This site has always been dedicated to the
steam locomotive, especially those few still working for their living.
But it is also all about railways in far away places and enthusiasts
visiting them, not to mention those 'out-of-grice and post-grice'
experiences which are repeatable in polite company. This page provides a few links (which I hope will grow)
to stories, some are more technical than others but that just reflects
the interests of the writers. And also for the sadists, a few
international stories which have nothing to do with trains at all. All contributions are very
welcome, this page will also link to articles which do not fit in comfortably
elsewhere on the site. I am a very light handed editor, 'anything goes' within
reason.
If you fancy a trip to see such places
then for travel advice please see "The
Man in Seat 61". And if you make a trip let me have a report
and tell the man of any updates for that site.
The most recent additions are given below, more contributions, with or without illustrations are always
welcome. I will do my best to assist with maps if necessary.
Latest Tale (28th
November 2024)
Indonesia
USA
Railway Journeys - General
Major Tales
-
A summary list (with links)
of themed features on this website. Each has at least 500 and some several
thousand pictures and all are best digested in stages. A later addition
was Incredible Indonesia (13th November 2020). There have since been some
extra pictures in Raj Steam (metre gauge, 9th March 2022) and the
release of Sweet Dreams - Java Sugar Steam 1975 - 2010 (27th November
2021, since updated with 200 action pictures from Jatiroto, Semboro and
Olean in
1983/4, 23rd April 2022).
Once upon a time, long ago.
Case Notes
The Last Working Steam Locomotives in the
World (5th October 2024)
In Search of Real Working Steam
2011 - 2020
A Garland of Islands
I stumbled on this new site while researching for some tales
of old Java, suffice to say it does just what it says for an extraordinary range
of countries (2nd August 2012)
Dervla Murphy - Honorary Railfan, 1931 - 2022
Patrick Leigh Fermor
Victor's Story
Mike's Railway History
You don't have to be mad to be a railway
photographer but it helps:
Philip Pacey's Music and Railways, a mind blowing list, I thought about
doing this and then discovered he had well and truly beaten me to it. (16th
April 2014)
However a second resource is also great reading (25th
October 2016)
John Gaydon's 'Steam Train Stories' (21st June 2013), an interesting
experiment although experience suggests that while many people will want to
read the stories few will want to pay for the privilege...
An eclectic worldwide collection of photographs and information on mainly
times past trains (3rd April 2012):
"Case Notes" -
A series of contributions from Terry Case covering his real steam gricing
career.
-
Steam in Germany Part 3
(16th May 2021)
-
Steam in Germany Part 2
(25th April 2021)
-
Steam in Germany Part 1
(7th April 2021)
-
Steam in South Africa Part 4
(14th March 2021)
-
Steam in South Africa Part 3
(23rd February 2021)
-
Steam in South Africa Part
2 (1st February 2021)
-
Steam in South Africa Part 1
(11th January 2021)
-
Steam in China Part 10
(20th December 2020)
-
Steam in China Part 9
(1st December 2020)
-
Steam in China Part 8
(10th November 2020)
-
Steam in China Part 7
(17th October 2020)
-
Steam in China Part 6
(26th
September 2020)
-
Steam in China Part 5
(6th
September 2020)
-
Steam in China Part 4
(13th August 2020)
-
