For Serious Trainspotters Only
Re: For Serious Trainspotters Only
Toll has the lease to run the railroad for 30 years, but a subcontractor/French company did the railbed and did such a poor job they had to go back and redo a lot after the rainy season. That and the old rolling stock is probably why it goes 35MPH. In the flat ground about half way to Kampot, a couple fast dogs kept up with us for a couple blocks.
Re: For Serious Trainspotters Only
Cambodia 4-6-2 Steam Locomotive.
I would guess that that old steam Loco has at least twice the power of the old/tired diesel engines they are running. If they had some decent track it would be interesting what it could do when they let it build up a good head of steam and let it loose. Well over a 100 years ago in America, steam engines were doing over 100mph. The working (operating) pressure for those old steam locos was around 90 to 150 psi. The last steam powered ship I worked (880ft), the working/operating pressure was 900psi and it had 35,000hp at the shaft.
Sistership pictures
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Re: For Serious Trainspotters Only
I want that beautiful steam train, not the banana slug.Sailorman wrote:As my post shows, did it, liked it (SKV/Kampot R/T), but it needs to be able to go faster. The French company that redid (and redid) the rail bed should be held accountable for a botched job. It looks like they used used rails. They do weld them together (then new process instead of bolting together), but you can still see the holes in the rails for bolts. The rails make a lot noise where new welded rails do not. They also need new rolling stock. The engines and cars are very old. Being a diesel mechanic (very large ocean going diesel engines) I can tell you that the engines on the trains I was on were not very well maintained. The blew a lot of black smoke which is either tired engines (rings, bearings, etc) or they need to replace the fuel injectors with new/clean ones. Notice the black soot on the yellow locomotive pictured. You don't get that with a happy diesel engine.
Granted its was a first step, but with the money they spent, a lot may have been diverted to private pockets and not put into rolling stock. Over the years I have ridden all sorts of class's on Thai trains and I would say that the Cambodia train was about the same as a Thai third class local train.
They should bring out that big old steam locomotive they have and run a tourist train. Lots of steam fans around the world would go for a package trip to Cambodia if they could ride an old steam Loco. Advertise it good and maybe tie it in with a cruise ship down in Snookyville. This would help pay for new rolling stock for the locals trains.
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