.13 Sentinel Tram Locomotive

Sabah State Museum No.13 Tram, 1996 Sabah State Museum No.13 Tram, 2012 Sabah State Museum No.13 Tram, rear Sabah State Museum No.13 and nameplate Sabah State Museum No.13 drivetrain (1) Sabah State Museum No.13 drivetrain (2)

No.13 is a vertical boiler tram locomotive (Type B) built in 1927 by Sentinel Waggon Works of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, under works number 6375. It transmitted power to the wheels via chain drive. Sentinel specialized in steam trucks and vertical boiler locomotives, and continued production until its dissolution in 1957. Vertical boilers were compact and suited for tight industrial spaces such as factories, ports, yards, and branch lines. The nameplate bears the abbreviation B.N.B.S.R., which stands for British North Borneo State Railway.

SIMPLEX Diesel or Petrol Locomotive

Sabah State Museum SIMPLEX (1) Sabah State Museum SIMPLEX (2)

This locomotive marked "SIMPLEX" is believed to be a product of Motor Rail & Tramcar Co. Ltd., a British company founded in 1911 that used "SIMPLEX" as its brand name. Although it appears to have a narrower gauge than 1,000 mm, this was not measured on site, so the exact specification is unclear. During World War I, the company supplied large numbers of trench locomotives to the British Army. After the war, many of these surplus locomotives were distributed worldwide, especially to Asia, including India, Southeast Asia, and Taiwan, where they were reused in sugar factories and mines. However, it is not certain whether this particular unit is one of those.

Truck Cart

Sabah State Museum Track Cart

Another railway vehicle on display is a Track cart. It features wooden rounded buffers at the front. No further details are known about its origin or use.