Last weekend I went on a rail photographing trip to Khok Salung north of Bangkok. This location is the only place in the whole of Thailand where a photograph of a train can be taken with water as a backdrop. A little background on Khok Salung. Khok Salung is located 176.55km from Bangkok on the Bua Yai – Kaeng Khoi line. The station and railway track is elevated about 10 meters above street level at Khok Salung. This is the only SRT station that is elevated. The station at Khok Salung was built in 1999 after the former route was lost to the rising water of the recently completed Pasak Chonlasit Dam. Prior to 1999 there was no rail service to Khok Salung. The entire town of Khok Salung is below the water level of the lake and is enclosed on almost all sides by 10 meter high earth and rock embankments. The railway has to cross the lake of Pasak Chonlasit Dam in 5 locations on huge concrete rail bridges that stretch for a total length of 18.1km. Some of the these rail bridges are built as wide curves this makes the rail bridges one of a kind in Thailand as all other rail bridges in Thailand are straight. The bridges are simple in design, consisting of hundreds of support columns and a flat concrete bridge deck on which a ballasted single railway track is laid. The rails are not bolted directly to the bridge deck as is common in many other parts of the world. The signal system for this new section of railway via Khok Salung was recycled from the old line thus this new section of railway has full semaphore signalling rather than computer controlled signalling as is the case on all new lines. However the Bua Yai – Kaeng Khoi line is a fairly recently built line by SRT standards opening in 3 stages between 1956 and 1967. The line was built to allow faster cargo train access to Issan. Through the bypassing of a very steep 50 km long 1 in 24 grade on the main line to Korat. That even today still requires cargo trains to be split in half so they can get up the grade on the Korat line. Using the Bua Yai line greatly reduces the grades removing the need for train splitting. In terms of passenger train movements the Bua Yai – Kaeng Khoi line is rather under used and has one of the lowest densities of population for any railway in Thailand. Most passenger trains on this line are in the form of DMU's rather than loco hauled trains. This means daytime train variety is some what limited and on weekends there are no daytime cargo trains. 9. This is a shot of the signal control system inside the station office at Khok Salung. There is one machine for each direction. They are connected to the next station via telephone cables that run along the tracks. They are made by Westinghouse Brake and Signal but where produced in a factory in Calcutta. These machines date back to the days of British India. 10. This is an image of the numerous signal and point levers inside the signal box at the southern end of Khok Salung station. 15. This is a shot of the 6.20am Bua Yai rural commuter train. Taken as it was crossing the curved rail bridge at Khok Salung. Train type RH DMU. Note the black smoke pouring out of it as it powers up. 18. This is another angle on the 6.40am Kaeng Khoi train. Taken as it was passing the signal post on the bridge. The signals in the background are set for this train.
19. This is another angle on the 6.40am Kaeng Khoi train. Taken as it was almost across the curved rail bridge. Train type RH DMU. DMU number 1013. Note the red cloth tied to the outside of the drivers cab. 21. This is a shot of the 9.39am rural commuter train to Kaeng Khoi. Taken from the lower grass area near the curved bridge at the northern end of Khok Salung station. In the foreground people can be seen fishing. 25. This is a close up shot of the inbound signal on the curved rail bridge. Taken from on the bridge looking south. This signal has two separate signals on the same mast. The speed for all trains in this direction is 105 kph if running express and 30 kph if stopping or using the loop at Khok Salung station. 29. This is another angle of the 11.16am Udon Thani train. Taken as it was crossing the curved rail bridge at Khok Salung. The mountains can be clearly seen in the background. The aircon on this train is not very good and is often out of order leading to very stuffy carriages.
32. This is a closer image of the 12.38pm Bua Yai train. Taken on top of the rail bridge just as it was about to pass by. Train type RH DMU. Train number 1018. 34. This is a very wide angle shot of the 1.52pm Bangkok express train. Taken looking east from the embankment. Note how the sky and water appear to join in the background. Train type THN DMU with a Tokyu aircon carrage. If you would like to see more images and read more about this area please visit: Thai Mass Transport Systems: SRT: Khok Salung and Pasak Chonlasit Dam. I hope you find the pictures and vehicles shown to be of interest if you view this please post some comments and feelings about the pictures.
I for one always enjoy seeing reports like this so please keep posting!!!!!!! :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up:
Fascinating pictures. :thumbs_up: The point and signal levers look very similar to ones on the non-electrified lines in Slovenia.
