Da Lat–Thap Cham Railway
Encyclopedia
The Da Lat–Thap Cham Railway or Da Lat-Phan Rang Railway was an 84 km (52.2 mi) rack railway
connecting the city of Da Lat to the main North-South Railway
at Thap Cham
in Ninh Thuan Province
. It was established by the French
administration of Indochina
in 1932 after thirty years of construction in phases, beginning in 1903. The first section, running 41 km (25.5 mi) from Thap Cham to Song Pha
, opened in 1919, and the second section, running 43 km (26.7 mi) from Song Pha to Da Lat, opened in 1932. Due to the mountainous terrain, the Song Pha–Da Lat section used rack rails
in three sections, and included five tunnels. The Da Lat–Thap Cham railway is occasionally referred to as a Crémaillère
railway, referring to the French
word for the rack
used on its rails.
Abandoned during the Vietnam War
, the line was gradually dismantled after the North Vietnam
ese victory in 1975, its infrastructure being used to repair the heavily damaged North-South Railway
line. In the 1990s, a 7 km (4.3 mi) section of the line between Da Lat Railway Station
and the nearby village of Trại Mát was restored and returned to active use as a tourist attraction; it remains active as of 2010. Restored railway cars now carry the name "Dalat Plateau Rail Road", although this name was not used when the entire line was in use. A proposed renewal project, backed by provincial and local governments, aims to restore the entire Đà Lạt–Tháp Chàm railway to handle both passenger and cargo transportation.
during his tenure as Governor-General of French Indochina
from 1897 to 1902. Approved by the French administration in 1898, Doumer's ambitious plans included several railway lines, including the Yunnan–Vietnam Railway connecting the coastal town of Haiphong
to the city of Kunming
in the Chinese province of Yunnan
, and the North–South Railway connecting Hanoi
and Saigon. Doumer's original plans called for several more branch lines to connect different parts of Indochina, including a link from Quy Nhon to Kontum
in the Central Highlands, along with branch lines leading from the Chinese province of Guangxi
to Savannakhet
in Laos
, and from Saigon to Phnom Penh
in Cambodia. None of these other lines were ever implemented in their entirety, although the Hanoi–Dong Dang line later allowed for rail connections to Guangxi, and the first 17 km (10.6 mi) of the Tan Ap—Thakhek line into Laos were built before construction was abandoned. Doumer's plans were adapted, however, to provide a railway link connecting Da Lat and Thap Cham
in Ninh Thuan Province
, at a cost of 200 million francs.
section in 1908. By 1913, tracks had reached the town of Tan My, and the first trains began to use this portion of the line. The rest of the Tháp Chàm–Sông Pha section opened in 1919, completing the first phase of construction.
The second phase took comparatively more time to complete, due to the mountainous terrain inland from Song Pha (Krongpha). Although the following section, from Sông Pha to Eo Gio (Bellevue), was only 10 km (6.2 mi) long on a map, its steep grade (120‰
) required the use of a rack and pinion
system. The Sông Pha–Eo Gio section was completed in 1928. The next section, from Eo Gio to Don Duong
(Dran), was relatively flat, and was completed in 1929. From Don Duong to Tram Hanh (Arbre Broyé), another length of rack rails was laid, this time with a grade of 115‰
, and with a more meandering route than previously; this section was completed in 1930. The remaining distance from Tram Hanh to Da Lat was said to be the most difficult, as it crossed the Lam Vien Plateau, 1500 m (4,921.3 ft) above sea level. The terrain was again relatively flat from Tram Hanh to Da Tho (Le Bosquet), but required the construction of three railway tunnels; finally, the Da Tho–Trai Mat section, which was the final rack rail section with a grade of 60‰
, was laid down; the railway tracks finally reached Da Lat in 1932. The section linking Sông Pha to Da Lat was only 43 km (26.7 mi) long, but rose almost 1400 metres (4,593.2 ft) along a winding route with three rack rail sections and five tunnels. Da Lat Railway Station
, one of the first colonial-style buildings to be built in the area, was completed in 1938.
, the entire Vietnamese railway network was a target of bombardments and sabotage by both North Vietnamese and South Vietnamese forces. The Da Lat–Thap Cham line was no exception; plagued by sabotage and mining by the Viet Cong, the line gradually fell out of use, with regular operations coming to an end in 1968.
