I'm visiting Singapore this weekend, and being a bit of a 'train spotter' (Actually that's what I bought a good camera to do!). I was thinking of going out to the Bukit Timah station and photographing a train or two passing though the old station as pretty soon this will be a 'ghost station' with KTM trains cut back to Woodlands.
I note there has been a thread about photographing the KTM railway here in the last few months.
According to the Wikipedia the station is still used as a signal section with 'safeworking' tokens still exchanged with passing trains. Presumably there is still a KTM staff member working at the station when trains are running to facilitate this.
(I'm very familiar with railway token systems and would love to see their safeworking procedure in action).
So I have some questions - starting with how to get to the station, but mainly -
How 'friendly' are the staff who work there. Will they tolerate a 'rail fan' photographing around their station, or will they 'chase me off' or call the local police ?.
Presumably KTM sends staff down from Malaysia to 'operate' the station who are rotated through other jobs with the railway in the southern region. Even if they are friendly, what are their English language skills be like ?
What are the train times on weekends ?. (Assuming I won't get arrested for entering KTM property 'armed with a camera'). The KTM timetable section of their web site isn't completely clear on the matter as the train times are on at least 4 different timetables as they are separate by their different routes in Malaysia.
Seems a shame to close the line and rip it up for property development as it appears will happen. A group of SG locals need to get together and turn it into a tourist railway and preserve the stations with their original functions!. 'Stuffed and mounted' monuments that no longer have any connection with their original function are a bit sad to me.
(Speaking as some one who volunteers their time on a 'heritage' railway in Sydney and is currently 'in training' to drive vintage trams on a museum tramway).
So I'm very interested any advice people might have.
And if there are any fellow clubsnap train 'nuts' to want to escort an Aussie around the KTM lines and know where you can go and where you can't, send me a message.
I note there has been a thread about photographing the KTM railway here in the last few months.
According to the Wikipedia the station is still used as a signal section with 'safeworking' tokens still exchanged with passing trains. Presumably there is still a KTM staff member working at the station when trains are running to facilitate this.
(I'm very familiar with railway token systems and would love to see their safeworking procedure in action).
So I have some questions - starting with how to get to the station, but mainly -
How 'friendly' are the staff who work there. Will they tolerate a 'rail fan' photographing around their station, or will they 'chase me off' or call the local police ?.
Presumably KTM sends staff down from Malaysia to 'operate' the station who are rotated through other jobs with the railway in the southern region. Even if they are friendly, what are their English language skills be like ?
What are the train times on weekends ?. (Assuming I won't get arrested for entering KTM property 'armed with a camera'). The KTM timetable section of their web site isn't completely clear on the matter as the train times are on at least 4 different timetables as they are separate by their different routes in Malaysia.
Seems a shame to close the line and rip it up for property development as it appears will happen. A group of SG locals need to get together and turn it into a tourist railway and preserve the stations with their original functions!. 'Stuffed and mounted' monuments that no longer have any connection with their original function are a bit sad to me.
(Speaking as some one who volunteers their time on a 'heritage' railway in Sydney and is currently 'in training' to drive vintage trams on a museum tramway).
So I'm very interested any advice people might have.
And if there are any fellow clubsnap train 'nuts' to want to escort an Aussie around the KTM lines and know where you can go and where you can't, send me a message.