HualampongNews:Shunt Stunt

[Wisarut]

Eelephant Well? That's the Elephant Monument in front of Bangkok Railway Station .... take on the early 1950's .... when the monument has been convered into public bunker ...

http://www.2bangkok.com/06/elephantwell.jpg

This elephent monument has been erected since 1916 though .... It has been the KM Zero for all Thai railway sicne then ...

[Wisarut]

http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/srt/srthua.shtml

The building with red brick is SRT Werehouse Section (AKA the Red Building). It was opened on November 15, 1931 and it was renovated in 1997 for 100 year anniversary ....

It seems to me that SRT no longer use that warehouse anymore (same canbe said to the warehouse at Mae Nam station in Chong Nonsee) .... even though it was functioned as RSR HQ when the Main Building at Nopphawongse Bridge has been knocked down by Air raids ....

Oh, in Feb 1944, even Rajdhani Hotel (now SRT Officer) in Bangkok Station complex was bombed .... :(

[ncr]

Khun Wisarut, could you give us a translation of the memorial plaque (http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/srt/srtbld/plaque.jpg) in front of the armoured railcar (http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/srt/srtbld/SRT13.jpg)? It tells an interesting story related to the communist insurgence in the 1970s.....

My own attempt at translation yielded this so far:

On 10th July 1979, trying to rob a special train carrying salaries for SRT staff, communist insurgents detonated a bomb on the railway tracks of the Southern Line between Chong Khao and Ron Phibun, near kilometer marker 771/13, Amphoe Ron Phibun, Changwat Nakhon Si Thammarat.

phor. tor. thor. [phan/phon tamruat tho = police lieutenant colonel or lieutenant general?] Bunkoi Unwattana, deputy.... of ....no. 4, Rail Police Division, head of...... [armoured railcar....?] (ror. yor. kor. 1) and his group fought back valiantly, but the terrorists outnumbered them and were able to shoot...... and throw a bomb inside the armoured railcar, so that seven men died:

1) phor. tor. thor. Bunkoi Unwattana, deputy.... of ....no. 4
2) jor. sor. tor. La-iat Makmi, ..........
3) jor. sor. tor. Lop Thaothong, .......
4) jor. sor. tor. Srisak Sinamgnoen, ........
5) sor. tor. or Chusin Sanprasart, ........
6) phon.... Suwan Chaiya, ...........
7) Mr. Pricha Chitcharoen, Assistant........... of SRT

One other person was wounded and survived after receiving emergency aid: sor. dtor. or. Somnuek Kaewkraithong. The enemies of the fatherland did not succeed in stealing the state's property. The heroism of all involved is [forever honored and remembered by later generations, or something similar].

Those abbreviations for Thai ranks and titles are damn hard to understand!

[kuanteen]

Khun Wisarut, could you give us a translation of the memorial plaque (http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/srt/srtbld/plaque.jpg) in front of the armoured railcar (http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/srt/srtbld/SRT13.jpg)? It tells an interesting story related to the communist insurgence in the 1970s.....

My own attempt at translation yielded this so far:

On 10th July 1979, trying to rob a special train carrying salaries for SRT staff, communist insurgents detonated a bomb on the railway tracks of the Southern Line between Chong Khao and Ron Phibun, near kilometer marker 771/13, Amphoe Ron Phibun, Changwat Nakhon Si Thammarat.

phor. tor. thor. [phan/phon tamruat tho = police lieutenant colonel or lieutenant general?] Bunkoi Unwattana, deputy.... of ....no. 4, Rail Police Division, head of...... [armoured railcar....?] (ror. yor. kor. 1) and his group fought back valiantly, but the terrorists outnumbered them and were able to shoot...... and throw a bomb inside the armoured railcar, so that seven men died:

1) phor. tor. thor. Bunkoi Unwattana, deputy.... of ....no. 4
2) jor. sor. tor. La-iat Makmi, ..........
3) jor. sor. tor. Lop Thaothong, .......
4) jor. sor. tor. Srisak Sinamgnoen, ........
5) sor. tor. or Chusin Sanprasart, ........
6) phon.... Suwan Chaiya, ...........
7) Mr. Pricha Chitcharoen, Assistant........... of SRT

sor. dtor. or. Somnuek Kaewkraithong = ส.ต.อ. = สิบตำรวจเอก
phor. dtor. thor = พ.ต.ท. = พันตำรวจโท (same rank as Thaksin)
phon is abbreviated as พล. for example, phon. dtor. tor would be พล.ต.ท or พลตำรวจเอก
jor. sor. tor. = จ.ส.ต. = จ่าสิบตรี
jor. sor. or. = จ.ส.อ. = จ่าสิบเอก

It would be nice if someone could provide a link to Thai military/police ranks and its western equivalents.

