All about railways in Indonesia (beware of HD pics)

[aryadwi_ef641030]

This is an official video made by CV Wahyu Jaya intended for promoting grade crossing equipments built by the company at their workshops in Tambakan, Blitar (about 3 kilometers north of Wlingi station). Currently this company has supplied newly-built grade crossing equipments under the brand name Wantech to Indonesian Railways (through the Ministry of Transportation) and its products were already installed at more than 10 locations, with most of them were intended for creating safer grade crossings on busy mainlines. Since its design was loosely based on those built by Nederlandse Machinefabriek Alkmaar (NMA) in the past, indeed its design closely resembles the NMA-built ones, though the equipped with more features like train direction indicator light, all-purpose LED information board, etc.

[aryadwi_ef641030]

[WARNING: large pictures]

December 10th, 2020 saw the very historical moment occurred in the city of Yogyakarta, where one of former East Japan Railway Company 205 Series of Musashino Line (former KeYo M23 trainset a.k.a 205-9F, part of 205-5000 subgroup) sent to the Yogyakarta in preparation for commencement of operation of electrified section between Yogyakarta and Solo Balapan finally started its trial run between Gawok and Yogyakarta stations (remaining section from Gawok to Solo Balapan is still yet to be completed due to delayed progress). This is the photo of former KeYo M23 entered the northern platform area of Yogyakarta station:



(pic taken by one of employee)

And here is the photo of KeYo M23 entered Lempuyangan station from the east:



(pic by Twitter account "@instrail_tweet")

Following here is the picture of former KeYo M23 entered Yogyakarta station while passing the Code River bridge (colloquially known as "Kewek bridge" by Yogyakarta citizens):



(pic by Twitter account "@kusumazandy")

The temporary plate for supporting auxiliary chains is seen here still left intact, as it had to be towed by CC201 series locomotive (and sandwiched with idle coaches for increasing braking performance) from Solo Balapan depot to Gawok station due to still incomplete electrification work between Gawok and Solo Balapan stations.

Ironically, the former KeYo M23 series currently allocated to Yogyakarta division suffered "roof equipment destruction incident" when it struck upper part of truss bridge located to the north of Kalioso station while being transported from Depok EMU depot in Depok City to Solo Balapan depot on October 30th, 2020 (the same day when former Tokyo Metro 6000 series trainset 6130F was derailed at Kampung Bandan station due to defects on doubleslip turnout), due to the bridge has narrower clearance than the 205 series itself (yeah, it's the fault of the upper management of the company who insists on transporting the train without removing roof equipments like pantograph, air conditioner, ventilator etc before ). This incident sparked controversy among both Indonesian and Japanese railfans, and unfortunately a large number of Japanese railfans mercilessly blamed Indonesian railfans like me for the accident (especially the "roof equipment destruction incident" one) without knowing that the real culprit is the upper management (even I heard rumor that the CEO of Indonesian Railways was furiously angered when he heard the news of both accidents). But thankfully there are replacement parts available at Manggarai workshops, which then transported by truck through the Trans-Java Toll Road and arrived at Solo Balapan depot in just 8 hours after it departs from Jakarta. This enabled workers there to replace damaged components in a very short time, and it took less than 3 days to restore the former KeYo M23 back into operable state (and making the Japanese railfans once again being happy).

[aryadwi_ef641030]

Decided to revive this thread again:



This slideshow video featured several different photographs of last years of steam locos of Indonesian Railways, during the days when it was still known as "Perusahaan Jawatan Kereta Api" or PJKA. Of course the D14 a.k.a SS1400 series locomotive (which is one of the favorite locomotive of Mr. Daveric a.k.a "zsuda") is also included within this slideshow.

[zsuda]

... thank you so much, arya ... keep on reviving ...
have a good year, with a lot of health and wisdom ...
grtz
daveric

[aryadwi_ef641030]

Thank you I hope everyone there is also having lot of health and wisdom.

