Far from the daily grind* (page 2 of 2)

If I had a piggy bank to smash open, I’d totally buy a train + the line to run it on and the staff to take care of it—it’d be my train, and I’d invite all my friends to party on it. There’d be a bar car, a rock-stage car, an open-air pool car, an Isan cuisine car, other cuisine cars, a lounge car, alcove cars, a Kathmandu-themed car, a dorm car... But no daycare car—kids stay on the platform, thanks.

If I had a piggy bank to smash, I’d totally buy a train + the line to run it on and the staff to take care of it—it’d be my train, and I’d invite all my friends to party on it. There’d be a bar car, a rock-stage car, an open-air pool car, an Isan cuisine car, other cuisine cars, a lounge car, a nook car, a Kathmandu car, a dorm car... But no daycare car—kids stay on the platform, thanks.

Where do we buy shares? 😂

As they say on VoyageForum, I'm hopping on the 😏 train

As they say on VoyageForum, I’m hopping on the 😏 train

+ 1 !

Southern Line, between Nong Pladuk and Ban Pong:

As they say on VoyageForum, I’m hopping on the 😏 carriage

It’s a collaborative train—we’re waiting for your contributions ;) And given your track record, you’ve got no excuses! 😎

Okay, I’ve got two questions: - Why black and white? - How do you take these kinds of photo-reportage shots? Do you work with them during the day?

Why black & white?

Because at the time, I had joined a club to learn how to develop black & white film, and I needed material. This series comes from scanned black & white negatives.

But here, in another place:







Since these work trains are usually on assignment far from their base, "caboose" wagons are converted into dormitories for the workers:

♫ Hello... ♫

Second part of the series dedicated to the so-called Maeklong Railway, started earlier on August 18th and 19th by Dennis2 and myself on the Bangkok Wong Wian Yai to Mahachai section. We arrive at the first photo below after taking the short ferry ride from Mahachai. Only 3 trains a day on this section.













Arrival at the market seen from the train’s steps—we really pass *very* close. The vendors on either side of the track lift their awnings to let the train through. Outside of these moments, the awnings are down, and the street is almost completely shaded:





I’ll post more photos of the market later.

Kanchanaburi, the level crossing on Thanon Saenchooto/Route 323:



Manual block system (single-track occupancy by a train) Thai-style:



Not always modern or well-maintained equipment 😎...

Nong Pladuk Junction station (Southern Line, very close to where I took the other black-and-white photos of the ballast renewal train a bit earlier in the thread). This is where the River Kwai line to Kanchanaburi and Namtok departs from (today) and (formerly) to Burma, built by Allied prisoners under Japanese authority. Like some French stations (Surdon, Tessonnières...), the village of Nong Pladuk may only have a few houses, but it’s on its territory that this junction station is located (which has since been renovated since the photos were taken), and it’s somewhat locally known for it. The branch to Suphanburi (see sign) is only used by one train per day in each direction—one in the morning to take workers to Bangkok and one in the evening for their return.

This time, it's finally happening—after the first two parts of the Mae Khlong Railway photos, which focused on the two sections of the line itself, we’re now at the market on the rails. After the train passes, the vendors lower their awnings, transforming the place into a kind of covered market.

Love this story about the Thai railway network! I’m gonna enjoy following along!

Love this story about the Thai railway network! I’m gonna enjoy following along!

Looks like you’ve missed the train on this one ;P

...but based on what’s mentioned in the original post, which I’m quoting below:

You can post your photos here as long as they fit the theme: rolling stock**, stations**, platforms, tracks (even without trains), technical equipment, engineering structures (bridges, viaducts), etc... all in Thailand. For each photo, I’ll (or you’ll) indicate the station or line where it was taken. Comments and questions are welcome.

* train ** interiors or exteriors

you and others can "catch up" by posting your own photos on the topic.

It's never too late... An interesting topic because I also love train travel... even in Thailand and in third class... even though I prefer first class with real berths! Unfortunately, there aren’t many photos, but I do have this one, taken between Bangkok and Nong Khai on a July night.



Excerpt from a travel journal about a trip to Luang Prabang in 2023:

The train stops frequently to let other trains traveling in the opposite direction pass, and during one of these stops, the car (beautifully lit) is suddenly swarmed by real clouds of flying insects. They’re absolutely everywhere—the worst part is that as soon as you touch them, they tend to lose their wings and turn into crawling insects. The floor quickly becomes a real slippery mess… not very pleasant. Fortunately, they eventually disappear (well, the ones that didn’t lose their wings, anyway!) once the train gets back up to cruising speed…

Some lovely non-padded midnight-blue faux-leather seats for 600 km—we really don’t hold back!...

Thanks for your input.