The International Steam Pages

Railway Travellers' Tales

This site has always been dedicated to the steam locomotive, especially those few still working for their living. But it is also all about railways in far away places and enthusiasts visiting them, not to mention those 'out-of-grice and post-grice' experiences which are repeatable in polite company. This page provides a few links (which I hope will grow) to stories, some are more technical than others but that just reflects the interests of the writers. And also for the sadists, a few international stories which have nothing to do with trains at all. All contributions are very welcome, this page will also link to articles which do not fit in comfortably elsewhere on the site.

If you fancy a trip to see such places then for travel advice please see "The Man in Seat 61". And if you make a trip let me have a report and tell the man of any updates for that site.

The most recent additions are given below, more contributions, with or without illustrations are always welcome. I will do my best to assist with maps if necessary.

Zimbabwe

• Dr. Tankinfront’s Monsters -- Zimbabwe 1991, (added 4th December 2009)

Burma:

• Rob and Yuehong in the Golden Land, 2009 Part 2, (added 7th November 2009)

Malaysia

• Going Back, Penang, 2009 (added 7th November 2009)

• On the Route of the E&O Express (added 28th January 2010)

Railway Journeys:

The UK Daily Telegraph has a continuing feature http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/journeysbyrail/. In 2008, they ran a writing competition, the accounts are a little shorter than the journeys they describe, but worth reading (added 22nd December 2008). Such accounts are usually ephemeral, I have archived the stories, if you find the link broken, please tell me and I will put them on my own site.

• Zimbabwe - A nostalgic trip between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls

• India -  Night Train to Varanasi 

• India - Indian Rail Delights

• Russia - Trans-Siberian Express

• Morocco - Night Train from Marrakesh to Tangiers

• Japan - Riding the Bullet Train

General Railway Interest

Mike's Railway History has some very interesting items, basically a look at world railway marvels in 1935 (4th March 2009). Selected items include:

• Main Lines of Brazil

• The Magic of the Andes

• Travelling by Train in China

• Through Desert and Jungle

• Across Africa by Rail

• Burma's Metre Gauge System

• A Gateway to Brazil

• Hill Lines of India

• Island Railways

South America

• A Hobby to Die for? (31st December 2008)

Chile:

• A narrow gauge train ride between Talca and Constitucion in Chile in 2001 (added 16th October 2008)

France:

• The last weekend of the CF Vivarais (added 18th April 2008)

• Two Minutes to Midnight at Carhaix - France 1967 (added 21st November 2008)

Ghana:

• Ghana Railways 2007

Guatemala:

• The Slow Train to Puerto Barrios (2004)

Honduras:

• A Coconut Railway in 1997 (added 16th October 2008)

India:

• “The Punj”, and Stench City and The 10:40 to Bari Sadri (India 1993/94, added 13th March 2009) 

Indonesia:

• David Longman at large in Java (2006)

• A month in Java (1976) (added 21st November 2008, location changed 10th July 2009)

• Gold Mine Railways in Sumatra (updated 4th July 2009)

Jugoslavia:

• Ahead of the Four Horsemen (1982) (added 6th October 2008)

• The narrow gauge railways of Yugoslavia has some wonderful accounts of trips in the country including a trip on the Lake Ohrid Line in 1966 and the Ivan Pass rack section between Bradina and Konjic (added 19th October 2008)

Liberia:

• The Bong Railway 2007

Malaysia:

• Jungle Railway Part 1 (link corrected 24th June 2009)

• Jungle Railway Part 2 (added 11th June 2009)

• On the Route of the E&O Express (added 28th January 2010)

Mocambique:

• Malawi to Mocambique by Train, 2004

Myanmar (Burma):

• Rob and Yuehong in the Golden Land, 2009, a bit of everything, amazing train journeys, (un)conventional tourism with more than a dash of stationary steam in the rice mills (updated 3rd March 2009)

Norway:

• The Railways of Spitzbergen and other things (added 30th August 2008) and The Island Railways North of Europe (added 9th September 2008)

Pakistan

Owais Mughal has produced a series of articles on items of railway heritage interest in Pakistan (9th April 2009):

• Khyber Pass Railway - http://pakistaniat.com/2006/09/26/pakistan-train-khyber-pass-railway/

• Bolan Pass - http://pakistaniat.com/2006/08/23/railways-through-bolan-pass/ 

• Trans Baluchistan Railway - http://pakistaniat.com/2007/07/13/the-trans-baluchistan-railway/

• Khojak Tunnel - http://pakistaniat.com/2006/12/18/railways-khojak-tunnel/

• Chappar Rift - http://pakistaniat.com/2006/11/02/chappar-rift/

• Karachi Tranways of Yesteryear - http://pakistaniat.com/2007/09/14/karachi-tramway-of-yesteryears/

Philippines

• Today's Railways and Preserved Steam in the Philippines, 2007

Poland

• Keep Distracting 'em, Lech, Steam in Poland 1980 (added 13th August 2009)

• Miss Selinka and Individual Hating, Steam in Poland 1983 (added 13th August 2009)

• Polish Hide and Seek Steam in Poland 1984 (added 21st November 2008)

• A Polish Corridor Tale, Poland/Ukraine 1984 (added 24th November 2008)

Portugal

• Locomotives at Lousal and Aljustrel, Portugal, December 2008 (added 24th December 2008)

Romania

• Gricing with the professor - Roumania 1970 (added 11th December 2008)

Russia

• Three Russian Narrow Gauge Peat Railways (16th Ausgust 2009)

• Jan Wilhelm von Dorp's Odyssey, 2006 (plus China, Nepal and India!)

• Red Star Steam (added 24th December 2008)

São Tomé e Príncipe

•  The Railways of São Tomé e Príncipe (added 4th March 2009) 

Slovenia

• Slovenian Rail Adventure, 2007

South Africa

• Firing a Condensing Steam Locomotive, 1991 (added 9th March 2009)

Thailand

• Last Train to Haadyai 1975 (link updated 15th January 2010)

• The Songkhla Bullet 197x (link updated 15th January 2010)

• The Smugglers' Express 1973 (link updated 15th January 2010)

Not strictly 100% tales (but there is lots of useful information too on this site):

• Thailand by Train (added 7th January 2009)

Zambia

• A trip on the Zambesi Sawmills Railway,2006 (added 24th December 2008)

• The Railways of Zambia, November 2008 (added 24th December 2008)

Zimbabwe

• Dr. Tankinfront’s Monsters -- Zimbabwe 1991, added (4th December 2009)

Non Railway Journeys

Burma:

• Luxury Irrawaddy Cruise (2006)

• Another Luxury Irrawaddy Cruise (2007)

• A day in the life of a stationary steam engine gricer (2006)

• Rob and Yuehong in the Golden Land, 2009, Part 1, a bit of everything, amazing train journeys, (un)conventional tourism with more than a dash of stationary steam in the rice mills (updated 3rd March 2009)

• Rob and Yuehong in the Golden Land, 2009 Part 2, more of the same (added 7th November 2009)

China

• Private Great Wall Hike (added 9th August 2009)

• Night ride to Jinzhou (2003) (added 14th December 2008)

Indonesia

• 200 Stops to Solo (2004)

Malaysia

• Going Back, Penang, 2009 (added 7th November 2009)

Thailand

• Far from the madding crowd (2006)