Cheers,

Arya

[aryadwi_ef641030]

Here is the photo of former JR East 205 series EMU taken at Yogyakarta station when it performs trial run before the commencement of operation of overhead line between Yogyakarta and Solo Balapan stations (beware: large photo):



(original photo by Dzulfikar Zuhair)

The train is seen here entering the northern side of station area, which during the Dutch East Indies period it was used solely for handling 1067mm-gauge trains (as opposed to the southern side, which was for 1435mm-gauge trains of Nederlands-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij or NIS). Currently the northern platform is for Jakarta and Bandung-bound trains, whereas the southern platform is for handling Surabaya and Malang-bound trains.

Cheers,

Arya.

[aryadwi_ef641030]

This is the video of grade crossing #101 located just before the Bogor-bound home signal of Cianjur station. Between 2:34 and 2:57 we can see the classical "warning bell" (Indonesians like me called them as "genta JPL" or "grade crossing bell") intended to warn crossing guard that a train is about to passing the grade crossing is still in operable state (of course they're operated using electromagnetic induction generated from handle located inside signal room of each station). While some of the grade crossing had their "warning bell" replaced with electronic speaker that emits "warning bell" sound, the remaining of them are still in operational state.

Slightly off-topic from the grade crossing:

As we can see in the video, up to this day most of stations between Bogor and Padalarang are still using Siemens & Halske semaphore signals (outside Cipatat and Tagogapu, which has been replaced with electric signals). But some of stations like Ciranjang and Cipeuyeum were previously having Krian-type roundel signals or "sinyal tebeng tipe Krian" installed there (and of course they're from the days when Staatsspoorwegen a.k.a SS was still doing its business in Dutch East Indies period), although they were already in defunct state when the Bogor - Padalarang line was temporarily closed for some years due to landslide (in fact, Bogor - Padalarang line is one of the most dangerous railway line of Indonesian Railway in term of its risk of having landslide damaging railway tracks). AFAIK the Krian-type roundel signals at Ciranjang and Cipeuyeum were replaced by Siemens & Halske semaphore signals sometimes between 2012 and 2015.

Regards,

Arya.

[aryadwi_ef641030]

Another bump:



This video documented the Wringinanom Sugar Refinery (NL: Suikerfabriek Wringinanom, ID: Pabrik Gula Wringinanom) in Situbondo Regency, East Java, and it was made by one of Indonesian railfan that is active on creating documentary video of operation of sugar refineries in the island of Java. In this video we could see that the author of this video boarded one of empty sugarcane train (of course in the locomotive, after he took permission from the employee) all the way into the location where Wringinanom Sugar Refinery Railway crossed with former Panarukan Line of Indonesian Railways (closed in April 2004) as a diamond crossing. While there have been several plans for reopening Panarukan Line, there is a doubt whether the diamond crossing would be once again revived, or permanently removed to make way for increasing speed of Panarukan Line once the line is open back to rail traffic (though there is a possibility that the diamond crossing would be revived, as the sugarcane fields of Wringinanom Sugar Refinery located to the south of Panarukan Line's right-of-way is still active as of 2020).

[aryadwi_ef641030]

A special video to Mr. Daveric a.k.a zsuda:



This is the video of D1410 (former SS1410) sent to Purwosari station on February 6th, 2020, after underwent large overhaul work at Yogyakarta locomotive workshops (which is colloquially referred by local people and rail fans as "Balai Yasa Pengok", though this workshops is actually former workshops of Nederlands-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij or NIS) for reviving it as operational steam locomotive, where this locomotive was preserved as a static display at The Transportation Museum of Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in Jakarta after ended its operation at Bogor - Padalarang line more than 30 years ago. One of the main purpose of reviving D1410 itself was to relieve the burden of C1218 (former SS457, pre-1912 number SS229), which was the only locomotive available for hauling special tour train "Sepur Kluthuk Jaladara" between Purwosari and Solo Kota stations on Wonogiri Line for a long time since the commencement of operation of "Sepur Kluthuk Jaladara". While the D1410 itself is capable to run under its own power, but the age of this locomotive made Indonesian Railways decided to couple this locomotive with a moderate-sized track motor car (TMC), which in case if the locomotive suffered technical problems the TMC would push locomotive from the rear (since the locomotive's old style Norwegian coupler is reused, the TMC is equipped with a special version of knuckle coupler allowing the insertion of adapter coupler for coupling with Norwegian coupler-equipped old rolling stocks like the D1410).