Steam in China Part 3
(23rd July 2020)
-
Steam in China Part 2
(3rd July 2020)
-
Steam in China Part 1
(12th June 2020)
-
Steam in Turkey Part 16
(23rd May 2020)
-
Steam in Turkey Part 15
(4th May 2020)
-
Steam in Turkey Part 14
(8th April 2020)
-
Steam in Turkey Part 13
(18th March 2020)
-
Steam in Turkey Part 12
(24th February 2020)
-
Steam in Turkey Part 11
(2nd February 2020)
-
Steam in Pakistan, Part 5
- Khewra (12th January 2020)
-
Steam in Pakistan, Part 4
- Malakwal 2 (22nd December 2019)
-
Steam in Pakistan, Part 3
- Malakwal 1 (link corrected 11th December 2019)
-
Steam in Pakistan, Part 2
- Wazirabad (7th November 2019)
-
Steam in Pakistan, Part 1
- Sind and Multan (12th October 2019)
-
Steam in Cuba, Part 6
Eastern Cuba (20th September 2019)
-
Steam in Cuba, Part 5
Central Cuba Part 1 (30th August 2019)
-
Steam in Cuba, Part 4
Central Cuba Part 2 (8th August 2019)
-
Steam in Cuba, Part 3
On towards Cienfuegos Part 2 (15th July 2019)
-
Steam in Cuba, Part 2
Havana and Australia (24th June 2019)
-
Steam in Cuba, Part 1
Havana and the West (31st May 2019)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - Farewell to Metre and Broad Gauge Steam (11th May 2019)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 -
Farewell to Capital City Steam (19th April 2019)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - Kosamba (29th March 2019)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - Bilmora (8th March 2019)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - South East Gujarat (18th February 2019)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - Kurduvadi (22nd January 2019)
-
Steam in India
- Round 2 - Gondia (28th December 2018)
-
Steam in India
- Round 2 - Raipur (8th December 2018)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - Coonoor (19th November 2018)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - NFR (DHR) 3 (27th October 2018)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - NFR (DHR) 2 (6th October 2018)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - NFR (DHR) 1 (13th September 2018)
-
Steam in India -
Round 2 - Katwa (23rd August 2018)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - Burdwan and Katwa (3rd August 2018)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - Shantipur and Burdwan (14th July 2018)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - Agra to Futwah (22nd June 2018)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - Dhaulpur and Agra (29th May 2018)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - Gwalior (12th May 2018)
-
Steam in India - Round 2 - Bhopal and Gwalior (30th April
2018)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - Murtajapur to Khandwa (13th April 2018)
-
Steam in India - Round
2 - Nagpur (30th March 2018)
-
Steam in Zimbabwe,
Part 8 (17th March 2018)
-
Steam in Zimbabwe,
Part 7 (3rd March 2018)
-
Steam in Zimbabwe,
Part 6 (15th February 2018)
-
Steam in
Zimbabwe,
Part 5 (5th February 2018)
-
Steam in
Zimbabwe,
Part 4 (18th January 2018)
-
Steam in Indonesia,
Part 3 (5th January 2018)
-
Steam in
Zimbabwe,
Part 3 (22nd December 2017)
-
Steam in Indonesia
Part 2 (9th December 2017)
-
Steam in Zimbabwe,
Part 2 (20th November 2017)
-
Steam in Indonesia,
Part 1 (9th November 2017)
-
Steam in Zimbabwe,
Part 1 (27th October 2017)
Steam in Australia -
Victoria - VR steam, going out with a whimper or a bang? (13th October
2017)
Steam in India, The
South Eastern Railway, Part 3, Kharagpur and Waltair (28th September
