For about ten years now, I have been on a quest to find the Paknam Steam Trains. These are part of the first railway that ran between Bangkok and the mouth of the Chao Phraya River at Paknam. Work on the private line started in 1887. It was then formally opened by King Rama V on 11th April 1893. There were 12 stations including the two terminals. In Bangkok, the station was near present day Hualamphong Station. In Paknam, the terminus was by the market. The trains pulled four carriages which were made up of 2nd and 3rd class seating. It took the steam train about one hour to reach Paknam which is amazingly fast compared to these days. After World War I, the line was changed to electric trams. It was then nationalized after World War II and finally closed in 1959.

There were four locomotives on the Paknam line. All of them were made by Krauss & Co. of Munich in Germany. Numbers 1 and 2 were 0-4-0Ts (dated 1892), Number 3 was a 2-4-0T (dated 1896) and Number 4 a 2-4-0T (dated 1908). These latter trains were similar to the locomotives used on the Maeklong Railway. One of these engines can be seen at the Planetarium and Science Museum at Ekkamai. I have been trying to find the Paknam Steam Trains for a long time and now thanks to Robert from Chiang Mai I have located one of them. The pictures here are of Locomotive No. 4 which had the nickname "Samrong". The engine is in surprisingly good working order. At least it has a good paint job. It is doubtful it can actually run. Robert gave me the tip that he found it in a sugar cane factory in Wang Khapi in Uttaradit Province. Apparently the factory bought it to transport sugar cane from their factory to the main railway line. It was a seven hour drive north of Paknam but I was determined to drive up there to see the steam train for myself.

I spent the night in Phitsanulok and then drove up to Wang Khapi in the morning. I didn't know the exact location but it wasn't long before I spotted the large trucks full of sugar cane and then the tall chimneys billowing smoke at the factory. As I drove past the factory gates I spotted the train. I was so happy it was still there and still in good condition. As it was inside the gates I had to ask permission to take a closer look. The guys on security told me to go up to the office to speak to the manager about taking pictures. I then told them that I would like to take a picture of the steam train. They kept asking why. Thais can never understand the strange obsessions of foreigners. Anyway, after I said that I had driven up specially from Samut Prakan to find this train they let me go and take some pictures. It turns out that no-one at the factory knew of the history of this engine. They seemed interested when I told them that this engine used to run on the first railway line in Thailand over 100 years ago.

I am really happy that I have now seen one of the Paknam Steam Trains. I am also delighted to see that it is in excellent condition and being well looked after. So, that is one down and three to go. I wonder where the remaining locomotives can be. And will they also be in good condition? If you are interested in trains then I recommend the excellent book "The Railways of Thailand" by R. Ramer. It is published by White Lotus. If anyone thinks they know where the Paknam trains might be, then please contact me. I will be posting more of my steam train pictures here at thai-blogs.com in the near future.

Steam enthusiasts from all around the country gathered today at Hua Lamphong Station in Bangkok for the annual steam train trip to Ayutthaya. Although the train wasn't due to depart until 8 a.m., people came an hour early to take pictures. Everyone was mesmerized by the working engine - from youngsters to railway personal who all took turns to pose in front of the train. I was there too as I have a life long interest in steam trains. Today, 26th March, marks the anniversary of the opening of the first public rail service in Thailand between Bangkok and Ayutthaya. King Chulalongkorn had made a proclamation in 1890 to change the face of transport in Thailand by building a national railway grid. The first private railway was opened by the king in 1893 which ran from Bangkok to the port in Samut Prakan. This was followed by the first public lines to Ayutthaya in 1896 and Nakhon Ratchasima a short while later. By the time of the King's death in 1910, 774 kms of lines had been opened. By the end of World War this had increased to 2,481 kms. Today there are now 4,346 kms of railway tracks in Thailand.

