Trainman's Tales of Thailand

[John Ashworth]

Trainman's photos can be see here

If it is not hot, it is humid, and if it is not humid then it rains and then it is hot and humid!! Thailand. Land of smiles, no visa for South Africans and, besides a shopper’s paradise, there is steam. Preserved but working steam in the capital city, Bangkok...

Having planned a visit to do some shopping, I was fortunate in being able to be there on of the few occasions when they have steam operating. The occasion this time was King Chulalongkorn’s birthday, the 23rd October 2009. In this massive sprawling city, there is a locomotive depot at Thonburi where the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) store 5 operational steam locomotives. The classes range from two Mogul C56 700 series numbers 713 and 715 wood burners, used on the Death Railway on the River Kwaie, two Pacific’s numbers 824 and 850 and a Mikado 2-8-2 number 953.

I had visited the shed on previous occasions and had always seen them just standing around the yard or inside the shed, but this time the two Pacific’s oil burners, was being shunted around for the trip later in the week. To get there from my hotel, I enlisted the help of an English speaking taxi driver, and for a modest fee of 600BHT (R72.00), I got to my destination. One of the senior drivers, Nippon Thongtharee, I had met before and the generous handout of photo’s, postcards and calendars, had enabled me to establish a sign language and gesticulating friendship. He also had a lady friend Nippa, whom was there on one occasion when I was taking photos, so he called her on the cell to come say hi! My taxi driver did the necessary translations, and I was able to wander around on my own.

The shed has a number of safety signs in Thai and English, but the track and ballast is covered in thick oil and grease, and the rain that had just fallen, made it very trick to walk around. The shunt diesel was busy placing the two locomotives inside the shed for fuelling and checking. Oil pads, not like our grease pads, were being replaced and serviced. I was invited into the mess room and indeed it was a mess! Plates all over the place, dirty utensils, but everyone happy and sweating away whilst they ate. We shared, by drinking straws, a communal iced water bucket!

There were a number of very dirty diesel locos on shed, plus one cab centre shunt loco. Two were being repaired and had a swarm of Thai Fitters doing some mechanical work on them. There are a number of very interesting railway features made from old wheels and springs, which were very creative indeed. There was a clerestory coach that had bogeys removed and was the loco Foreman’s office. They love to have such fixtures painted with blue and cream paint.

I spent an enjoyable hour at the shed, eating watermelon and pineapple that Nippa had brought along. How we all carried on a conversation, I do not know, but railway men the world over have a universal means of communication and understanding. I arranged to ride or line side, if the opportunity arose, the special to the ancient city of Ayutthaya on the 23rd, some three days away.

Farewell topNippon and Nippa and I went off to the hotel and carried on with shopping.

The wake up call was for 5am, as the Taxi driver warned that the traffic was usually extra heavy to the main station in Bangkok. It was raining and the sky was lit at that dark hour, by vivid flashes of lightening. I was hoping it would clear later. We slowly made our way to the station, through the other multitude of Taxis and mopeds and masses of humanity. The congestion at the station makes a taxi traffic jam back here, seem like an amateurish driving show.

Finally made it and walked to the platform. There was the feather of steam from a safety valve and up front of this 10 coach train, was a back to back double header. I cannot describe the feeling of seeing the steam in operation. The station, with its low platform, the hustle and bustle of everyday commuters staring at the locomotives. Diesel trains disgorging loads of people. Time stood still. Foreign steam in action.

Nippon was glad to see me and I had chance to get into the cab and have a look see. Big brass wheel reverser handle, standard SAR brake ejector, oil burner flashing away. The smell of steam, but lacking that sizzle and aroma of our coal counterparts.

The Pacific’s are roughly the same size as our 19D but with smoke deflectors and a valance on the front running board, like the 15F. High running boards but smaller than 19D wheels. They are 19metres 385 long and weigh 93,500kg. Painted in green and lined out in white, they look very smart. There was a brass ornament on the ones smoke box door swell as an orange garland draped over the shoebox handrails.

Both locos were taking water from a hosepipe used to fill the coaches. It was slowly getting lighter and the weather was improving. Nippon called me over and soon Nippa was there. The taxi driver translated that we would go line side and Nippa would travel with us. Great idea!