2017)
Steam in Australia
- The South Maitland Railway Part 2, Neath (14th September 2017)
Steam in Australia
- The South Maitland Railway Part 1, Bellbird (31st August 2017)
Steam in India, The
South Eastern Railway, Part 2, Ranchi Part 2 (17th August 2017)
Steam in India, The
South Eastern Railway, Part 1, Ranchi Part 1 (3rd August 2017)
Steam in Turkey, 1984, Part
10 - Afyon (20th July 2017)
Steam in India, The
Northeast Frontier Railway, Darjeeling (6th July 2017)
Steam in Turkey, 1984, Part
9 - Irmak (23rd June 2017)
Steam in Turkey, 1984, Part
8 - Sivas (13th June 2017)
Steam in India, The
Central Railway,
Part 4, Agra (26th May 2017)
Steam in India, The
Central Railway,
Part 3, Agra (14th May 2017)
Steam in India, The
Central Railway,
Part 2, Agra (2nd May 2017)
Steam in Turkey, 1984, Part
7 - Samsun - Sivas (15th April 2017)
Steam in Turkey, 1984, Part
6 - Ulukisla - Kayseri - Sivas (1st April 2017)
Steam in India, The
Central Railway,
Part 1, Mathura (18th March 2017)
Steam in India, The
Western Railway,
Part 6, Ajmer (4th March 2017)
Steam in India, The
Western Railway,
Part 5, Mahesana (19th February 2017)
Steam in Turkey, 1984, Part
5 - Through the Cilician Gate (6th February 2017)
Steam in Turkey, 1984, Part
4 -
Afyon to Konya (20th January 2017)
Steam in India, The
Western Railway,
Part 4, Bhavnagar (8th January 2017)
Steam in India, The
Western Railway,
Part 3, Nadiad (25th December 2016)
Steam in India, The
Western Railway,
Part 2, Godhra, Part 2 (10th December 2016)
Steam in India, The
Western Railway,
Part 1, Godhra, Part 1 (27th November 2016)
Steam in Turkey, 1984, Part
3 - Egridir (14th November 2016)
Steam in Turkey, 1984, Part
2 - Kutahya and Afyon (31st October 2016)
Steam in Turkey,
1984, Part 1 - European Turkey (22nd October 2016)
Steam in India, The
South Central Railway,
Part 3, Miraj (3rd October 2016)
Steam in Australia
- end of steam on NSWGR-5, The Short North Part 2 (20th September 2016)
Steam in India, The
South Central Railway,
Part 1, Goa Part 2 (7th September 2016)
Steam in India, The
South Central Railway,
Part 1, Goa Part 1 (1st September 2016)
Steam in India, The Southern Railway,
Part 6, Niligiri (9th August 2016)
Steam in India, The Southern Railway,
Part 5,
Coimbatore and Mettupalyam (25th July 2016)
Steam in Australia
- end of steam on NSWGR-4, The Short North Part 1 (12th July
2016)
Steam in India, The Southern Railway,
Part 4, The WL Pacifcs (27th June 2016)
Steam in Australia
- end of steam on NSWGR-3 (13th June 2016)
Steam in India, The Southern Railway,
Part 3, Cochin
(31st May 2016)
Steam in Australia
-
Hexham and the Richmond Vale Railway,
1972, end of steam on NSWGR-2 (16th May 2016)
Steam in India,
The Southern Railway - Part 2,
Trichy (5th May 2016)
Steam in Australia - New South Wales, 1972, end of steam on NSWGR-1
(19th April 2016)
Steam in India, The Southern
Railway- Part1, Madras and Bangalore
(31st March 2016)
-
Steam in Australia - Victoria (22nd March
2016)
Wilson Lythgoe has been circulating friends with some steam pictures taken
some time back and with his permission and encouragement they are reproduced
on these pages. Now they have come to the 'End of the Line' I would like to
thank Wilson for his efforts, it has been a privilege to host such an
eclectic mixture of tales.. He titled them appropriately "Once upon a time, long ago, in a place
faraway..." I would welcome similar contributions from other veteran
gricers of which I now count as one.
