In the morning my friend Ko Hlaing came to my hotel with Sandy, his 8-year old daughter. We travelled by a taxi he'd engaged to look at the unusual open-air market at Tha Ye Ze. Vegetable vendors were everywhere, squatting on the ground with their produce. I could just make out two parallel and apparently abandoned railway tracks running through the site, underneath the impromptu market stalls.
Tha Ye Ze (Madaya Line): The Market in full swing.
But, after about ten minutes, some of the traders reluctantly started to move their produce to one side, clearing a narrow pathway where the one set of rails lay. Looking down the track, I could see a 900 horse power diesel electric locomotive and its train slowly approaching.
Tha Ye Ze (Madaya Line): With most of the produce removed from the line, DD.901 arrives with its train.
The train passed through the market and came to a halt a few yards further on at Tha Ye Ze station. The locomotive needed to run round its train, so the traders then had to clear the second line to let the locomotive pass and finally allow the locomotive to traverse the market a third time to couple onto its train ready for the next working. The market traders carried on selling their produce as if nothing had happened. I didn't discover the time of the next service to Madaya but, having shut down the diesel engine, the smiling Driver let me climb up and examine the cab.
This market visit was the key to my gaining an understanding of the history of Mandalay's 'Circle Line' railway, which I discuss in the post here.
Sandy wasn't too well that day so we drove to the family shop in 'The Street of the Marble Carvers' where we left her to relax.
Sandy and Ko Hlaing.
Ko Hlaing and I continued by car to Myo Haung station on the main Mandalay - Yangon line. The rest of the day was spent in the signal cabin there, studying the equipment and working arrangements and, occasionally, making a few lever movements under supervision.
Train movements to the next Block Station are authorised by a Paper Line Clear Form, carried to the driver by a 'runner'.
Myo Haung Signal Cabin: A railwayman displays the cane hoop with the vital rolled-up Paper Line Clear Form attached. This form is issued by the Controller and, when received by the driver, authorises the train's movement.
Myo Haung has an interlocked lever frame. All signals are searchlight or position-light types. Points are a mixture of electrically-operated and mechanically operated.
Myo Haung Signal Cabin: Jan replaces a point lever, watched by the signalman. Bare feet show respect for the location.
I was allowed to clear the signals for the afternoon express from Mandalay to Yangon - a new, Chinese-built Bo-Bo-Bo locomotive at the head of modern, Chinese-built coaches.
MR: Myo Haung Signal Cabin: The afternoon express from Mandalay to Yangon - Chinese-built locomotive and modern, Chinese-built coaches.
What a great experience! So, how do you follow that? The taxi took Ko Hlaing and me to Shwe Kyet Yet Jetty, where the 'Road to Mandalay' river cruise ship has private moorings and facilities for re-supplying the ship. The ship was moored against the bank so I was able to board using a rather smart gangway to find the Hotel Manager, Marie, waiting to greet me and introduce me to the ship's officers - the Captain, Doctor Hla Tun and the Chief Engineer. Although I'd not travelled on the ship for a number of years, there were many familiar, smiling faces so it was a very pleasant 'homecoming' for me. After settling into my comforable cabin, I enjoyed an excellent dinner with Doctor Hla Tun in the ship's spacious restaurant.
'Road to Mandalay', 2017.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 12th visit to Myanmar. The post Starting out is the first post in the series.
Clicking on the 'Next report' link displays the post describing the next events. In this way, you may read about the trip in sequence.
Next report.
Alternately, clicking on the 'All my Burma-2017(2) reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma-2017(2) reports.
My photograph albums
Where necessary, clicking on an image above will display an 'uncropped' view or, alternately, pictures may be selected, viewed or downloaded, in various sizes, from the albums listed:-
Rupar Mandalar Hotel.
MR: Tha Ye Ze.
MR: Myo Haung Signal Cabin.
'Road to Mandalay': October 2017.
[Minor changes, pictures added 26-Oct-2017]