Tickets for this special train ride went on sale several months ago. Judging by the crowds, I would say that it sold out. As well as Thai nationals, there were also a number of foreigners taking this rare opportunity. Shortly after the national anthem at 8 a.m., when all the passengers in the carriages stood up, the train blew its distinctive whistle and we chugged out of the station. The excitement from everyone was very contagious. Not only the people on the train, but everyone that we passed. From early morning commuters at railway crossings to passengers in passing trains, everyone turned to gape at the sight and to take pictures with their mobile phones. I even saw a driver of a diesel locomotive taking a picture. It was almost like a scene from the Railway Children as people waved at us, as we slowly passed them. I also waved back as I dangled dangerously out of the open door. I was trying to take a picture of the engine as it went around a corner. Although it was exciting to ride a steam train, it was just as exciting to stand alongside the track and watch a steam train pass you. Like journeying back in time.

I quickly decided that I would stay on the train for only 30 minutes and then get off when it stopped at Bang Su Station on the northern outskirts of Bangkok. I wanted to be up close to the engine as it left the station. Like at Hua Lamphong, there were also many people here excited to see the steam train arrive. I got down from the train and made my way to the front. The sun was higher in the sky by this time and the lighting was better for taking photographs. Although I was a little disappointed to not go all the way to Ayutthaya, I felt it was just as rewarding to be there at the station as it approached me and then passed. After about four minutes, the guard blew his whistle and the train slowly chugged out of the station. I stood there watching as it disappeared into the distance. The journey to Ayutthaya would take a lot longer than a normal train. For the record, loco engine 824 took the lead in the journey to Ayutthaya. Then loco engine 953 was used for the return journey to Bangkok.

It is a rare treat in Thailand today to be able to go on a ride on a steam train. The State Railway of Thailand organize three such trips every year from Hua Lamphong to Ayutthaya so it doesn't matter if you missed todays event. These go on 26th March (anniversary of the opening of the first public railway), 23rd October (anniversary of death of King Chulalongkorn) and December 5th (birthday of the present king). I will certainly go again in October. I think this time I might catch the train at Bang Su. They have a MRT underground station here so it is easy to reach. Then I can watch the train as it arrives. Then I will get on and then finish my journey to Ayutthaya. If you are unable to buy tickets in advance, you can always try on the day by just turning up. Or do like I did and just stand up for the short journey to Bang Su and then return by MRT. It is difficult to say how much longer these trips will continue. So take the opportunity if you can.

Click here for more of my blogs about steam trains in Thailand at thai-blogs.com.

MORE PICTURES here and here.

For a long time now I have been searching for the original steam trains in Thailand that ran on the Paknam Railway. A couple of days ago someone said I should visit the headquarters of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) as they believed that the Paknam train was preserved there. So, I drove up to Hua Lamphong Station today to check it out. The train was indeed a Krauss locomotive from Germany like the Paknam trains and it also had the distinctive chimney. However, this one was used on the Maeklong Railway like the one I found at the Ekkamai Science Museum recently. This one is locomotive No. 5427 (a 2-4-0T train) and dated 1906. The running number was originally MRC 1 but was later changed to MRC 7. According to an information plate, it had a maximum speed of 40 km/h. The four trains I am looking for have a manufacture number of 2696-7 (1892 A.D.), 3336 (1896 A.D.) and 5987 (1908 A.D.). The first two are 0-4-0Ts and the second two 2-4-0Ts like this one. It was so close but I am afraid my quest will have to continue. I now have a tip that one of these trains is now in Northern Thailand about a 6 hour drive from Paknam. Looks like I have a road trip ahead of me.

My second reason for going to Hua Lamphong Station today was to book my tickets for a ride on a steam train later this month. The SRT organize three of these trips every year from Bangkok to Ayutthaya. These always happen on 26th March (anniversary of the founding of SRT), 23rd October (anniversary of the birth of King Rama V) and 5th December (birthday of King Rama IX). Steam Train 901 leaves Bangkok at 8 a.m. and arrives just over two hours later in Ayutthaya. You can then join a coach tour of Ayutthaya or do your own thing. Steam Train 902 then returns at 5.25 p.m. arriving in Bangkok at 7.20 p.m. There is a charge of 120 baht for the return trip and 180 baht for the coach tour. If you are interested in going then you will have to be quick as the tickets are running out fast. You can buy them at the advanced booking office at Hua Lamphong. We will be in carriage 6 so come and say hello if you join this trip. I will share some photos of the trip as soon as we get back.