-
Ja1246 Christchurch to Kaikoura Monday 27th October 1969 (11th March 2016)
-
A West Coast Weekend, Labour Weekend (20th - 22nd October) 1984 Part 2
(12th February 2016)
-
Tauranga & nearby, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, May 1972
(16th January 2016)
-
The South Pacific Steam Safari, Easter 1972
(1st January 2016)
-
A West Coast Weekend, Labour Weekend (20th - 22nd October) 1984 Part 1
(8th December 2015)
-
Tasmanian Railways, 125 years young in 1996 (16th November 2015)
-
Of Railcars and Goods with Car attached, December 1972 (29th October 2015)
-
Bits and Pieces from around Canterbury (10th October 2015)
-
One Fine Day............, 12th March 1971, Part 2 (17th September 2015)
-
South of the Waitaki (25th August 2015)
-
Of Electrics and Steamers at Christchurch, March - August 1969 (28th July
2015)
-
One Fine Day............, 12th March 1971, Part 1 (1st July 2015)
-
The Main Trunk in a Day!, early 1972 (5th June 2015)
-
Steam Heat at Waltham Car Yard, September 1969
(14th May 2015)
-
Meandering in the Mamakus, Part III (24th April 2015)
-
Something for Nothing......... Wednesday 27th August 1969
(1st April 2015)
-
Still Lurking at Linwood, April - August 1969
(11th March 2015)
-
The Last Run of the
Last Kb, 22nd June 1969 (19th February 2015)
-
Meandering in the Mamakus, Part II (2nd February 2015)
-
Steam Heat on Lyttleton Wharf, Winter 1969 (13th January 2015)
-
The Diminishing Canterbury Steam Scene,
August 1968 - March 1969 (21st December 2014)
-
A West Coast Miscellany (25th November 2014)
-
The Seasider Mixed, Saturday 22nd March 1969 (3rd November 2014)
-
Unexpected Gems at Innsbruck, July 1980 (8th October 2014)
-
The Double Headed Kb Excursion, Christchurch to Arthurs Pass on Saturday 29 July 1967
(17th September 2014)
-
More Travels in the Far North of New Zealand, October 1973 (28th August
2014)
-
A Sixth Look at New Zealand’s Last Great Steam Train, 1969 (6th August
2014)
-
The Rewanui Incline,
Thursday, 15th May 1969 (15th July 2014)
-
More Canterbury Happenings, September 1967 to May 1968
(25th June 2014)
-
The Kalka to Simla Narrow Gauge Railway, January 1985 (9th Jun 2014)
-
The Great Linwood Loco Line Up 1969 (15th May 2014)
-
Diesels in the Bay of Plenty, May - August 1971 (26th April 2014)
-
Salute to a Canterbury Workhorse: Ja 1240 (6th April 2014)
-
An Italian Interlude, July 1980 (12th March 2014)
-
Meandering in the Mamakus
(18th February 2014)
-
To Oamaru with Kb968, March 1969 (26th January 2014)
-
East and West of Delhi, January 1985 (6th January 2014)
-
Goods Train with Car Attached, (The Whangarei to Opua train in October 1973)
(15th December 2013)
-
Trials and Tribulations on a Saturday Morning, January 1969 (24th November
2013)
-
Across Northern Spain on the Metre Gauge, May 1980
(2nd November 2013)
-
Lurking at Linwood, The Steamy Heart of the Railways at Christchurch
(13th October 2013)
-
A Fifth Look at New Zealand's Last Great Steam Train, May 1969 (24th
September 2013)
-
Southern Sundays, Dunedin & Invercargill in December 1968
(31st August 2013)
-
From Mallets to Rail-bikes on the Réseau du Vivarais
(10th August 2013)
-
By Steam Train and Lake Steamer, November 1968
(20th July 2013)
-
The Glen Afton Branch, November 1971 (30th
June 2013)
-
Over the Hills and Far Away...The Tamega Line, Portugal, June 1980 (8th
June 2013)
-
Timaru Happenings..... November & December 1968 (18th May 2013)
-
Of B's, Ww's and others..... Christchurch and nearby in 1968 (27th April
2013)
-
More 2'6" Gauge on the Western Railway of India (6th April 2013)
-
Goods Train with Car Attached (The Otiria to Okaihau train in October 1973)
(16th March 2013)
-
And then there was
one.......We375, August 1968 (25th February 2013)
-
Another Visit to the Last Working Mallet Tender Engines in the World..., Java,
May 1983 (5th February 2013)
-
A Fourth Look at New Zealand's Last Great Steam Train, May 1969 (14th
January 2013)
-
Christchurch to Waiau
with Ab798, 1969 (27th December 2012)
-
Snow Trains, South Island New Zealand, 1968 (9th December 2012)
-
Over the Hills and Far Away, The Tua Line, Portugal, 1980 (26th November
2012)
-
A Little Loco goes a Long Way!, New Zealand, 1969 (11th November 2012)
-
South Canterbury Capers, 1968
(27th October 2012)
-
West Coast Wanderings, 1967/8 (13th October 2012)
-
New Year's Eve on the Indian Narrow Gauge, 1984 (29th
September 2012)
-
Yet another look at New Zealand's Last Great Steam Train, 1969 (15th
September 2012)
-
Christchurch Suburbs with a C, August 1968 (1st September 2012)
-
Broad Gauge Steam, Sind, Pakistan, 1985 (15th August 2012)
-
1968 NZ Railfans Reunion, Part 3 (1st August 2002)
-
Over the Hills and Far Away, The Corgo Line, Portugal, 1980 (updated 17th
August 2012)
-
Back on the West Coast & Riding the Rails Part 2, 1969 (5th July 2012)
-
Back on the West Coast & Riding the Rails Part 1, 1969 (21st June 2012)
-
The Locomotive Supervisor's Company Car, 1981 (6th June 2012)
-
More Steam from the Philippines, 1982 (16th May 2012) - This is tale
#50!
