Pra Phutthabhat railway

[von Hirschhorn]

Well the list is there and open for questioning and more: waiting for new lines or specifications about the already mentioned.
The first came from Reiner, he writes: The Hua Wai line was a budget item in 1922 for a lenght of 28 km. It was sanctioned by His Majesty, the King, to be opened to general traffic, so that traders may bring down produce and livestock ... from the Nam Sak Valley to ... Hua Wai.
The line apparantly closes some time before the war. The line mentioned in the list was built after the war, presumably as a replacement and as meter gauge branch of the main northern line. It extended, correctly, over 19 km upto a place called Baan Plai Rang Mai (New Railhead Village). Construction was abandoned around the mid eighties and the track taken up.
In fact, it seemed when surveying the area, that the road bed to Tha Takho was prepared over a considerable lenght, but the line never reached its destination.
Thanks to Reiner, I am waiting for the next.

[Wisarut]

According to data from The National Archieves it saidthat this line has been converd from 60-cm gauge to meter guage - only that 19 km track as you have said - in 1939. the rest is covered by road.
However, the line ceased from existence in 1966 and local highway has taken over that railway.

For the case of Phraputthabat line (Tha Ruea - Phra Phutthabat),
it was constructed as 75 cm guage consturction started in 1901 but it was opened for traffic around 1905-06. It got the Diesel engines around 1930's. The contract with Royal Railway Dept has been signed in 1931 as the way to transfer the propery from Prin Narathip Praphanphong (the founder of this line) to his son
(Momchao Nittayakorn Worawan)

The Steam Engine of this line has the maximum speed of 20 km/hr and usually turned over when riding . The diesel engines had the maximum speed of 30 km/hr

The main station were only at Tharuea and Phra Phutthabat. The other had the status as "Stop" - since even the one which have the name "station" had NO station master to handle.

The ticket rate was increased 5 Satang for each station
when it was opened aroudn 1906:

Tha Ruea Station - Bang Khamod - 5 Satang
Tha Ruea Station - Bo Sok (Sang Sok) Station - 10 Satang
Tha Ruea Station - Nong Khonthee Station - 15 Satang
Tha Ruea Station - Khao Liaw Station - 20 Satang
Tha Ruea Station - Chao Pho Khao Tok Station - 25 Satang
Tha Ruea Station - Phra Phutthabat Station - 30 Satang

Usually, the stationmaster usualy givng aluminum plates to the passengers as souveniers but some didn't like them since they were stamped with Buddha Footprints in very crude form.

// -------------------------------------------------------------------
Before the end of services in July 1942, the ticket rate has been raisted to 25 satang for each step

Tha Ruea Station - Bang Khamod - 25 Satang
Tha Ruea Station - Bo Sok (Sang Sok) Station - 50 Satang
Tha Ruea Station - Nong Khonthee Station - 75 Satang
Tha Ruea Station - Khao Liaw Station - 1 Baht
Tha Ruea Station - Chao Pho Khao Tok Station - 1.25 Baht
Tha Ruea Station - Phra Phutthabat Station - 1.50 Baht

There were 7 stations alogn thsi line:
1. Tha Ruea (Opposite to the old Governmetn Saving Bank, Tha Ruea Branch, now becoming a house of Mr Chumnum and family)

2. Bang Khamod
3. Bo Sok (Sang Sok - still have some reminent of this station)
4. Nong Khonthee (still have some leftover taken photo by SRT photographers)
5. Khao Liaw
6. Chao Pho Khao Tok
7. Phra Phutthabat (now becoming Hok Iang Vegetarian Shrine)

Each station has detours for wating anoher train as well as special detour at 2.5 km from Tha Ruea station - before reachign Bang Khamod.

Wood fuel stations were erected at Tha ruea, Khao Liaw, and Phrta Phutthabat. They have to prepare for fueling the steam engines at 3 AM so as to be ready for service at 6 AM and reached
Tha Ruea at 7 AM. during Phra Phutthabat pilgrimage season in February, the train wouldrun 3-4 trips a day but having to wait unti it was full.

No Signal or Semaphore system- just use theri own expetise.

There were 4 Steam loco and 1 Diesel Loco - one of Stream Loco was named as "Nok Lek" sinbce it was smaller than otehr locos
The Diesel engine had been used as tilter machine for pady fields.

After askign the Governemtn to go out of Railway Business in July 1942, the dismantle began but it was NOT until 1947 that the dismantle process had been completed and the governemtn paid back to Momchao Nittaykorn Woratan 500,000 Baht in 1947.

The steel rails, the sleepers and locos had been sold to Thai Industry Promotion Co.Lts. and the company had used this rails
for the Sugar Mill at Wang Kaphee (Uttaradit) and anotehr sugar mill at Kumphawapee. Bang Bua Thong Railway had ended up at Wang kaphee and Khumphawapee

Phra Phutthabat Railway has become Highway 3022 (Tha Ruea Phra Phutthabat) after the selling ot the government.

[R. Zimmermann]

Thanks, Khun Wisaruth. Your Phra Putthabat contains a lot of
information we had not come accross. As to Hua Wai, can we
challenge the National Archive or the Royal Thai Survey department?

I have here two maps prepared by the Royal Survey Department,
Supreme Headquarters for Civilian purpose, sheet ND47-3(1984)
and sheet ND47-4(1983) showing the branchline existing over 19
km to near a place with the name Ban Thung Nang Ngam and
"under construction" over another abt 33 km all way to Tha Tako.
The road to "New Railhead Village" which I travelled in March 1993
does not yet exist on that map. Our conclusion at that time was that the allignment was different from the former firewood line - but I shall stand corrected. Could you assist in locating the "Nam Sak Valley". That might help.
Reiner