For a long time I have been searching for the original steam trains that were imported into Thailand back in the 1890's. As I have mentioned before, the first railway in Thailand ran from Paknam to Bangkok. As I live there I have been trying to find at least one of the four original engines. But, to no avail. Then someone wrote to me and said I should check out the Planetarium and Science Museum at Ekkamai. So, that is where I drove this afternoon. I found the above steam train around the back near the canteen. I won't say it was in good working order, but it had a fresh layer of paint that showed someone cared. I was really excited when I first saw the train as I thought I had found the Paknam Train. But, although the distinctive chimney is the same, there were a few differences. Most notably this has a set of three wheels whereas the Paknam Train had only two.

According to the excellent book "The Railways of Thailand" by R. Ramer, this train was imported to be used on the eastern section of the Maeklong Railway between Bangkok and Samut Sakhon. This section was run by Thaichin Railway Co (TRC). The western section was operated by the Maeklong Railway Co. (MRC) and ran between Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram. It was manufactured by Krauss of Munchen, Germany in 1903 and had the working numbers of 5011-5012. The plate on the above black and white picture looks like 5011 and the one I saw this afternoon was definitely 5012. However, another smaller plate attached to the engine on this train said 5011. Even more confusing, is the identification MRC 2 which is clearly wrong as those trains are dated 1905. It looks like when it was restored parts from different trains were used. Though I believe my one is engine 5011 and it was manufactured in 1903. The Paknam Trains were made by the same company.

In addition to the steam train, there is also a well preserved railway carriage and a Bangkok Tram which I will talk about later. On the way out, I spotted a couple more engines behind the Planetarium. These are in a very neglected state and it is obvious that they have been dumped here with the intention to let them rust away. I had to search really hard for any identification numbers. There were no plates at all. However, I could just make out the outline of the number 738 on this train.

The above train is No. 709 and is in the same series as the one I saw this afternoon. They were imported from Japan and are dated 1935-36. They were used all over Thailand though mainly on the Kanchanaburi line to Nam Tok. There are only two of these left in good working order. They are used at the annual light and sound show during River Kwai Bridge Week. I photographed these recently in the Thonburi Railway sheds.

The second steam train is in a worse state. I was a bit puzzled at first but then realized that one side of the engine had been stripped away so that you could have a clearer look of the workings of the steam train. Obviously this one had once been an exhibit at this museum. Though very neglected now. Again, no plates but I could just work out the outline of the numbers which identified it as engine No 263.

This is a picture of engine No 260 waiting to leave Hua Lampong station in Bangkok. It is in the same series as the one I saw and was manufactured by Hanomag of Germany and is dated 1928-1929. Apparently, No. 261 is preserved at the train station in Nakhon Ratchasima. Others are spread around the country.

The Planetarium and Science Museum is easy to find. Take a Sky Train to Ekkamai and then walk north past the Eastern Bus Terminal and you will find it on your left opposite Major Cineplex. Entry to the grounds are free if you don't want to visit the museum. Which incidentally is only 20 baht. I have marked it for you on the map at ThailandPhotoMap.com.

This is not the end of my quest to find the original steam trains in Thailand. They must (hopefully) be somewhere. I do have a few more clues of locations where they might be. I will be following these up soon and will report here at thai-blogs.com.

Update: We are discussing Steam Trains in Thailand (​​รถจักรไอน้ำ​) at the ThailandQA.com forums.

