Era of trains in West Sumatra starts from railway construction by the State Railway Company Sumatra Staats Spoorwegen (SSS), construction began of the Gulf Bayur - Sawahlunto starting Aer Pulo Station - Padang Panjang stations along the 17 km, the railway line was opened on July 1, 1891. In the era of railways began in West Sumatra, and later built a sustainable railway line, the line is as follows:

    Making the railroad from Water Island to Padangpanjang 71 Km completed in the month of July 1891
    Long Padang to Bukittinggi 19 km was completed in November 1891
    Padang Panjang - SMF 53 Km completed on July 1, 1892, at this point there is a railway line that uses serrations (plots between Padang Panjang stations - Station Batutabal) such as railways Ambarawa (Jambu - Gemawang).
    SMF - Muaro Kalaban 23 Km and Padang-bay Bayur 7 Km. Both of these lines completed on the same date ie October 1, 1892
    The railway from Muaro Kalaban-Sawahlunto to penetrate a rocky hill that was later named Hole Kalam along nearly 1 Km (835 meters) completed on 1 January 1894

Railway Steam Coal with retractable Lokomoitf E10. (Photo by Degahnk)

Railways in West Sumatra reached his prime at the time of transport of coal, where the coal comes from Ombilin is one of the major commodity freight railways in West Sumatra, at the time the transport of coal using steam locomotives jagged E 10 from Esslingen factory and Nippon Sharryo. In 1982 PJKA (PT KAI at the time of use) to bring Diesel Electric locomotive BB Jagged 204 to improve coal transportation.

Locomotive 204 BB 04 trains carrying coal. (Photo by V. Gosal)

End of 2000 coal production in Sawahlunto decreases. Automatically activity and the presence of a train in West Sumatra are also affected real. If operated only as a means of transportation from Indarung Semen Padang West Sumatra to the Gulf Bayur.

PT Indonesia Railways (Limited) DIVRE II Padang in order to save infrastructure and introducing natural beauty and culture of West Sumatra, on February 21, 2009 inaugurated the Train Travel route Padang Panjang - Sawahlunto, this railway line through one of the famous lakes West Sumatra, the Lake Batur.
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Train Travel Padang Panjang - Sawahlunto rail crossing jagged and natural beauty of West Sumatra.

This tourist trains run every weekend but can be chartered in accordance with the wishes. Every operation, KA consists of three economy-class train, 1 train eat and plants, and 1 trains executives manifold IW-2. Rail facilities are not much different from the train archipelago in Java, with fitted windows to see the sights around the railway.

Train Travel exterior IW-2

Train Travel Interior IW-2.

Along the way the tourist train will pass through the sampinh Lake Batur, where the rails and the edge of the lake not far adrift, but it's the way the train will pass through the railway line that passes through the teeth and splitting mountains of West Sumatra.

Train Travel across the edge of Lake Batur.

Three hours drive from Padang Panjang, when he got in Sawahlunto we can enjoy the Railroad Museum located in the complex Sawahlunto Sawahlunto Station, in the museum can be seen the rest - the rest of the triumph of the former coal transport railway had triumphed in West Sumatra. There are approximately 80 collections of railway equipment in this museum such as clocks, tools, signal / communications, photo documentation, safe, jack rail, plant labels, scales and bell guard is in the Museum. In addition, in the courtyard there are also several kettle wagon, carriages transporting coal, some type lorries and two wood-paneled wagon.
Sawahlunto railway museum

The entrance to the Museum Sawahlunto.

The atmosphere in the Museum Sawahlunto.

Along with the inauguration of Leopold tourist train - Sawahlunto, PT Indonesia Railways (Limited) also launched a steam train tour "Mak Itam" route Lunto Field Station - Station Kalaban Estuary, with a Steam Locomotive series E 1060 and 1 wooden tourist train (Start Used in 1921), the train is equipped with a wide window to see the beautiful scenery around the train tracks. That makes a tremendous sensation and nostalgia is when a train enters a tunnel hole type Kalam accompanied by smoke and screeching sound of a steam locomotive E 1060.

Train Travel Mak Itam, ready to depart from the station Sawahlunto towards Muara Station Train Travel Kalaban after Padang Panjang - Sawahlunto come.

 

The series of artificial tourist train in 1921 coupled with tourist train Mak Itam.

 

Train Travel Interior Mak Itam equipped with wide windows, so they can enjoy the view presented in the course.