Cheers,

Arya.

[zsuda]

.. terima kasih banyak, Arya .. i've saved it as a historical memory ... thankz for all your detailed info ...
grtz
daveric

[aryadwi_ef641030]

You're welcome, Mr. Daveric!

As long as time permits, I will try to dig more historical part of railways of Indonesia itself, of course from the days when Staatsspoorwegen and other companies in the Dutch East Indies period still exist until today.

==============================

Additional note: the usage of hook-equipped chain for strengthening the coupler during the days when Norwegian couplers were still the major standard is still inherited by Indonesian Railways, even after the AAR knuckle coupler became the current standard for railway coupling in Indonesia.

[aryadwi_ef641030]

Still related to the D1410:



This video featured the D1410 from another angle, complete with the interview to one of the staff of Indonesian Railways (PT Kereta Api Indonesia), along with the interior of D1410's cabin itself. And of course this video also covers on-board shots taken from the driver cab of TMC coupled behind the locomotive. As of January 16th, 2021, the section where this locomotive underwent main line run from Lempuyangan to Purwosari station is already having 1.5kV DC overhead lines being installed as part of electrification project between Yogyakarta and Solo Balapan stations.

====FYI====

1. The section from Yogyakarta to Solo Balapan was once having dual gauge tracks installed to permit 1067mm trains of Staatsspoorwegen or SS running between the two stations without having passengers or freight to be exchanged to 1435mm trains of Nederlands-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij or NIS, since NIS had the main line from Semarang Tawang extending to what is known as Vorstenlanden in Dutch East Indies days (comprising Yogyakarta and Solo or known as Surakarta) laid as 1435mm tracks. But the forced regauging of 1435mm tracks of NIS done by Imperial Japanese Army in 1942 to 1943 caused this dual gauge line to extinct, which ironically solved the difference of track gauge in Yogyakarta to Solo Balapan section suffered by SS in the past.

2. SS had already planned to execute long-distance electrification project in their Java island division from Batavia (Jakarta) to Soerabaja (Surabaya) by the time when The Great Depression hits the world in year 1930. While the section between Manggarai and Buitenzorg (Bogor) was later successfully electrified, the other planned section from Meester Cornelis (Jatinegara) to the east like Tjikampek (Cikampek), Bandoeng (Bandung), Cheribon (Cirebon) and beyond was completely shelved, with the World War II, Indonesian War of Independence, and the following political unrests in the history of modern Indonesia made the plan for long-distance electrification in Java was even became "impossible to be realized". But the extension of electrification in the whole area of Jakarta and beyond (the westernmost terminus is currently Rangkasbitung station, and the easternmost is Cikarang station), along with the plan for starting EMU-based commuter train service between Yogyakarta and Solo Balapan that became reality in 2020 (the service itself is yet to be commenced as of January 16th, 2021) were considered by some of rail fans in Indonesia as part of indirect attempts to revive the plan for electrifying long-distance main lines conceived by SS nearly a hundred years ago (though the technical difficulty for current situation is the need for large amount of electricity if Indonesian Railways is really executing the plan).

Cheers,

Arya

[hiyo]

Wow never thought I'd read about electric trains in Jogjakarta! I rode the old Pramex to Solo and return when I was a student in Jogja 15 years ago

[aryadwi_ef641030]

Wow never thought I'd read about electric trains in Jogjakarta! I rode the old Pramex to Solo and return when I was a student in Jogja 15 years ago

I'm very happy to see another foreign Trainz user who had experienced the railways in Indonesia! 15 years ago most of Prameks (Prambanan Ekspres) trains were still served by MCW302 series DMUs, though at that time former BN-Holec EMUs converted into non-AC DEMUs were began to enter service there. While the plan for electrifying section around Jogjakarta had been already exists long time ago, but it only became to fruition last year after Indonesian Railways decided to introduce EMU-based commuter trains between Jogjakarta and Solo.