[ncr]

It would be nice if someone could provide a link to Thai military/police ranks and its western equivalents.I haven't found such a site yet, but the Longdo Dictionary (http://dict.longdo.org/) is excellent to look up the ranks that you gave:

sor. dtor. or. = ส.ต.อ. = สิบตำรวจเอก = police sergeant
phor. dtor. thor = พ.ต.ท. = พันตำรวจโท (same rank as Thaksin) = police lieutenant colonel
phon is abbreviated as พล. for example, phon. dtor. tor would be พล.ต.ท or พลตำรวจเอก = police lieutenant general
jor. sor. tor. = จ.ส.ต. = จ่าสิบตรี = ??? doesn't seem to exist - don't you think it rather means จ่าสิบตำรวจ = police sergeant major?
jor. sor. or. = จ.ส.อ. = จ่าสิบเอก = sergeant major

But apart from that, we still have some other things missing in the above translation.... could a native speaker give it a try?

[qualtrough]

NCR,

I am not a native speaker, but after reading that plaque I don't think you have missed anything that is critical to understanding this event.

[Wisarut]

Honor the Heroic Action

CPT terrorists were attempting to do train heist on the train carryying salary for Railway officers
in the SOuth by bombing the railway track at the 13th Telegraph pole of km 771 between Chong khao and
Ronphiboon station on July 10, 1979.

Pol.Lt.Col. Bunkoy Unwatthana (Deputy of the 4th division of Railway Police, the head of the 1st armored
train unit) and his men went to fight against CPT with valor. However, CPT terrorists had sent more troops
to round the armour trains and tossed grenades inside this armour train, cauing 7 KIA

1) Pol.Lt.Col. Bunkoy Unwatthana (Deputy of the 4th division of Railway Police)
2) Pol.Sen.Sgt. La-iad Makmee (the squard from Railway Polcie HQ)
3) Pol.Sen.Sgt. Lop Thaothong (the squard from Railway Police HQ
4) Pol.Sen.Sgt. Srisak Seenamnguen (The 3rd squard, the 2nd division, Railway Police)
5) Pol.Sgt. Choosilp Sanprasarn (The 3rd squard, the 2nd division, Railway Police)
6) Pol.Pvt. Suwan Chaiya (The 3rd squard, the 2nd division, Railway Police)
7) Mr. Preecha Jitcharoen (the deputy SRT locomotive inspector)

Only 1 police was under serious wound, Pol.Sgt. Somnuek Kaeokraithong.

Nevertheless, CPT Terrrorists failed to seize the salary train for SRT officers and other government assets.

Their valors would be honored for children and grand children ....

[ncr]

NCR, I am not a native speaker, but after reading that plaque I don't think you have missed anything that is critical to understanding this event.Well, I just wanted to make it complete.... thanks, Khun Wisarut, for your version.

And what, by the way, is a rong phu amnuai kan fai kan phasadu (http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/srt/srtbld/SRT23.jpg)?

พัสดุ basically means "parcel", but has some other meanings as well. How would you translate that? Maybe "Deputy Director, Inventory Division"?

[Wisarut]

rong phu amnuai kan fai kan phasadu -> Deputy Director of RSR Store (Warehouse) Division.

[GWR]

This is an http://www.2bangkok.com story if ever I saw one! Photographic contributions welcome if you were in the vicinity! This has happened before, some decades back. Last time it was a run-away loco, however!:

Train hits ticket booth in Hua Lampong

A passenger car of the Bangkok-Sungai Kolok train accidentally hit into a ticket booth inside the Bangkok Railway station, police said.

The accident happened at 2:15 pm when the train was reversing into a track of Platform 4 of the station for passengers to get on board.

The last car became loose and got out of control and hit into the ticket booth, causing panic among waiting passengers.

Railway officials took about 30 minutes to salvage the car.

The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30030468

[GWR]

Train crashes into ticket office in Bangkok

(BangkokPost.com) - A Bangkok-Sungai Kolok train colluded into a ticket booth of Hua Lamphong station when it was approaching a platform Wednesday afternoon after a hook joining the head and its cars fell off.

One staff was slightly injured in the accident.

Officials said the hook linking the head and its 12 cars fell off when the train was stopping at the Hua Lamphong station, causing all of the cars to crash into the ticket office and a restroom.