After the Fall of Saigon
on 30 April 1975, the Communist government of the newly unified Vietnam took control of the former South Vietnamese railway. Heavily damaged by bombing and sabotage by both North Vietnam
ese and South Vietnam
ese forces and their allies, the war-torn North–South Railway line was returned to service on 31 December 1976, promoted as a symbol of Vietnamese unity. Many abandoned railway lines—such as the Da Lat-Thap Cham
line—were dismantled to provide materials for the repair of the main line; unused materials were sold as scrap metal
.
In the 1990s, a 7 km (4.3 mi) section of the line between Da Lat Railway Station and the nearby village of Trại Mát was restored and returned to active use as a tourist attraction. A planning document released later, in 2002, listed the restoration of the entire Đà Lạt–Tháp Chàm railway as a priority for infrastructure development for Đà Lạt and Lam Dong Province, including the upgrading of Da Lat Railway Station
and other stations along the routes to handle passenger and cargo transportation. The proposed renewal received the backing of provincial and local governments, and the national government indicated that private companies would also be allowed to participate in the reconstruction of the railway. The project would also include a connection to the North–South Railway at Thap Cham, allowing trains to circulate between Da Lat and the rest of the country for the first time since the Vietnam War
. In December 2009, four rail cars restored to look like the rail cars used on the Da Lat–Thap Cham line in the 1930s were put into use on the Da Lat–Trai Mat tourist railroad, carrying signage reading "Dalat Plateau Rail Road".
, built in 1938, was designed in Art Deco
style by French architects Moncet and Reveron, although it incorporates the high, pointed roofs characteristic of the Cao Nguyen communal buildings of Vietnam's Central Highlands. The three roofs, said to represent the three peaks of Dalat's iconic Lang Biang mountain, are also reminiscent of Normandy's Trouville-Deauville Station
. The station's unique design—with its roofs, arching ceiling, and coloured glass windows—earned it recognition as a national historical monument in 2001. Several of the stations along the line share a design similar to Da Lat station.
sections and five tunnels. In total, 34 km (21.1 mi) of rack rails were laid. The first section, from Song Pha to Eo Gio, had a grade of 120‰
. The second section, from Don Duong to Tram Hanh, had a grade of 115‰
. The third, and final, section, between Da Tho and Trai Mat, had a grade of 60‰
. Two tunnels were built along the first rack rail section between Song Pha and Eo Gio: one, with a length of 163 m (534.8 ft), between Song Pha and Co Bo (K'Beu), and the other, with a length of 70 m (229.7 ft), between Co Bo and Eo Gio. The next tunnel was the longest, stretching 630 m (2,066.9 ft) somewhere between Tram Hanh and Cau Dat. Finally, two more tunnels were built between Cau Dat and Da Tho, the first measuring 98 m (321.5 ft) and the second measuring 129 m (423.2 ft). Telegraph poles were also built along the line.
; the serial numbers remained the same, but with VHX rather than CFI as a prefix. The locomotives functioned on steam, generating a pulling power of 600–820 cv.
The remains of the Furka-Oberalp steam locomotives were repurchased by the Swiss Furka Heritage Railway together with the two locomotives 40-304 and 40-308. It was intended to use them on the restored original Furka rack line. Two locomotives (31-201 and 31-204) were returned to active service with their original numbers 1 and 9.
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
connecting the city of Da Lat to the main North-South Railway
North-South Railway, Vietnam
The Vietnam North-South Railway, also known as the Reunification Express, is a railway that runs from Ha Noi to Ho Chi Minh City. The total length of this railway is , with a gauge of metre gauge...
at Thap Cham
Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm
Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm, also called Panduranga, is a new city in Vietnam and the capital of Ninh Thuan province. The community has a population of 161,000 , of which 91,000 live in the main city....
in Ninh Thuan Province
Ninh Thuan Province
Ninh Thuận is a province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam .-History:The Cham principality of Panduranga had its center in Ninh Thuan Province, but also included much of what is now Binh Thuan Province. Panduranga became the political centre of Champa after the fall of Vijaya in 1471...
. It was established by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
administration of Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
in 1932 after thirty years of construction in phases, beginning in 1903. The first section, running 41 km (25.5 mi) from Thap Cham to Song Pha
Song Pha
Song Pha is a town in Ninh Son District, on the western side of Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam. It is located at the foot of the scenic Ngoan Muc Pass . It lies along Highway 27A, about northwest of Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm....
