Railway-street running-pedestrians beware

Mon, 06/28/2021 - 20:46
Date picture taken
15 Jun 1927
Author(s)

Comments

Sorry IDJ but this is not the East Praya.

This photo is a  screen capture 'still'  taken from a  cine film clip taken of the temporary railway laid along Lai Chi Kok Road for reclamation works commencing in 1926

The film clip was available on line and has been extensively written about including my identification of the locomotive seen in the image.

My research indicated that the locomotive was a Davenport Company (of USA)  locomotive ( Works No. 2058 constructed in 1926.) imported by Dodwell & Co.  It was 3ft gauge.The earth fill for the reclamation was being transported from the demolition of Tai Kok Chui Hillock. . 

I will look for the appropriate link to the film and post it here later.

 

 

 

Thank you Chinarail for identifying this temporary rail.  This is somewhere in my Ki Lung  - Boundary Street neighbourhood. 

It appears the two streets don't joint at 90-degrees to each other, and them being 3 storey indicate it was in the first few blocks of Lai Chi Kok Road.  There are several candidates along Lai Chi Kok Road but so far I have not been able to match it.  Would you say the train was fully loaded and heading either north or northwest?  The source of the transported material was further south so did they run the route also on another road perhaps the early Tong Mei Road?  Regards,  Peter

The wagons were definitely full of earth and therefore heading towards the reclamation away from Tai Kok Tsui. I will look at old  maps later and try to work out excactly where the excavated hillock used to stand in relation to the start of Lai Chi Kok Road and Tong Mei Road. 

If you have an email address Peter, I can send you the video clip. You can see much more of the right-hand building in part of the film.  Please use this address for contact : -    petera.crush@yahoo.com

Received your film clip, thank you Chinarail.  With the fully loaded train moving from right to left, and the sun's shadow on the street, the cameraman was standfing on the southside of Lai Chi Kok Road looking to northeast.  At the very beginning, there looks like a very short curve on the track.  If it was indeed a turn, the train might have come out of the early Tong Mei Road.  That curved balcony rails, it is tempting to say I remember that corner but it was so long time ago.  Regards,   Peter