-
Town and Around, Christchurch, New Zealand, 1968 (6th May 2012)
-
1968 NZ Railfans Reunion, Part 2 (26th April 2012)
-
Another Journey on the Indian 2ft 6in gauge, Bhavnagar, 1985 (16th April
2012)
-
A Contrast in Age and Size, Madiun, Indonesia, 1983 (3rd April 2012)
-
Another look at New Zealand's Last Great Steam Train, 1969 (21st March 2012)
-
The Last Mixed Trains in Canterbury 1967/68 (12th March 2012)
-
Ponferrada - Villablino - Trains mainly on the Plains, May 1980 (1st
March 2012)
-
Glimpses of Pakistan, 1979 and 1985 (20th February 2012)
-
1968 NZ Railfans Reunion, Part 1 (8th February 2012)
-
La Carlota Sugar Central, Negros, Philippines, January 1982 (30th
January 2012)
-
The Little Ones of the Indian Metre Gauge, 1985 (21st January 2012)
-
Heading South Chasing Kb 968, 1969 (12th January 2012)
-
The 57 Class 2-10-2s of the Turkish Railways, 1981 (5th January 2012)
-
The 950mm Gauge in Sicily, 1980 (27th December 2011)
-
A Day on the Fairlie
Goods, 1967 (10th December 2011)
-
Another Canterbury
Miscellany, 1968 (30th November 2011)
-
New Zealand's Last Great Steam Train, 1968 (19th November 2011)
-
India's Southern Railway and I, 1981 (2nd November 2011)
-
A Disappointing Day at Rangkasbitung, West Java, 1983 (20th October
2011)
-
A Couple of Days on the Coast Part 2, 1969 (30th September 2011)
-
A Couple of Days on the Coast Part 1, 1969 (14th September 2011)
-
From Nowhere to Nowhere
via Very Little, 1985 (24th August 2011)
-
Steam in the Philippines 1982, Part 2 (15th August 2011)
-
The Oil Burners of Pakistan's Metre Gauge, 1985 (31st July 2011)
-
To Cass Or Bust,
An Enthusiast Excursion to Cass, 1968 (21st July 2011)
-
Ponferrada - Villablino, the Baldwin Tanks, 1980 (13th July 2011)
-
Super Power on the Canterbury Plains, 1968 (4th July 2011)
-
Night Time on the Midland Line, 1968/1969
(28th June 2011)
-
The Big Engines of the Indian Broad Gauge, 1981
(21st June 2011)
-
India's
Satpura Narrow Gauge Lines, 1981 (12th June 2011)
-
The
Hedjaz Railway: Damascus to Amman, 1981 (link corrected 6th June 2011)
-
From Turkey to Syria by Train and Bus, 1981 (24th May 2011)
-
Java Sugar Mills, 1983 (15th May 2011)
-
Three New Zealand Railfan Excursions 1967 Style (6th May 2011)
-
A Canterbury Miscellany from 1967 (25th April 2011)
-
YPs on India's Western Railway, 1985 (15th April 2011)
-
North-West Frontier
Narrow Gauge, 1985 (2nd April 2011)
-
Ponferrada - Villablino, the Hill Region,
1980
(21st March 2011)
-
Timaru in New Zealand's South Island, 1968
(9th March 2011)
-
The West Coast of New Zealand's South Island,
1967 (28th February 2011)
-
Shantipur, India, 1981
(19th February 2011)
-
Gwalior, India, 1981
(10th February 2011)
-
Kriegsloks in Turkey, 1981 (1st February 2011)
-
The Fairlie Branch in New Zealand's South Island, 1968
(25th January 2011)
-
Malakwal Junction,
Pakistan, 1985 (18th January 2011)
-
The Midland line in New Zealand's South
Island, 1968 (11th January 2011)
-
Delhi, India, 1981
(3rd January 2011)
-
Ma-Ao Sugar Central,
Negros, Philippines, 1982 (24th December 2010)
-
The last working Mallet tender locomotives in
the world, Java 1983 (17th December 2010)
An occasional series of articles on an island
theme, now completed.