, opened in 1919, and the second section, running 43 km (26.7 mi) from Song Pha to Da Lat, opened in 1932. Due to the mountainous terrain, the Song Pha–Da Lat section used rack rails
Rack and pinion
A rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a pair of gears which convert rotational motion into linear motion. A circular gear called "the pinion" engages teeth on a linear "gear" bar called "the rack"; rotational motion applied to the pinion causes the rack to move, thereby...
in three sections, and included five tunnels. The Da Lat–Thap Cham railway is occasionally referred to as a Crémaillère
Crémaillère
A Crémaillère is a French, mechanical term for the rack, or a straight bar with teeth on one edge designed to work into the teeth of a wheel or a pinion that predates the Renaissance. The term was generally applied in English to engineering applications which had notched, toothed or drilled...
railway, referring to the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
word for the rack
Rack and pinion
A rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a pair of gears which convert rotational motion into linear motion. A circular gear called "the pinion" engages teeth on a linear "gear" bar called "the rack"; rotational motion applied to the pinion causes the rack to move, thereby...
used on its rails.
Abandoned during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, the line was gradually dismantled after the North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
ese victory in 1975, its infrastructure being used to repair the heavily damaged North-South Railway
North-South Railway, Vietnam
The Vietnam North-South Railway, also known as the Reunification Express, is a railway that runs from Ha Noi to Ho Chi Minh City. The total length of this railway is , with a gauge of metre gauge...
line. In the 1990s, a 7 km (4.3 mi) section of the line between Da Lat Railway Station
Da Lat Railway Station
Da Lat Railway Station is a railway station on the Da Lat–Thap Cham Railway line in Vietnam, serving the town of Da Lat in Lam Dong Province. It was designed in 1932 by French architects Moncet and Reveron, and opened in 1938...
and the nearby village of Trại Mát was restored and returned to active use as a tourist attraction; it remains active as of 2010. Restored railway cars now carry the name "Dalat Plateau Rail Road", although this name was not used when the entire line was in use. A proposed renewal project, backed by provincial and local governments, aims to restore the entire Đà Lạt–Tháp Chàm railway to handle both passenger and cargo transportation.
History
The Da Lat–Thap Cham Railway was an adaptation of plans devised by Paul DoumerPaul Doumer
Joseph Athanase Paul Doumer, commonly known as Paul Doumer was the President of France from 13 June 1931 until his assassination.-Biography:...
during his tenure as Governor-General of French Indochina
Governor-General of French Indochina
-External links:*...
from 1897 to 1902. Approved by the French administration in 1898, Doumer's ambitious plans included several railway lines, including the Yunnan–Vietnam Railway connecting the coastal town of Haiphong
Haiphong
, also Haiphong, is the third most populous city in Vietnam. The name means, "coastal defence".-History:Hai Phong was originally founded by Lê Chân, the female general of a Vietnamese revolution against the Chinese led by the Trưng Sisters in the year 43 C.E.The area which is now known as Duong...
to the city of Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
in the Chinese province of Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, and the North–South Railway connecting Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
and Saigon. Doumer's original plans called for several more branch lines to connect different parts of Indochina, including a link from Quy Nhon to Kontum
Kontum
Kon Tum is the capital town of Kon Tum province in Vietnam. It is located inland in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam, near the borders with Laos and Cambodia....
in the Central Highlands, along with branch lines leading from the Chinese province of Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
to Savannakhet
Savannakhet
Savannakhet or Kaysone Phomvihane is a city in western Laos and the capital of the Savannakhet Province, previously known as Khanthabouli . This is the second-largest city in Laos, after Vientiane. The city is birthtown of Kaysone Phomvihane, former president of Laos, and was named after him in...
in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, and from Saigon to Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
in Cambodia. None of these other lines were ever implemented in their entirety, although the Hanoi–Dong Dang line later allowed for rail connections to Guangxi, and the first 17 km (10.6 mi) of the Tan Ap—Thakhek line into Laos were built before construction was abandoned. Doumer's plans were adapted, however, to provide a railway link connecting Da Lat and Thap Cham
Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm
Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm, also called Panduranga, is a new city in Vietnam and the capital of Ninh Thuan province. The community has a population of 161,000 , of which 91,000 live in the main city....
in Ninh Thuan Province
Ninh Thuan Province
Ninh Thuận is a province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam .-History:The Cham principality of Panduranga had its center in Ninh Thuan Province, but also included much of what is now Binh Thuan Province. Panduranga became the political centre of Champa after the fall of Vijaya in 1471...
, at a cost of 200 million francs.
