North Korean trains

[wolfpack2002]

Theresa video series on Youtube of North Korean Steam locos in operation. These North Korean trains look interesting.



https://www.youtube.com/user/newslabmedia/videos

 

[cascaderailroad]

I saw those videos, I am surprised that they let them film the trains, and let the videos out of the Country

 

[wolfpack2002]

What I find interesting is the fact that the narrow gauge trains use shredded tiers as fuel. It must stink!:hehe:

 

[Blu3wolf]

May not have been a case of let. Alternatively, may have been a misguided attempt at showing off.

 

[nathanmallard]

Believe it or not, the North Koreans are very proud of their rail network and you quite often see package 'railtour holidays' there advertised in the railway press (in the UK at least). There is very little steam left outside of museums now I should think, except from perhaps on narrow gauge lines. You can also go on the Pyongyang trams and the subway, indeed videos of both can be seen on YouTube. The rail network was basically totally rebuilt from the ground up in the 1950s and much of it is electrified. Most of the locomotives are built in North Korea, thanks to Kim-il Sung's Juche policy.

 

[Vern]

They also have quite an extensive electrified narrow gauge (762mm) network. Possibly as a result of satellite surveillance NK is actually quite well covered with mapping, Open Street Map and Google Maps/Earth show quite a bit of detail. Many of the lines appear to be highly scenic winding through river canyons and over mountain passes - just this week I was looking at the railway which passes the area of the infamous nuclear tests and thinking how interesting that would be to model in the sim. (Minus the atomic elements... ). At a pinch, the Chinese motive power and rolling stock from TS12 could be used to represent the NK equivalent.

 

[H222]

What miserable looking scenery. I'd rather look at Trainz baseboards

 

[Vern]

What miserable looking scenery. I'd rather look at Trainz baseboards

No different to any other country in the world. As I said, look beyond the towns and cities to some of the routes which travel through the mountainous areas. We can to some extent only go by the satellite imagery due to restrictions on access and photography; a perfect reason for the intrepid route builder to have a go at interpreting some of these lines.

 

[Saieditor]

How many men do they fit in those cabs? Wearing what looks like army uniforms and army caps?
Would you fire a locomotive wearing an army uniform?

I certainly would not.

 

[cascaderailroad]

You would if you were in the Peoples Republic of North Korea ! I don't think it's an option to not conform

 

[Blu3wolf]

Democratic peoples republic of korea, not PRNK. For starters, there is only 'one korea', unfairly divided by the imperialist yankee pigdogs...

Plus its totally a democracy, so that has to be in the name - otherwise people might forget.

EDIT: Ive just been reminded that no matter how bleedingly obvious it might seem, unless you deliberately mark your words as being sarcasm or parody, there will be those who take it seriously. Cheers Nathan Poe, your contribution to the sum of human knowledge has been a crucial one.

With this in mind, the above statements are sarcastic and were primarily meant to correct the incorrect acronym PNRK to DPRK, with a little 'humor' thrown in for fun.

 

[rjhowie]

Certainly makes one curious on the railways and from a totalitarian place like North Korea. But even allowing for that I thought that much of the routine scenery was rather touched with sameness of drab flats and fa tories and not the same colour, shops and busy roads like elsewhere.

 

[watemple]

Little bump...

From what I know, the Korean State Railway received exported JF 2-8-2s from China during the Korean War. Here's a video I found from 1992 showing a couple JFs, a 4000 class Czech built 0-6-0T, and some Pyongyang trams in action. The first JF has quite a nice whistle if you ask me.

 

[H222]

As I said, look beyond the towns and cities to some of the routes which travel through the mountainous areas.

I was only referring to the cities. Something about them look dull and emotionless. much like the soviet Union's simplistic, utilitarian designs. We have similar here in Melbourne: public housing flats built in the late 70s/80s that have no 'character'. They're just concrete blocks with holes.

Outside of the city, however, I do see what you mean. Landscape can always be beautiful, and often is not representational of what humans are doing around it.

 

[JCitron]

I was only referring to the cities. Something about them look dull and emotionless. much like the soviet Union's simplistic, utilitarian designs. We have similar here in Melbourne: public housing flats built in the late 70s/80s that have no 'character'. They're just concrete blocks with holes.

Outside of the city, however, I do see what you mean. Landscape can always be beautiful, and often is not representational of what humans are doing around it.

I know exactly what you mean. We have areas like that here too that look like something out of a sci-fi movie.