Myanmar

Pay office at the mine exit above Wallah Gorge on the Burma Mines Railway. The Tiger Tunnel into the mine is in the cutting and this is marked by a Tiger Head sculpture just below the footbridge. Armed guards are everywhere around the mines due to the threat of attack by separatists. Since this visit the area has become closed after serious attacks and many deaths.

The main access into the copper/silver mines above Wallah Gorge is via a long tunnel to the workings. This was developed by Burmah Mines Ltd in 1914 and is named 'Tiger Tunnel'.

Kerr Stuart 13 shunts ore hopper wagons against the loading chutes at Wallah Gorge on the Burma Mines Railway.

Tippler house for lead/zinc ore being tipped for grading and moving to the loading bunkers at Wallah Gorge in north-east Myanmar. The ore from the deep mine at Bawdwin is brought out along the adit level to Tiger Camp and then through another tunnel to the bunkers here where it can be transferred to the Burma Mines Railway for transporting to the smelter at Namtu. The timber and corrugated iron architecture is typical of the Burma mines.

Slag pots in the new smelter at Namtu, Myanmar which was constructed after the Second World War when the old smelter was destroyed. It processed lead, silver, zinc and copper from the Bawdwin mines but has been out of use for some time. It was suggested that it would reopen in 2012 but I have not heard anything of this since my visit.

Sparks fly as an overhead wire electric locomotive brings tubs of ore out of the tunnel at Wallah Gorge leading from the Burma Mines Tiger Tunnel workings to the tippler and loading bunkers.

Not much headroom as an overhead wire electric locomotive brings tubs of ore to the tippler and loading bunkers at Wallah Gorge above the Burma Mines Railway.

A quick chat as the mine locomotive drags empty ore wagons off the tippler at Wallah Gorge above the Burma Mines Railway.

The new smelter at Namtu was constructed after the Second World War during which the old smelter was destroyed. It processed lead, silver, zinc and copper from the Bawdwin mines but has been out of use for some time. It was suggested that it would reopen in 2012 but I have not heard anything of this since my visit.