Malacca State Railway

Mr. G. W. Fryer, Chief Resident-Engineer on the Malacca – Pulau Sebong Railway, says in his latest report, dated 17^th August, that the earthwork is practically complete, the work remaining consisting of making up the Malacca Station yard. All bridges and culverts are completed with the exception of one span of20 feet at peg 661 which had to be added to prevent risk of damage by flood. The permanent way is linked throughout. Fencing is done up to the 17^th mile. Two level crossings remain to be completed. Road divisions and electric telegraphs are all finished, and the buildings at all stations are nearing completion. The total amount expended up to date is $1,349,505.

Without tintinnabulation and fanfares but signalled only by the whistle of the engine, impatient of delay, was the Malacca branch of the F. M. S. Railway opened on Friday, the 1st inst. the Queen's birthday. At 6.30 a.m. The Hon. Mr. Bland and Messrs. R. C. Fryer, Firmstone, Lupton and Darbyshire (the constructing engineer) met at Kubu station and proceeded thence to Tampin, the junction with the trunk line, where they arrived at 7.40.

On the return journey they were joined by Messrs. Fleming, D. O. Tampin, Goldthorpe, Jones and Reid, and the whole party, on their arrival at Malacca, at 9.41 proceeded to the Residency to breakfast.

After breakfast the Hon. R.N. Bland proposed the health of the Queen, and then proceeded to congratulate Mr. Darbyshire on the way the construction of the line had been expedited. Mr. Fleming responded to the toast and the visitors after having a short look around Malacca left by the 1 o'clock train.

The way in which this branch line has been pushed forward will be shown by the following facts. This first sod was cut on the 9th June 1904 and plate laying started in October, 1904. Steam was got up on the first engine, which was put together in the in the Malacca yard on November 9th 1904, the King's birthday truly a royal line. The rails were joined up with the trunk line on the 15th of May, and as has been said before, the whole business of laying 21¼ miles of railway was completed by the 1st of the present month.

The use of the line was amply demonstrated to us, mail hungry mortals when we got our home letters on Saturday afternoon, instead of waiting till Sunday morning or perchance till Monday or Tuesday morning.

It is now possible to leave Malacca at 1 p.m. and arrive in Penang at 6.21 on the following day instead of taking two to three days by steamer, also and this, I think, is the great convenience. Passengers to Seremban and Kuala Lumpur from Singapore can land at Malacca, catch the 6.30 a.m. train, and arrive at their destinations at 9.5 a.m. and 11.12 a.m. respectively by this greatly accelerating their arrival.

The first ticket from Malacca to Tampin was purchased by Mr. Darbyshire and the first from Tampin to Seremban by Mr. Fryer and we may be sure that these souvenirs will be duly prized long after the "Kreta Api" has ceased to be a nine days wonder to the average native.

The following is from the Malay Mail of the 2nd Dec: - Yesterday was an important date in the annals of the our railway system, as it marked the opening of the line from the southern boundary of Negri Sembilan to the ancient port of Malacca. One would never have though that any event was taking place out of the ordinary, for our Railway Department has of late years been opening up new sections continuously as to make it perfectly callous on occasions which others would regard as of extreme moment. There was absolutely no bustle, no show not even a sign of excitement for no hitch was expected, and none occurred. Such an event as the one we are attempting to describe is so different to say, the launching of a mighty vessel. Then there is acute anxiety. Will she leave the slip at the crucial moment is the universal thought. But in opening a new section of our railway, they just give the train a bit of a push, so to speak and the incline does the rest. We did not obtain this exclusive information all at once, for the Department be it known, is a busy one, and has little time to waste on such trivialities. Well, the fact remains that the first trains - that is the early local one from Seremban, and the through one from Kuala Lumpur - proceeded to and steamed into Malacca as if they had been engaged in the operation for years. No flags, no speeches, no fizz: Nothing, save only that a few Negri Sembilan officers journeyed down to partake of a tiffin given by the Resident Councillor of Malacca.

The Malacca branch was closed by the occupying Japanese on 31st October 1943 and the track was taken up and used on the Burma-Siam Railway. It has never been reinstated.

Malacca State Railway locomotives
Manufacturer	Works number	Year built	number/name	FMSR Class	FMSR 1908	Subsequent owners/numbers		Notes
Hunslet	850	1904	1	A	70			Withdrawn 1924
Hunslet	851	1904	2	A	71	Siam	?	sold to Siam coal mine, fate unknown
Kitson	4289	1904	3	G	68			withdrawn 8/1931
Kitson	4290	1904	4	G	69			withdrawn 4/1934

Unclassified	A & B classes	A² class	C¹ class
Burma E and O	C² class	D class	E class
F class	G class	H class	I class
J class	K¹ class	K² class	L class
M class	O class	P class	Mallet
Q class	R class	S class	T class
WWII	Sentinel	WD class

The Malayan Railway		The 1960s		Singapore Railways
1970s	1985	1995	1998	2000	2005
Singapore 1975	Singapore 1976	Singapore 1977 part 1	Singapore 1977 part 2	Singapore 1977 part 3	Singapore Trams
Singapore 2003		Singapore 2007		Singapore 2008
Allan Stanistreet pictures		Johore Wooden Railway		Muar State Railway
Selangor State Railway		Perak State Railway		Johore State Railway
Malacca State Railway		Sungei Ujong Railway		Malaysia 2008
Sarawak Railway