Bukit Timah Railway Station

I decided to visit the old Bukit Timah Railway Station on 15 October to check out what had become of this segment of the railway line. This is what was left of it.


Bukit Timah Railway Station

 Locating the station was a challenge. Thanks to google map and some helpful information on the internet, I found it without too much difficulty. The access from the main road was easy enough to find. I had never been to the station, so I did not know what to expect.
As I approached what appeared to be an inconspicuous lone building with a short segment of track in front of it, it dawned on me that this was the station. There was lush greenery all around. I think they call this a green corridor. I was disappointed but only have myself to blame for not making the trip sooner. Anyway, better late than never :)

I then headed the other way towards the iconic black truss iron bridge spanning Bukit Timah and Dunearn Road. There wasn't much left so I decided to take some pohotographs as a tribute to a time gone past.


Rustic Lamp-post



This lamp standing by the platform showed the way for travellers for decades. Today, it stands forlone, as a visual reminder of a time gone past. 



The iconic bridge which spans across Bukit Timah Road



The serenity is a stark contrast from the busy Bukit Timah Road below.



Railway Bridge



This bridge is neither big nor spectacular, but it has character. I hope that it will be preserved as part of the green corridor. I see a condominium being constructed on the opposite end of the bridge and hope the urbanisation does not "invade" this bridge.

4D ! Huat Ah......





Bridge Number 1871 - Not the year it was built. I forgot to buy 4D :p

Check out the rivets !



What a beauty. I guess these rivets were formed manually. I hope the folks who worked on this bridge realise that they played a part in enabling trade between Singapore and Malaysia.








This took the load of the trains



Imagine the load these rails carried while the trains were in operation. They are now retired :)



Call it abstract art !



I saw these "appendages" hanging from an overhead electrical cable and thought it would make a good picture. The backgorund is a little busy and distracting though.

Farewell to a Grand Dame




Tanjong Pagar Railway Station

 

On 1 July 2011, the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station will become history. I understand that the building has been here for the last 79 years. It has seen Singapore through the colonial days to the days when we were a part of Malaysia and then independence.
It was not a building I frequented. In fact, I had only been there three times to catch a train. Once when I as probably about 10 years of age on a day trip to Kluang, another when I was in my early teens (11 or 12 years) on a holiday to Fraeser's Hill and the third when I was about 17, also on a holiday to Fraeser's Hill. They were all family holidays with my parents.
I recall 2 things vividly about the train ride then - the toilet was a hole in the floor and you could see the track beneath you when you had to "go". The other thing was the hypnotic rhythm the wheels made as they rolled over tracks. There was something soothing about it.
Although it was more than 30 years since my last trip on this train, I felt a call to visit the station one last time. I cannot explain why this is. Perhaps it is because of the countless times I have driven past the building and used it as a landmark, hence I feel a sense of indebtedness.
I made that last trip to Tanjong Pagar Station on 25 June 2011, armed with my camera. It was truly nostalgic. Some parts of the station did not seem to have changed in the last 30 years ! It is, in my opinion, a charming building and I hope it does not get reincarnated as another characterless office building or condominium.
After 79 years, its time had come. Once a significant station of Malayan Railway linking Singapore's harbour with the Western Malaysian states, it has since lost its relevance.
These are some photographs I took. Enjoy :)
 


Stately European Styled Clock

 


Main Hall of the Station





Ticket Office



Train pulling into the station



Interesting Lamp



When was the last time you saw this at a car park?



Wrought iron fence surrounding building

The Circle of Life

Hibiscus, Malaysia's National Flower