Because the train was empty, no passengers were wounded, police said.

Manop Tassanakiri, the train controller, confirmed with the police that this was an accident, not a terrorist attack. However, police were investigating the scene and questioning witnesses before reaching a conclusion.

The train, which was scheduled to leave the station at 3.10 pm., was expected to delay its operation for about half an hour.

Link may expire:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=117727

[qualtrough]

Waiting to get a tire repaired today I saw a photo of a train that had overshot the buffer at Hualumphong on the cover of one of the local papers. Caption said it was running from Sungnai Golok to BKK. Looked like track 4 to me. Caption addeed that it ran into the ticket office toilets, but fortunately nobody was hurt. Smashed end on diesel railcar, and torn up concourse were evident.

Not the first time this has happened. In the 80s a loco got loose at Bangsue (I think) and ran unattended into the main concourse. Killed some there and a taxi driver too on the way in. Layout of station was different then it is today.

[GWR]

http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=2321

It was also on Channel 11 Newsline. I waited to get a picture, but the bloody newsreader read the wrong news with the pictures and the camera battery decided to give up the ghost as I fumbled to switch it. And frankly the footage didn't show anything more exciting than a crumbled railcar end anyway.

[GWR]

It was also on Channel 11 Newsline. I waited to get a picture, but the bloody newsreader read the wrong news with the pictures and the camera battery decided to give up the ghost as I fumbled to switch it. And frankly the footage didn't show anything more exciting than a crumbled railcar end anyway. Another thread says it wrecked a toilet in the ticket office block:

http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?p=14162&posted=1#post14162

[Wisarut]

Well, that's Southern Speciasl Express 37 (BKK - Sugei Golok) running agaionst the buffer due to the violent bumping :eek:

More photo can be seen here:
http://portal.rotfaithai.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=1136

[ncr]

Seems it left some scratches in the floor tiles....
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g113/nooneung/28%2003%202007/P1000181copy.jpg

[GWR]

CDA members leave for Hua Hin on special train

Members of the Constitution Drafting Assembly depart on a special train from Hua Lampong station for Hua Hin Monday morning to attend a seminar.

They depart on the nine-car train, which was modified as mobile meeting rooms by the Thaksin government.

They will attend a brain-storming seminar on how to launch awareness campaigns on the new draft constitution.

The Nation


http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30039976

[GWR]

This protest described below - yesterday (August 1) - seems to be the same as that featured on our frontpage today:

http://www.2bangkok.com

Mob blocking trains at Hua Lumphong
August 1, 2007

Pakorn writes: As of 5pm [on August 1], a mob of unknown persuasion (no news about it in the media that I'm aware of) is blocking the trains at the Hua Lumphong station.

Anyone know anything about this incident?

http://www.2bangkok.com/07/rail1.jpg

http://www.2bangkok.com/07/rail2.jpg

http://www.2bangkok.com/07/rail3.jpg

[All Photos: Pakorn]

02 August 2007
Transportation Committee to resolve issue concerning strike held by cleaning employees of the SRT
The Transportation Committee of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) said it will quickly seek a solution to rumours of lay-offs of cleaners working for the State Railway Transport Ltd (SRT). The SRT cleaning division recently held a protest in retaliation to rumours of lay-offs by the state agency.

Admiral Bannawit Kengrien (บรรณวิทย์ เก่งเรียน), Chairman of the committee, said after discussing the problems with SRT laborers and SRT executives, affirms that SRT has not decided to lay off all SRT cleaning laborers, informing that SRT just rotate them to work in other positions. However, the rotation has caused the dissatisfaction among the laborers due to cheaper wages.

Tomorrow (Aug 3rd), at 17.30 hours, the SRT will invite representatives from various cleaning companies to find out which company will be more flexible and favourable to employment conditions in the SRT.
Reporter : RTI-Reporter04

http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/previewnews.php?news_id=255008020035

Thanks to Bangkok Pundit (http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/) for this contribution:

Protest delays trains

EMPLOYMENT :About 100 cleaners yesterday prevented trains leaving Hua Lampong station in protest at the state railway's decision not to renew their employment.

They placed wooden sleepers on rail tracks, preventing at least three trains from leaving the terminal and stranding hundreds of passengers in the afternoon.

They claimed the railway was hiring a new cleaning company.

Adm Bannawit Kengrian, chairman of the transport committee in the National Legislative Assembly, suggested the railway management meet with the protesters to work out assistance measures.

The protesters later dispersed and train services resumed at 6.30pm.