Construction
Swedish engineers, who had experience at building zigzag railways for use on steep slopes, were hired to complete the line. Initial surveys took place in 1898, and construction began on the Tháp Chàm–Song PhaSong Pha
Song Pha is a town in Ninh Son District, on the western side of Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam. It is located at the foot of the scenic Ngoan Muc Pass . It lies along Highway 27A, about northwest of Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm....
section in 1908. By 1913, tracks had reached the town of Tan My, and the first trains began to use this portion of the line. The rest of the Tháp Chàm–Sông Pha section opened in 1919, completing the first phase of construction.
The second phase took comparatively more time to complete, due to the mountainous terrain inland from Song Pha (Krongpha). Although the following section, from Sông Pha to Eo Gio (Bellevue), was only 10 km (6.2 mi) long on a map, its steep grade (120‰
Permille
A per mil or per mille is a tenth of a percent or one part per thousand. It is written with the sign ‰ , which looks like a percent sign with an extra zero at the end...
) required the use of a rack and pinion
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
system. The Sông Pha–Eo Gio section was completed in 1928. The next section, from Eo Gio to Don Duong
Don Duong
Đơn Dương is a film actor originally from Vietnam, who now lives and works in the United States.-Life & career:...
(Dran), was relatively flat, and was completed in 1929. From Don Duong to Tram Hanh (Arbre Broyé), another length of rack rails was laid, this time with a grade of 115‰
Permille
A per mil or per mille is a tenth of a percent or one part per thousand. It is written with the sign ‰ , which looks like a percent sign with an extra zero at the end...
, and with a more meandering route than previously; this section was completed in 1930. The remaining distance from Tram Hanh to Da Lat was said to be the most difficult, as it crossed the Lam Vien Plateau, 1500 m (4,921.3 ft) above sea level. The terrain was again relatively flat from Tram Hanh to Da Tho (Le Bosquet), but required the construction of three railway tunnels; finally, the Da Tho–Trai Mat section, which was the final rack rail section with a grade of 60‰
Permille
A per mil or per mille is a tenth of a percent or one part per thousand. It is written with the sign ‰ , which looks like a percent sign with an extra zero at the end...
, was laid down; the railway tracks finally reached Da Lat in 1932. The section linking Sông Pha to Da Lat was only 43 km (26.7 mi) long, but rose almost 1400 metres (4,593.2 ft) along a winding route with three rack rail sections and five tunnels. Da Lat Railway Station
Da Lat Railway Station
Da Lat Railway Station is a railway station on the Da Lat–Thap Cham Railway line in Vietnam, serving the town of Da Lat in Lam Dong Province. It was designed in 1932 by French architects Moncet and Reveron, and opened in 1938...
, one of the first colonial-style buildings to be built in the area, was completed in 1938.
Abandonment
Throughout the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, the entire Vietnamese railway network was a target of bombardments and sabotage by both North Vietnamese and South Vietnamese forces. The Da Lat–Thap Cham line was no exception; plagued by sabotage and mining by the Viet Cong, the line gradually fell out of use, with regular operations coming to an end in 1968.
After the Fall of Saigon
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975...
on 30 April 1975, the Communist government of the newly unified Vietnam took control of the former South Vietnamese railway. Heavily damaged by bombing and sabotage by both North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
ese and South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
ese forces and their allies, the war-torn North–South Railway line was returned to service on 31 December 1976, promoted as a symbol of Vietnamese unity. Many abandoned railway lines—such as the Da Lat-Thap Cham
Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm
Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm, also called Panduranga, is a new city in Vietnam and the capital of Ninh Thuan province. The community has a population of 161,000 , of which 91,000 live in the main city....
line—were dismantled to provide materials for the repair of the main line; unused materials were sold as scrap metal
Scrap Metal
Scrap Metal were a band from Broome, Western Australia who played rock music with elements of country and reggae. The members had Aboriginal, Irish, Filipino, French, Chinese, Scottish, Indonesian and Japanese heritage. The band toured nationally as part of the Bran Nue Dae musical and with...
.
Restoration
Da Lat Railway Station
Da Lat Railway Station is a railway station on the Da Lat–Thap Cham Railway line in Vietnam, serving the town of Da Lat in Lam Dong Province. It was designed in 1932 by French architects Moncet and Reveron, and opened in 1938...
and other stations along the routes to handle passenger and cargo transportation. The proposed renewal received the backing of provincial and local governments, and the national government indicated that private companies would also be allowed to participate in the reconstruction of the railway. The project would also include a connection to the North–South Railway at Thap Cham, allowing trains to circulate between Da Lat and the rest of the country for the first time since the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. In December 2009, four rail cars restored to look like the rail cars used on the Da Lat–Thap Cham line in the 1930s were put into use on the Da Lat–Trai Mat tourist railroad, carrying signage reading "Dalat Plateau Rail Road".