Last weekend I was in Bangkok doing some research for one of our websites. I had parked my car at Wat Suwannaram alongside Bangkok Noi Canal, and had decided to explore as much as I could go along the canal. I had been up and down there a few times in a long-tailed boat, but this time I wanted to see how much I could explore on foot. I also wanted to see if I could find anything of interest that wasn't in the guidebooks. I will come back to talk about this walk a bit later. But first I wanted to share with you a small discovery that is not really that unknown. It is just a little out of the way. While walking along the canal I came across the Thonburi Locomotive House. This is tucked behind the Thonburi Train Station near the banks of the Chao Phraya River. If you are a steam enthusiast then you will love this place. In the sheds were five steam trains that looked in good working order. I wandered around taking some pictures. No-one seemed to mind.

The following information is based on noticeboards seen at the location.

The State Railway of Thailand ordered 46 steam locomotives, Numbers 701-746 from Hitachi, Japan. Today there are only two of these steam locomotives left in operation. These are used at the annual light and sound presentation during the River Kwai Bridge week in Kanchanaburi. According to the plate on the engine of No. 713, the steam locomotive was in service between 1935 and 1982. The maximum speed was 65 km/ph.

The State Railway of Thailand ordered 30 steam locomotives, Numbers 821-850, from Japan. Only two of these steam locomotives are in operation. Originally these engines ran on coal but they were modified to run on crude oil. They were in service from 1949 to 1951. According to 2Bangkok.com, No. 850, pictured above, was featured in the Jackie Chan version of the movie "Around the World in 80 Days".

The State Railway of Thailand ordered 70 steam locomotives, Numbers 901-970, from Japan. Only one is left in working operation, No. 953. The loco pictured above, No. 950, is looking a bit neglected these days as for some reason it has been banished from the locomotive sheds. These engines were originally built to run on coal but were modified to run on crude oil. They were in operation between 1949 and 1951.

If you are in Bangkok and have a bit of time on your hands, then I would suggest that you put away the guidebook and go off and do a bit of exploring by yourself. You might be pleasantly surprised what you find.

You can find this location marked on the map at ThailandPhotoMap.com.

The first railway in Thailand was a private line connecting Bangkok with Paknam at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River, a distance of 21 kms. Paknam at the time was the anchorage for sea-going ships that could not reach Bangkok. Work on the line was begun in 1887 and it was opened to traffic by the king on 11 April 1893. Besides the two terminals in Bangkok and Paknam it had ten intermediate stations (Saladaeng, Klong Toi, Ban Kruay, Phrakhanong, Bang Chak, Bang Na, Samrong, Chorakhe, Bang Nangkreng and Mahawongse.) The terminals had 40 metre long wooden roofs, covering two lines as well as the main buildings and offices. The manager was a European who had his office at Paknam.

The metre-gauge line was intended for both goods and passenger traffic, passenger trains consisting of four coaches plus a brake van and offering second and third class accommodation. The distance was covered in one hour and the line crossed the many klongs and other waterways on its route on wooden bridges, some of which were of mixed wood/iron construction. The line clearly met an existing need and within a few years it showed a handsome rate of return upon the capital invested.

When traffic volumes ultimately did develop to a higher level, after World War I, the Paknam railway was converted to electric traction. Streetcar-type railcars then became the predominant traffic vehicles, the light steam locomotives being disposed of. During World War II, the Paknam tram was damaged when its cables were cut at Bang Chak. But the tram still ran. A tram conductor would climb up on the roof to guide the trolley across the cut section, and would reconnect it to make the tram continue.

The line was nationalised after World War II and then finally closed in 1959. This brought to an end the history of Thailand first railway and first full-length electric railway.

Today there is little evidence left of the railway apart from a road called Old Railway Line Road (tanon tang rotfai sai gao). Paknam Station was near the present day City Hall. The line then ran up past the Navy Academy, turned left at the present site of the Erawan Museum, behind Imperial World Samrong, past the port, along Rama IV Road, past Lumphini Park and finishing opposite Hua Lamphong train station. It makes you wonder if this railway line was still operating today whether it would help solve some of the commuter problems facing people living south of Bangkok. The space used by the railway are now extra lanes for cars and trucks.

Main Source of information: 'The Railways of Thailand' by R. Ramer and published by White Lotus.