Departure was at 8 am, so there was time to get a cuppa coffee and donut at a local restaurant on the concourse. I then went back to the locos and watched the fascination of steam power amongst the local chaps and especially the Japanese. They loved to each have an orderly turn on the front buffer, to have their photos taken. A large brass bell was pulled into place on a stand and was polished by the station policeman. I walked to the platform end to await departure and soon the deep clang of the station bell tolled the departure and with a very shrill whistle, as if it were a toy train, they double header departed.

A casual walk back to the car, a twenty minute waits to get out the station parking lot, and we were off. Well, line siding can be fun, especially if you can get the train here and there. However, there are a number of Thai prohibiting factors preventing this. There is traffic, then there is traffic, then there are mopeds, trucks, people and trucks and cars!!! It had also rained and with the roadworks in progress, we were soon riding through hubcap deep water, and this was for a good few kilometers. Infact, it took three hours to do the 75 km!!

Yes, the locos were at Ayutthya by the time we arrived. They had uncoupled and were heading off to a siding to take water. There was still a water column at the platform, but out of use, however it made for some good photos.

The huge Fire Engine had come up and laid a hose to the tenders and was filling them up. Shades of us at the Witbank Marathon some years back! The crews went around oiling up the loco with some sort of jam tin effort. The motion was very well lubed up as was most of the loco!

Nippon called me over and suggested I join the crew and Nippa for a meal with them. (The calendars I had dished out early on helped!) A few moments to wait, whilst the crew shut down the oil burners, how nice, and then we strolled into the local station eating area.

Seated along a long table, we were served copious amounts of water in stainless steel mugs, and I thought how strange to get served so far from home, in a traditional railway footplate blik beker!! We had a large number of Singah Beers to drink and some Leos Beers, but the heat just let the stuff sweat our the body1 The food that followed in large bowls, was as hot as the weather, so there was more beer and water drinking, but hey, it was really nice. We sign language chatted away, with the calendar pictures being of great help as I showed some of the differences between ours and their locos as far as fixtures and fittings went. Nippa was also cause for some merriment as it was suggested I marry her!! Too much Singah!!

After a long lunch, we walked back to the taxi. The crew disappeared for some rest and then Nippa and I went to ride an elephant to pass the time. There was an elephant show, and how intelligent are these animals. The Thai elephant is not as tall as hours, but they are so clever. A number of tricks were performed by the handlers, and then we went off for a brief ride. Nothing like an Elly and a Train and a very hot stomach with dizzy head, to make the whole experience one to remember.

Socializing over, it was getting close to three pm and departure was at 5. The crew now came on duty and prepped the loco. Repair work was done on the air pump on the running board, and I thought of John and Robert Dadford, who perform the same fitter’s mechanical tasks as was done here as was done on all steam systems gone past. Fires were lit up and soon oily smoke would belch out the stacks.

It must have been a peak train period, as there were a number of diesel hauled trains and a steel sided corrugated motor coach set came through. Nice to get the steam and diesel pictures.

The light was playing up and I was getting tired. Departure was now set for 5.30, which was late, so I managed to get a few pics of the double header hauling in the coaches from another siding where they had been left earlier on, into the main station platform. There was a tempting girder bridge on a curve for a departure shot, but the light was fading fast. Time to go. We said farewell Nippon and his crews and Nippa and I headed back to Bangkok. A long trip home dropped off Nippa at Thonburri depot and I went home to the hotel. Promise you!!

To round off the trip, I had a look at the progress of the airport link, similar to our Gautrain. It is due to open in December. Good luck to them and us.

And so it was time to go home. A wonderful few days, steam and steam in action. Rail fans are the same behavior wise all over the world. Footplate crews the same. It also made me realize as a spectator, how we, that are privileged to work on the footplate, often take our position for granted. We are very fortunate to be able to do what we do and to be on such a historical item that has such universal appeal. We must appreciate, enjoy and pass on the knowledge.

[Nathan Berelowitz]

Couple of spelling and gramatical errors, but that's Thai for you!