Friday 17 December 2010

Helsinki Central Railway Station, Finland.


Helsinki Central Railway Station is a landmark in Central Helsinki. It is also the focal point of public transport in Helsinki. Used by more than 200,000 passages a day, the building is one of the most visited buildings in Finland. It serves as the point of origin for all trains in the local VR Commuter Rail and a large number of the long distance trains in Finland. The station has 19 platforms.

Tuesday 14 December 2010

Old Railway Station in Skopje, Macedonia.


This card is a reminder of what happened on 26th July 1963. It shows the remains of the railway station after the earthquake. It is today part of the Skopje City Museum. The railway station was originally built in 1938.

Accident at the Gare Montarnasse Railway Station, Paris, France.

On 22nd October 1895, at 4pm, the train (Loco 721) coming from Grandville at a speed between 40 - 60 KM per hour was unable to stop and smashed into a wall of the Montparnasse train station facade in Paris. It broke through the buffers of the railway tracks and continued on 15 meters beyond the tracks, coming to a hault at Rennes square.

Monday 6 December 2010

Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus), Mumbai, India.

Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus formerly Victoria Terminus, and better known by its abbreviation CST or Bombay VT, is a historic railway station in Mumbai which serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways. It is one of the busiest railway stations in India, and serves Central Railway trains terminating in Mumbai as well as the Mumbai Suburban Railway.The station was named "Victoria Terminus" in honour of the Queen and Empress Victoria. It was opened on the date of her Golden Jubilee in 1887. In 1996, in response to demands by the Shiv Sena and in keeping with the policy oCf renaming locations with Indian names, the station was renamed by the state government after Chatrapati Shivaji, the famed 17th century Maratha king. The station was the site of a terrorist attack on 26 November 2008. More than 50 people were killed in the attack.

On 2nd July 2004, the station was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“The Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus Station, in Mumbai, is an outstanding example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India, blended with themes deriving from Indian traditional architecture. The building, designed by the British architect F. W. Stevens, became the symbol of Bombay as the ‘Gothic City’ and the major international mercantile port of India. The terminal was built over 10 years, starting in 1878, according to a High Victorian Gothic design based on late medieval Italian models. Its remarkable stone dome, turrets, pointed arches and eccentric ground plan are close to traditional Indian palace architecture. It is an outstanding example of the meeting of two cultures, as British architects worked with Indian craftsmen to include Indian architectural tradition and idioms thus forging a new style unique to Bombay.” – UNESCO

Udrata Menike (Hill Country Maiden), Sri Lanka.


Udarata Menike (Hill Country Maiden) is a daytime daily express train that runs between Colombo and Badulla in Sri Lanka. The maiden journey of the train took place on 23rd April 1956. Here the train travels through Nanu Oya near Nuwara Eliya where you can find the world famous tea plantations.

Thursday 28 October 2010

Eurostar.


Eurostar - a highspeed passenger train connects London with Paris and Brussels. The service was introduced in 1994 and is jointly operated by SNCF, France and SNCB, Belgium and Eurostar, U.K.

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Old Railway Station in St. Nazaire, France.


This is the old railway station in Saint Nazaire in France. It was destroyed by the allied bombs in 1944.

Thursday 30 September 2010

Nicholson Bridge, Pennsylvania, U. S. A.

Nicholson Bridge often known as the Tunkhannock Viaduct is located at Nicholson, Pennsylvania. Built between 1912 - 1915 on the Lackawanna Railroad is a awesome structure still called one of the wonders of the world. It was the largest concrete bridge in U.S.A when it opened and remained so for the next 50 years. In 1977, the bridge was listed on the National Register for Historic Places. The 724 meter long and 91 meter tall bridge is owned by Canadian pacific Railway.

Wednesday 22 September 2010

Antofagasta & Bolivia Railway Company, Chile.


An interesting assembly of industrial architecture built in 1885 by the former Antofagasta Nitrate and Railway Company & the Bolivia Railway Company are shown on this card. A neo -classical style, appreciated in woden window and doorframes finished with Guayaquil cane and lime plaster. Buildings now given a National Monument stats.

Old Beijing Qianmen Train Station, China.


This is a picture of the station in 1930. The station was opened in 1906. At the time of its opening it was the biggest train station in China, but in 1958 it was closed down, already dwarfed by the demand of a "new China". This station was replaced by the Beijing Train Station, which is still in use today.

Monday 20 September 2010

Beijing West Railway Station, China.


Opened in January 1996, this is one of the largest modern railway stations in the whole of Asia. The main part of the station occupies a total area of 500,000 sq meters, containing 15 floors above the ground and 2 floors underground.The main building, 102 meters high, is of pseudo - classic style of the ancient capital and unique features of modern China. It is one of the grandest constructions in Beijing.

Tuesday 14 September 2010

Great British Railways - Liner Class A 1.

This London North East Region Class A1 locomotive, "Royal Lancer" was in service in the 1920's. The most famous Liner Class A 1 locomotive was the "Flying Scotsman", the first steam engine in UK to reach 100mph. All of the were modernised in the 1930's and was in service until the 1960's.

Friday 3 September 2010

Montparnasse Train Accedent, Paris, France.


On 22nd October 1895, at 4pm, the train (Loco 721) coming from Grandville at a speed between 40 - 60 KM per hour was unable to stop and smashed into a wall of the Montparnasse train station facade in Paris. It broke through the buffers of the railway tracks and continued on 15 meters beyond the tracks, coming to a hault at Rennes square.

Friday 27 August 2010

125 Years of Railway in Malaysia - Loco Class 19.

An locomotive Class 19 used by the Malaysian Railways during the last 125 years. According to the classifications adopted by the Malaysia Railways in 1940's Class 19 is a Diesel Shunting Locomotive.

Thursday 26 August 2010

Caruaru Railway Station, Brasil.

This is a view of the Caruaru Railway Station in Brasil in the 1930's.

Saturday 21 August 2010

Steam Locomotive Belle Epoque on the Blonay - Chamby Railway, Switzerland.


The Belle Epoque steam locomotive traveling on the de la Baie de Clarens viaduct on the Blonay - Chamby Museum Railway. The line is a 3 KM long meter gauge railway line operated as part of the Blonay - Chamby Rail Museum using vintage steam and electric locomotives and rolling stock. Thanks to the trains and the railway the beauty of the Swiss Rivera can be discovered. The museum is the home to one of the best continental collection of historic meter gauge railway stock mainly from former Swiss manufacturers and operating companies.