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Don's Rail Photos
Korean National RR
Joseon Chongdokbu Cheoldoguk
Another Railfan Chased Diesel Korean Trains Too
Photographs taken by Robert Gaddie
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23 October 1967
Locomotive 3135 a graduate of Alco's class of 1966 switches the Second Supply and Transport Battalion facilities at Camp Jessup near Munsan. United States Army car 120414 is an ice refrigerator car. These cars were to ship perishable supplies from Inchon to the warehouses at Camp Jessup. From here they were trucked to the units in the Seccond Innfantry Division..
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21 January 1968
Locomotive 6356 leads train 37 (Seoul - MogPo) at SuWon. On the right is a steam locomotive takes water.
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10 March 1968
Locomotive 3139 was built by Alco in November 1966. The locomotive design appears to be of the MRS (Military Road Switcher) design. It leads train 198 at Munson.
Locomotive 3139 leads train 198 at Un Jong. The woman balancing the washing on her head will use the right of way as a path to her destination.
Locomotive 3139 pauses at Un Jong with train 198. Asusual there is a flurry of activity around the depot in train time.
On the left locomotive 3139 (Alco November 1966) leads train 198 at Munson. On the right locomotive 2004 (EMD June 1951) leads the local freight train. The freight train will follow train 198 to Seoul.
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7 April 1968
Locomotive 4202 was built by Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June of 1967. The locomotive pulls a short freight through Nung Gog north of Seoul.
A close view of locomotive 4202 at Munsan. She is a long way from LaGrange.
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30 June 1968
At Inchon the Army had modified a 2 1/2 ton truck with flanged wheels and railroad couplers. The unit was used to move cars around the terminal.
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27 July 1968
Most local passenger service was provided by diesel rail cars like the one pictured in the center. A train usually consisted by two motor cars with a number of trailers spliced in between. The overhead walkway and stairs leading to the platforms can be easily seen in this photo.
This view is taken from the overhead walkway. A train has just arrived the locomotive is moving toward the engine terminal. Between each platform were three tracks. Two were for loading and the central track was used as an escape track for locomotives or to store a train that was about to be positioned next to one of the platforms. To the left can be seen the Inchon waiting room and ticket office.
This large concourse was immediately outside the depot waiting room. In the distance can be seen the overhead walkway. The towers once housed elevators. The elevators were no longer functional. To the right can be seen stairs leading to the platforn closed to the depot. The potted plants line the area a gentle look.
I have turned about 90 degrees from the previous photograph and am now leaving at the waiting room doore. Passengers would proceed through the door and through a wicket where a ticket inspector would punch their ticket. They would then proceed to the correct platform below. The waiting room was usually packed with people.
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28 July 1968
Locomotive 6213 leads train 10 into the DaeJon station.
Locomotive 6218 powers a freight train through DaeJon station.
Locomotive 6352 with with train 1 pauses at DaeJon. Train 1 was the premier day train between Seoul and Pusan. The train was named but I do not recall the name. This train carried the usual compliment of third class coaches plus a dining car and a second-class coach.
(Note DR: In 1954-1955, we called this train "K-Com-Z Special". We had a Pasee 5 4-6-2 usually.)
Train 1 pauses at CheonAn. The 2 painted on the coach indicates that it is second-class. Second class included a reserved seat. No standees were allowed in second class. A hostess rode the car. She distributed a small newspaper published by the railroad. The car was not air-conditioned. It was a pleasant day so the windows were open. On my return trip the hostess came through the car distributing damp cloths to wipe the dust from our faces. During the winter the second-class coach was placed immediately behind the locomotive. This was due to the fact that the steam heating system was in such poor condition that there was no heat at the rear of the train.
The car in front of the second-class coach is an ex New York Central dining car. The interior is very utilitarian. Long ago the car had lost any decoration that it may have had during its NYC days. We are a long way from Grand Central Terminal.
Locomotive 3142 works freight at JoChiWeon.
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2 September 1968
I learned the art of cab riding from Lt. Roger Williams. Upon showing a ticket, camera and making gestured toward the cab an invitation to ride in the cab was usually given by the crew. We are on our way from Seoul to SuWon on the Seoul-Pusan main line. From YongDongPo to SuWon the engineeer had the locomotive in run 8 the entire time. Frequent grade crossings along with people casually walking on the right of way meant that the whistle was seldom quiet. This was definitely an "E" ticket ride. This is train 141.
Locomotive 4001 pauses with train 141 at SuWon. To the right of the locomotive can be seen the modern SuWon passenger depot.
Train 198 carefully picks its way over a shoofly around a bridge reconstruction project. Several coaches in the train show American ancestry.
Locomotive 4001 leads train 141 at Seoul. In the distance to the left of the train can be seen the overhead walkway that leads from the waiting room to the platforms. Stairs led down from the walkway to each platform. To the left of the locomotive can be seen the domed depot. To the far left can be seen the modern waiting room and ticket office for the Inchon line.
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8 September 1968
One guidebook describes the architecture of the Seoul railroad terminal as "heavy German". Certainly this building would not look out of place in Dresden or Leipzig. Entering the main door the ticket counters were on the left and the waiting rooms were on the right. On the far left can be seen the modern Inchon terminal. The area in front of the building was constantly busy with people coming and going. Food ventors did a very good business here. A modern terminal building has replaced this old terminal. This building is now a cultural center.
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There were differing ways of pronouncing Korean words regarding the cities. Some examples were SuWon for Bob and Suwon for me. Susaek for me and SuSaeg for Bob. Chochiwon for me and JoChiWeon for Bob. CheongRyanRi for Bob and Chyongyangni for me. I was night roundhouse honcho there for several months. I also took a few pictures of the trolleys there. Yongdongpo was our battalion headquarters and I started there in January 1953.
Wangsipni was on the line between Chyongyangni and Yongsan around the southern part of Seoul. There was a trolley shop which was the Kyongsong Tramway which ran from East Gate to Songsudong where the Han River passed.
DaeJon or Taejon was the division point half way between Pusan and Seoul (Yongsan). Our Battation 712 was on the north line and BN 724 on the south. BN 765 was the shop group and they were located at Pusan and YongdongPo.
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Memorial of Saint Bregwin of Canterbury
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Choose Life.
Mom did.
Don's Depot
To join two things together there must be nothing between them or there cannot
be a perfect fusion. Now realize that this is how God wants our soul to be,
without any selfish love of ourselves or of others in between, just as God loves
us without anything in between.
— St. Catherine of Siena