trainman wrote:Thai time again. Noticed on this last trip that the rail link from the new
airport in Bangkok has really progressed. The complete structure is raised
above ground on concrete foundations and is now almost in the main city
centre near the hotels in the Pratunam area. The line follows one of the
rail lines in the city, and looks like it will join up with the current
overhead suburban train set in the city. You should now be able to get off
the plane onto the train and avoid all the traffic, finally getting off at
the hotels. Gautrain take note!!
I took a walk from the Baiyoke Towers no 2 hotel towards the Makassan
station and railway workshops. I found a row of smashed diesels and a good
few staged steam locos. I could not get near and had to peer over a fence,
as there is the rail link construction site and hard hat area. I did see a
quaint loco with the Wild West type smokestack. It was a real small loco.
There were about five steamers. Near the workshop proper, I videoed three
tank locomotives, in green livery. They looked complete but had a lot of
shrubbery around them.
Saw a diesel hauled freight coming through the station and noticed that the
Station Master rings a huge brass bell, to announce the arrival of a
passenger train. They run three coach sets with the lead one being diesel
powered. Actually all the stuff is diesel powered.
If you get to Katchanaburri where the Bridge on the River Kwaie is, there
are some plinthed locos and a Japanese rail truck that they converted during
the war. But then I did report on that once before.
