21 December 2023 – International Railways by Adrian Palmer

The business of the Surrey Branch AGM was completed quickly and efficiently with the reports and accounts being accepted unanimously.  One member of the committee stepped down and another who had been co-opted during the year was formally elected.  All other members of the committee were willing to stand again and were re-elected en bloc.

An excellent serve-yourself-buffet including cake decorated with a Christmas theme was provided for everyone present whilst the room was rearranged after the business of the AGM had been completed.  After difficulties contacting the original speaker – eventually resolved but too late for this evening, Adrian Palmer had agreed to help out at very short notice giving a varied and interesting show of photographs from a number of his overseas trips with the LCGB starting in Eritrea and ending in Romania via Eastern and Northern Europe, Africa, South America, India, and Malaysia.  Some of the places are not often visited by railway enthusiasts and the LCGB have clearly built up a good reputation on their visits over the years as they have managed to gain access to various places not usually accessible to general visitors.

We were shown a wide variety of locomotives starting with an 0-4-4-0 tank engine in Eritrea – one of five that were hidden away during the conflict to preserve them.  In the same country there were photographs of some amazingly stone viaducts in remarkable countryside with blue skies and sunshine as highlights.  We passed through villages, across wide riverbeds that were bone dry but from their width clearly very different in the rains, and were introduced to the very mixed religions of the country as part of the local context.  It was all fascinating from an art deco filling station to a plinthed 0-4-0 in the park and the somewhat primitive workshops where they have to make their own spare parts.  There have been six trips to Eritrea now each building on the previous ones and one of the last photographs from this section was a British bus belonging to the local textile factory!

Bulgaria started with a 2-10-2 tank engine on a narrow gauge line and Adrian has seen this post war Polish built loco running every time he has visited the country.  However, you are more likely to see a diesel railcar.  There were photographs of the depot with a selection of locos seen and described before approaching the Bulgarian/Romanian border area and then moving down towards the border with Greece.

Next stop was Madagascar in the Indian Ocean where the Michelin Railcar that they had hoped to see and travel on was, unfortunately, not available.  There are four in existence, one restored by Michelin in exchange for one of the others, a third is used for spares with the fourth independently owned.

An introduction to Brazil was steam locomotives with a nice micro-brewery at the end of the branch line, the main station and very picturesque track through the suburbs near Sao Paolo.  There are several preserved railways in the area run by one group and some examples were shown with most of the locomotives coming from North America and Canada including a wood- burning example.

It was quite a jump from Brazil to Prague in the Czech Republic where privileged access was negotiated with help from a representative of the local railway club before moving on to Slovakia where a visit to the best preserved railway in the country had been arranged amongst other railway attractions.  Norway included the Railway Museum narrow gauge, a steam paddle boat and a tourist line with modern electrics although there were some frustrations in waiting for the sun to come out to enable the right lighting for good photography.  Poland included an unusual vertical loco and Adrian explained why it was built in that way.  India included one of the famous mountain railways – the Nilgiri and one of the original locomotives from when the railway was first built.

After the break and another visit to the buffet and for tea/coffee etc, the tale moved to Malaysian Borneo where the only railway is at Kota Kinabalu.  Adrian showed photographs of the main station as well as other smaller village stations further along the line.  Rolling stock for every day use comprised mostly DMUs but there were also railcars and 3 steam locomotives – one was in the works being repaired, one was in working order, and the third was being used for spares.  The scenery along parts of the line was quite stunning but change is coming with some areas now far more built up than previously.

We were shown a splendid variety of locomotives and rolling stock in various states of decay or splendour in their respective locations with facilities from the very basic to state of the art.  And we were treated to an informal knowledgeable commentary from a widely travelled railway enthusiast and photographer.  Questions and answers included railway gauges in Kenya, freight, and some general dissatisfaction with Chinese investment in railways in Africa where some states are seeking investment from elsewhere, including Turkey, although China is still investing in Africa.

The vote of thanks highlighted an interesting presentation put together at very short notice.