Link may expire. Scrolling required:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/020807_News/02Aug2007_news99.php

[qualtrough]

I had an hour to kill at Hualomphong today and spent most of it recording the various mfg. of the old rails used to support the canopy on platform 6-7. Here they are for what it is worth:

Belvel 38-RSR
Carnegie ET USA 1926 (and 1914, 1921)
British-I-Steel RSR 2481 [1930?)
Cammell's Toughened Steel 1892 Sec 430 N.R.R.
D.L. & Co., Ltd. 1906
Cockerille 1924 SSR
Cockerille 1928 SSR
D. & L. Co. (N.E.S. Co., Ltd.) 1908
H. Wendell 1924 SSR
Rodange 1939 RSR-B.B.
Barrow Steel 1898 S476 S.S.R
SJC 1923 SSR

Anybody know what N.R.R. was? Meant for another railway and diverted?

[qualtrough]

Rob Dickinson informed me last night that N.R.R. would have been Nakorn Ratchsima Railway, so that is a very early rail indeed in these parts.

[Wisarut]

I had an hour to kill at Hualomphong today and spent most of it recording the various mfg. of the old rails used to support the canopy on platform 6-7. Here they are for what it is worth:

Belvel 38-RSR
Carnegie ET USA 1926 (and 1914, 1921)
British-I-Steel RSR 2481 [1938] (probably the attempt of Makkasan Foundary to produce stell rails on theri own ... very small quantitity)
Cammell's Toughened Steel 1892 Sec 430 N.R.R. -> Metro cammel -> British
D.L. & Co., Ltd. 1906
Cockerille 1924 SSR -> british
Cockerille 1928 SSR -> British
D. & L. Co. (N.E.S. Co., Ltd.) 1908
H. Wendell 1924 SSR -> Dutch Rails
Rodange 1939 RSR-B.B. -> Belgian Rails
Barrow Steel 1898 S476 S.S.R
SJC 1923 SSR

Anybody know what N.R.R. was? Meant for another railway and diverted?

Ahh ... you can find these old rails as the fiber optic poles alogn ther railway lines as well as the suporting poles of the platform roofs ...

Well, the branch line like Sawankhaloke as well as Banlaem - Maeklong stilk use the old 50 lb rail taken from the main lines though.

The railway yands of major stations as well as possing loops of most line use the good old 50 lb rails taken out of the main lines ...

Khirirat Nikhom & Suphanburi branch use 60 lb rails


You can even see the Nippon Steel (with S within the Sun Disk) in 1936 ...

SSR -> Siam State Railways
NRR -> Nakhon Rajsima Railways
RSR -> Royal State Railways

[qualtrough]

Thanks Khun Wisarut. I imagine there would still be rail brought here from Indonesia, Malaya, and elsewhere during WWII. It would be interesting to construct a list of all the rail mfgs. represented here. Perhaps people could add their findings here from time to time and at some point it could be compiled? Not the most exciting hobby, I admit!

[Wisarut]

Thanks Khun Wisarut. I imagine there would still be rail brought here from Indonesia, Malaya, and elsewhere during WWII. It would be interesting to construct a list of all the rail mfgs. represented here. Perhaps people could add their findings here from time to time and at some point it could be compiled? Not the most exciting hobby, I admit!

For the case of rails from FMSR, thsoe 75 lb rail are on Kanchanaburi route as well as the route from Thung Song to Huay Yod, and Khao Chumthong to Nakhon Srithamaraj (tuse or rehab the branch lines in 1973).

[GWR]

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/2362/010zr0.jpg
[Photo: RotFaiThai.com - Train heading to Nakhon Sawan ran into food stalls at Hua Lamphong station in Bangkok on Tuesday afternoon because it experiences problems with the brake. There are reports of injuries.]

No report found as yet!

[Wisarut]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/frontpics/images/train.jpg
[Photo: Bangkok Post - Train heading to Nakhon Sawan ran into food stalls at Hua Lamphong station in Bangkok on Tuesday afternoon because it experiences problems with the brake. There are reports of injuries. — Somchai Poomlard]

No report found as yet!

You are refering to ORD 207 hitting Hua Lamphong during shunting due to the broken couplers ... which can be seen heree:
http://portal.rotfaithai.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=2755

[The Enforcer!]

You are refering to ORD 207 hitting Hua Lamphong during shunting due to the broken couplers ... which can be seen heree:
http://portal.rotfaithai.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=2755

If it was merely being shunted how did it achieve sufficient momentum to jump the safety overrun zone?

The Enforcer!