Updated to include the short lived Sarawak
Government Railway (2nd July 2021, further minor update 11th June 2023).
-
A Garland of Islands, Part 1, Europe
(11th July 2012)
-
A Garland of Islands, Part 2, Common Carrier Railways in British and US True
Islands in the Caribbean (15th August 2012)
-
A Garland of Islands, Part 3,
Hispaniola, the Guianas ("honorary islands"), and Urban Trams in the Caribbean
(15th August 2012)
-
A Garland
of Islands, Part 4, Offshore from the American Continents (21st November
2012)
-
A Garland of Islands,
Part 5, “East Side Story”: Islands off the U.S.
Coast
(23rd December 2012)
-
A Garland of Islands,
Part 6, Africa 1
(23rd December 2012)
-
A Garland of Islands,
Part 7, Africa 2
(23rd December 2012)
-
A Garland of Islands, Part 8, Oceania: Hawaii, and Fiji
(23rd December 2012)
-
A Garland of Islands,
Part 9. Oceania: Tasmania, and New Caledonia
(7th March 2013)
-
A Garland of Islands,
Part 10. Asia 1 (9th June 2013, amended to include
Sarawak, 2nd July 2021)
-
A Garland of Islands,
Part 11. Asia 2 (12th September 2013)
The UK Daily Telegraph has a continuing feature http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/journeysbyrail/.
In 2008, they ran a writing competition, the accounts are a little shorter than
the journeys they describe, but worth reading (22nd
December 2008).
I highlighted Mike's
Railway History (4th March 2009) which has some very interesting items, basically a look at world
railway marvels in 1935. I noted that it was migrating to its own domain http://www.engrailhistory.info/
(2nd November 2013), sadly all the links on the original page are now dead and the domain name
is 'for sale'). However, I have reinstated the
original links for selected items which reflect the interests of those
likely to use my website: I have also taken the liberty of putting the full
list of links on this site (all this
9th June 2014). I am informed that Mike was actually 'Mike Irlam' and that
sadly he passed away circa 2014 (15th November 2021).
Glen Brewer's
Andrew Jones and Jonathan Lee
Robert Hall
Railway Journeys - Africa
Angola
Cameroon
Democratic Republic of the Congo (former Zaire)
Ghana:
Kenya
EARH/EARC
history (14th March 2009).
EARH/EARC
house magazine (Link dead by May 2023) from 1952 to 1960 as PDFs (complete set now available, 12th
March 2013), SPEAR now being processed.
Liberia:
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mocambique:
São Tomé e Príncipe
South Africa
Sudan
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Railway Journeys - Americas
South America
The Caribbean
Cuba
Brazil
Chile:
Cuba:
Dominican Republic
Guadeloupe
Guatemala:
Haiti
Honduras:
Martinique
Mexico
The F.C. Militar de Quintana
Roo, Mexico 2016 (13th February 2022)
The Mexicano del Pacifico Railroad - Mexico's last steam
powered railroad which lasted until 1994 (added 24th February 2021)
http://www.rypn.org/articles/single.php?filename=070317223522.txt
You name it, it's got it in! (13th December
2012)
Three visit reports from the end of steam
south of the border (19th October 2012):
Paraguay
St. Kitts
St. Lucia
Trinidad
'Tapir Baby' has pointed out that Colin Churcher has uploaded an album from
the Anthony W. Burges collection which contains 39 priceless images of, inter
alia, the Trinidad Government Railway - https://www.flickr.com/photos/colinchurcher/albums/72157669353693454
(8th March 2020).
