Singapore Railways
Pictures from the early years (1880-1940)
The following pictures are mainly from postcards produced in the early 1900's and any dates are approximate. Since most of the pictures are of, or at, the Tank Road terminus there is a separate page for these. The first picture shows a steam tram running along Tanjong Pagar Road from the docks along the line which operated between the city and Serangoon Road between 1885 and 1894. For more information please visit my Trams page. Information on the tram locomotives can be found here, An electrified tram system opened in 1905 and expanded to 60 route miles before finally closing in 1927, being replaced by trolley-buses.
Above: A train crossing Orchard Road railway bridge, probably shortly after the line opened. The view appears to be looking west so the train would be approaching the Tank Road terminus and the Cold Storage would have been on the extreme right. I cannot identify the building visible on the right - was it converted for the Cold Storage in 1917?
Below: Another postcard picture, this time of Newton station, and obviously taken before 18th September 1919. The locomotives in this and the previous picture both appear to be A class 4-4-0T's supplied by Hunslet.
Above: this is the original 1903 Bukit Timah station which was located on the south side of Upper Bukit Timah Road to the west of Pei Wah Avenue between Bukit Panjang and Holland Road stations on the line via Newton to Tank Road. This line followed Bukit Timah Road from Newton to Bukit Timah and then Upper Bukit Timah Road for most of the way from Bukit Batok to Woodlands.
Below: This could be almost anywhere on the line, but probably approaching a station as there was no double track anywhere else on the line. The locomotive is again probably an A class 4-4-0T. These may have been the only locomotives on the line until the causeway opened in 1923. Most stations were on straight sections so this could be Bukit Timah where the line crossed Bukit Timah Road obliquely on the approach to the station. Perhaps taken from the same location as the picture above.
Above: A view of Woodlands station taken about 1910. The loco is an A or B class 4-4-0T.
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Last updated 3rd June 2020.
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