Stations
Da Lat Railway StationDa Lat Railway Station
Da Lat Railway Station is a railway station on the Da Lat–Thap Cham Railway line in Vietnam, serving the town of Da Lat in Lam Dong Province. It was designed in 1932 by French architects Moncet and Reveron, and opened in 1938...
, built in 1938, was designed in Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style by French architects Moncet and Reveron, although it incorporates the high, pointed roofs characteristic of the Cao Nguyen communal buildings of Vietnam's Central Highlands. The three roofs, said to represent the three peaks of Dalat's iconic Lang Biang mountain, are also reminiscent of Normandy's Trouville-Deauville Station
Gare de Trouville-Deauville
Trouville-Deauville is the station for the towns of Deauville and Trouville-sur-Mer. The station is built in neo-normand architecture and is a terminus for two railway lines, the main line from Paris by Lisieux and the Côte Fleurie branchline to Dives-Cabourg.The line from Paris and Lisieux opened...
. The station's unique design—with its roofs, arching ceiling, and coloured glass windows—earned it recognition as a national historical monument in 2001. Several of the stations along the line share a design similar to Da Lat station.
| Km | Station | City/Dist./Ward | Altitude | Notes | Map |
| 0 | Tháp Chàm Thap Cham Railway Station Thap Cham Railway Station is a railway station on the North-South Railway line in Vietnam. It serves the city of Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm in Ninh Thuận Province.-References:... |
Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm, also called Panduranga, is a new city in Vietnam and the capital of Ninh Thuan province. The community has a population of 161,000 , of which 91,000 live in the main city.... |
32 m (105 ft) | For North–South Railway | map |
| 22 | Tan My | Tan My | map | ||
| 41 | Song Pha | Song Pha Song Pha Song Pha is a town in Ninh Son District, on the western side of Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam. It is located at the foot of the scenic Ngoan Muc Pass . It lies along Highway 27A, about northwest of Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm.... |
186 m (610.2 ft) | aka Krongpha | map |
| 47 | Co Bo | Co Bo | 663 m (2,175.2 ft) | aka K'Beu, on the Ngoan Muc Pass | map |
| 51 | Eo Gio | Eo Gio | 991 m (3,251.3 ft) | aka Bellevue, on the Ngoan Muc Pass | map |
| 56 | Don Duong | Don Duong Don Duong Đơn Dương is a film actor originally from Vietnam, who now lives and works in the United States.-Life & career:... |
1016 m (3,333.3 ft) | aka Dran | map |
| 62 | Tram Hanh | Tram Hanh | 1514 m (4,967.2 ft) | aka Arbre Broyé | map |
| 66 | Cau Dat | Cau Dat | 1466 m (4,809.7 ft) | aka Entrerays | map |
| 72 | Da Tho | Da Tho | 1402 m (4,599.7 ft) | aka Le Bosquet | map |
| 77 | Trai Mat | Trai Mat | 1550 m (5,085.3 ft) | map | |
| 84 | Da Lat Da Lat Railway Station Da Lat Railway Station is a railway station on the Da Lat–Thap Cham Railway line in Vietnam, serving the town of Da Lat in Lam Dong Province. It was designed in 1932 by French architects Moncet and Reveron, and opened in 1938... |
Ward 10, Da Lat | 1488 m (4,881.9 ft) | map |
Infrastructure
The mountainous terrain along the Da Lat–Thap Cham line required the construction of three rack railwayRack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
sections and five tunnels. In total, 34 km (21.1 mi) of rack rails were laid. The first section, from Song Pha to Eo Gio, had a grade of 120‰
Permille
A per mil or per mille is a tenth of a percent or one part per thousand. It is written with the sign ‰ , which looks like a percent sign with an extra zero at the end...
. The second section, from Don Duong to Tram Hanh, had a grade of 115‰
Permille
A per mil or per mille is a tenth of a percent or one part per thousand. It is written with the sign ‰ , which looks like a percent sign with an extra zero at the end...
. The third, and final, section, between Da Tho and Trai Mat, had a grade of 60‰
Permille
A per mil or per mille is a tenth of a percent or one part per thousand. It is written with the sign ‰ , which looks like a percent sign with an extra zero at the end...