Arguably this should be on the YouTube page but Glen
Beadon's films are far too interesting and important to be included in a
collection of trivia. Firstly four clips on the history of railways in
Trinidad:
Lost Railways including the last run before total
abandonment:
USA
Railway Journeys - Asia
Asia - Who would attempt this trip in 2018?
Burma (Myanmar):
In the land where the Gan-Tree grows
Hastings,
Domesday... More extraordinary journeys (12th December 2010) including
the journey directly linked below:
Rob
and Yuehong in the Golden Land, 2009, a bit of everything, amazing
train journeys, unconventional tourism with more than a dash of stationary steam
in the rice mills (updated 3rd March 2009) including the journeys directly
linked below:
China
India:
Anglo-Indians, a group who left an indelible mark on Indian
Railways (all these 8th May 2018)
A Glimpse of Imperial Indian Railways (31st August 2017)
The Railways of Imperial India (15th April 2017)
A trip of a lifetime (1st April 2014)
Doing with diesels in India what an earlier generation
did with steam... Utterly and delightfully mad. (added 9th October 2011)
Diesel hauled trains but they are often incidental,
with the kind of wonderful atmospheric pictures that only Indian Railways
can produce (5th May 2012).
Broad and Narrow Gauge Mumbai and Gwalior
-
http://railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39510
(link broken by July 2020)
-
http://railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39525
(link broken by July 2020)
-
http://railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39597
(link broken by July 2020)
Broad Gauge - Agra, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer
Metre Gauge - Ahmedabad – Udaipur, Mavli – Marwar and Ratlam – Indore – Mhow – Khandwa – Akola
lines:
-
http://railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39853
(link broken by July 2020)
-
http://railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39872
(link broken by July 2020)
-
http://railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39921
(link broken by July 2020)
-
http://railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39977
(link broken by July 2020)
-
http://railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40064
(link broken by July 2020)
Descriptions of very many journeys in the backwaters of
India in the days when steam was king:
The Indian Railways Fan Club carries reports of its members
trips, a selection of the best of them is linked on this page (added 15th
September 2011):
Other stories including a visit to Sheopur Kalan from the IRFC
above:
Indonesia
-
Lebong Tandai Gold
Railway, Sumatra 2015 (1st January 2016) - documentary video link
added (28th November 2024)
-
Steam Up, John Joyce's picture of Javan
Steam in 1973 (10th October 2015)
-
The
End of Steam in South Sumatra, 1983 (5th August 2015)
-
The
Surabaya Steam Tram 1973 (added 26th October 2012)
-
Lebong
Tandai Gold Deposit, Indonesia, 1991 (24th October 2012, two extra
pictures 26th October 2012)
-
Steam in Indonesia 1977 -
13 parts! (1st September 2012)
-
Sumatran Steam 1974 Part
1 and Part
2 (1st May 2012)
-
The West Sumatra Coal Railway,
Indonesia, 1973 (5th September 2011)
-
The Incredible Stone Railway
at Gunung Kataran, 1973 (21st July 2011)
-
David
Longman at large in Java (2006)
-
A month in Java (1976) (21st November
2008, location changed 10th July 2009)
-
Gold
Mine Railways in Sumatra (updated 4th July 2009)
-
PNKA Wallahs (Indonesian steam
in the 1960s)
Israel
A series of articles arising from a February 2015 visit:.
Malaysia:
-
The Bukit Seraya Dam Railway
(27th February 2019, more information 3rd May 2022, you can download
the pdf.)
-
Malayan
Industrial Railways, 1969
- 1972 (new section 26th May 2016)
-
The Malayan Railway, 1969
- 1972 (final section 1st March 2016)
-
Frozen in Time, Tanjong Pagar Station, Singapore, February 2014
(4th March 2014)
-
The North Borneo Railway
(7th February 2013)
-
The Penang Hill Railway
2012 (video link added 16th April 2012)
-
A Tearful Farewell to Romance http://www.theasiamag.com/places/a-tearful-farewell-to-romance
(5th August 2011, link broken 5th April 2019)
-
A final look at Tanjong Pagar Station
(link corrected 21st August 2011)
-
Journeys through Tanjong Pagar
(5th August 2011)
-
A final trip to Tanjong Pagar
(5th August 2011)
-
The
Romance of the Railway - with many more interesting links
(5th August 2011)
-
The Penang Hill Railway
2009
-
The Penang Hill Railway
2010 (3rd January 2011)
-
Jungle
Railway Part 1 (link corrected 24th June 2009)
-
Jungle
Railway Part 2 (11th June 2009)
-
On
the Route of the E&O Express Part 1 (28th January 2010)
-
On
the Route of the E&O Express Part 2 (22nd February 2010)
-
The
Sabah State Railway (updated 6th June 2010 with a second visit plus
pictures, further update 5th June 2011, more pictures 21st June 2011)
Nepal
Sumit Sharma, Real India Journeys
Pakistan
Classic Gricing
Another gem from Owais Mughal (12th March 2010)
Owais Mughal has produced a series of articles
on items of railway heritage interest in Pakistan (9th
April 2009):
Philippines
Sri Lanka
Taiwan:
Thailand:
Bob Wilson on a journey during a classic railtour
A Singaporean writes about visits to Thailand:
Andrew Robinson at large
Accounts written by an expat in Southern Thailand in the
1970s.
-
Last
Train to Haadyai 1975, http://www.songkhlaline.com/Phil_Abbey/HAADYAI.html
(link dead by 25th August 2015)
-
The
Songkhla Bullet 197x, http://www.songkhlaline.com/Phil_Abbey/SONGKHLA.html
(link dead by 25th August 2015)
-
The
Smugglers' Express 1973, http://www.songkhlaline.com/Phil_Abbey/SMUGGLER.html
(link dead by 25th August 2015)
Not strictly 100% tales (but there
is lots of useful information too on this site):
Vietnam
Railway Journeys -
Australasia
Australia
Fiji
The extensive 610mm gauge sugar cane railway system on the Fijian island of Vita Levu used to operate a free passenger train. It ran several times a week, and was usually hauled by a 4-4-0 built in Leeds by Hudswell Clarke and called
'Lautoka'. In the early 1960s Richard Hope, editor of the Railway Gazette, rode on the 'free train' and recorded his impressions. His daughter Caroline Linfitt has had the recording re-mastered and has now kindly made it available to
us. Click here for this MP3
Audio file. (23rd March 2021)
"Cane Train" by Peter Dyer and the late
Peter Hodge is a marvellous account of the railways here. Published by the
New Zealand Railway & Locomotive Society Inc., in 1988 it is still
available from them www.railsoc.org.nz.
The Fiji Sugar Corporation has 'borrowed' the images from the book which
provide a taste of its contents http://www.fsc.com.fj/history_of_sugar_in_fiji.htm
(link broken by December 2021, 6th October 2012).
This is also covered in my Tiger
Steam - Fiji feature.
Railway Journeys -
Europe
General
Austria
The Azores
Belgium
BeNeLux Countries
(Former) Czechoslovakia:
Denmark
France
Germany
Ireland
Robert Hall playing 'catch up' again...
Robert Hall's views on the current scene
and lament for being 70 years too late...
John Raby's Peat Bog Blog (all 21st
August 2010)
Jugoslavia:
Norway:
Poland:
Robert Hall has written at length about his experiences of
train travel in Poland in the closing years of steam:
Robert has also written two epilogues:
Portugal:
Romania:
Russia:
Slovenia:
Spain:
Sweden
UK
Non Railway Journeys
Burma (Myanmar):
China:
Indonesia:
Malaysia:
Thailand:
United Kingdom
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