. Two tunnels were built along the first rack rail section between Song Pha and Eo Gio: one, with a length of 163 m (534.8 ft), between Song Pha and Co Bo (K'Beu), and the other, with a length of 70 m (229.7 ft), between Co Bo and Eo Gio. The next tunnel was the longest, stretching 630 m (2,066.9 ft) somewhere between Tram Hanh and Cau Dat. Finally, two more tunnels were built between Cau Dat and Da Tho, the first measuring 98 m (321.5 ft) and the second measuring 129 m (423.2 ft). Telegraph poles were also built along the line.
Locomotives
Soon after the first part of the railway line was opened, the French Compagnie Des Chemins De Fer De L'Indochine (CFI) set about importing cogwheel locomotives that could be used also on rack sections. CFI initially purchased five HG 4/4-type locomotives in 1924 from Swiss manufacturer SLM Winterthur . 1929 two locomotives followed from German manufacturer ME , built after the Swiss plans as a so called "Reparationsleistung". In 1930 SLM delivered another two locomotive, bringing the effective to nine. These locomotives were delivered as numbers 301 through 309 and later were given the serial numbers CFI 40-301 through CFI 40-309. Four locomotives (301, 305, 307 and 309) were destroyed during World War II during the Japanese occupation of Indochina. 1947 it was possible to purchase four similar but slightly less powerful locomotives from the Swiss Furka-Oberalp company which had electrified its lines a few years ago. These were HG 3/4-type locomotives (given serial numbers CFI 31-201 through 31-204). The locomotives were transferred to a Vietnamese railway company, Vietnam Hoa Xa, after the dissolution of French IndochinaFrench Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
; the serial numbers remained the same, but with VHX rather than CFI as a prefix. The locomotives functioned on steam, generating a pulling power of 600–820 cv.
The remains of the Furka-Oberalp steam locomotives were repurchased by the Swiss Furka Heritage Railway together with the two locomotives 40-304 and 40-308. It was intended to use them on the restored original Furka rack line. Two locomotives (31-201 and 31-204) were returned to active service with their original numbers 1 and 9.
| Number on delivery |
CFI/VHX number |
Year built |
Builder number |
History | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 701 | 40-301 | 1924 | SLM 2937 | destroyed during World War II | |
| 702 | 40-302 | 1924 | SLM 2938 | 1967 damaged in the war, remains in Cau Dat | ? |
| 703 | 40-303 | 1924 | SLM 2939 | ? | |
| 704 | 40-304 | 1924 | SLM 2940 | 1990 brought to Switzerland from Da Lat | stored DFB |
| 705 | 40-305 | 1924 | SLM 2941 | destroyed during World War II | |
| 706 | 40-306 | 1929 | ME 4227 | Thap Cham, parts 1997 to Switzerland | ? |
| 707 | 40-307 | 1929 | ME 4228 | destroyed during World War II | |
| 708 | 40-308 | 1930 | SLM 3413 | 1990 brought to Switzerland from Da Lat | stored DFB |
| 709 | 40-309 | 1930 | SLM 3414 | destroyed during World War II | |
| BFD/FO HG 3/4 1 | 31-201 | 1913 | SLM 2315 | 1947 to Vietnam; 1990 back from Da Lat, 1993 restored to running condition | DFB 1 "Furkahorn" |
| BFD/FO HG 3/4 2 | 31-202 | 1913 | SLM 2316 | 1947 to Vietnam; 1990 back from Song Fa in parts | stored DFB for parts |
| BFD/FO HG 3/4 8 | 31-203 | 1914 | SLM 2418 | 1947 to Vietnam; 1990 back from Thap Cham in parts | stored DFB for parts |
| BFD/FO HG 3/4 9 | 31-204 | 1914 | SLM 2419 | 1947 to Vietnam; 1990 back from Da Lat in parts, 1993 restored to running condition | DFB 9 "Gletschhorn" |
See also
- Rack railwayRack railwayA rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
- Rail transport in VietnamRail transport in VietnamThe railway system in Vietnam is owned and operated by the state-owned Vietnam Railways . The principal route, the single track North-South Railway running between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, accounts for of the network's total length of...
- North–South Railway (Vietnam)
- Da Lat Railway StationDa Lat Railway StationDa Lat Railway Station is a railway station on the Da Lat–Thap Cham Railway line in Vietnam, serving the town of Da Lat in Lam Dong Province. It was designed in 1932 by French architects Moncet and Reveron, and opened in 1938...