Riding the Yom & the rail line

[DavidFL]

Continuing on from 2 other threads

Riding The Yom River & R1091

Living in Chiang Khong my preferred route to Nan is via R1091, which I think is a much better biker's road than the more renowned R1148. R1091 starts from Chun & the road junction with R1021 that runs from Phayao to Chun to Chiang Kham to Thoeng. R1091 rocks for a riders road despite it being a...

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and

Chiang Khong - Phrae & Back - Testing Fuel Range & Looking for New Attractions

Something to do check out your fuel range & see what you can find. A quick run southwards to Phrae & home again. The masterplan to find out what the fuel range was on the Vstrom & the Versys. What's that a Versys too? Yep, Dave DKT admitted that he never knew what the fuel range was on his...

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Dave DKT & I set off on a mission to see more of the Yom & a few old railway stations.

The masterplan was to slip into Phrae the back way via the superb, recently surfaced, R1023.
Then the next day pick off some of the railway stations, before heading onto Phichit for a look around.

En route to Phrae we hit the Wiang Ta Mon temple that featured in Jurgen's beautiful Tai Lue Murals report.

Tai Lue Heritage - part 2

6 . Nan mural paintings In the past, Nan kingdom’s remoteness was a strength; it kept it relatively independent into the nineteenth century. As did other Lanna states, Nan had to submit to Burmese rules for some time and, after its liberation, engaged in various campaigns, to “invite” Tai Lue...

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Day 2: ride back out of Phrae on the magnificent R1023

The 1st station was the Ban Pin railway station that has featured on GTR here before

Chiang Khong - Phrae & Back - Testing Fuel Range & Looking for New Attractions

Something to do check out your fuel range & see what you can find. A quick run southwards to Phrae & home again. The masterplan to find out what the fuel range was on the Vstrom & the Versys. What's that a Versys too? Yep, Dave DKT admitted that he never knew what the fuel range was on his...

www.gt-rider.com

This fabulous railway station is just 950 metres off R1023 & so with Dave DKT not able to resist another look at this classic train station, we swung on by for a few pics.
On our previous visit we had wondered about a couple of pics on the platform, so for round 2 at Ban Pin it was on...

Some Ban Pin station info
Ban Pin Railway Station is a classic beauty and was built by the Geman engineer Emil Eisenhofer, who built the Khun Tan railway tunnel.
The building is a combination of Northern Thai architecture and European architecture of a “Bavarian Timber Frame House” that was favoured in Bavaria, Germany.
The Station is somewhat unique with a small two-storey office building adorned with exquisite perforated fretwork woodcarvings on the window and door frames. The classic charming design of the Station makes it among Thailand’s six significant railway stations.
The Ban Pin station was opened on 15 June 1914.

Ban Pin · Ban Pin, Long District, Phrae 54150, Thailand

âââââ · Train station

goo.gl

More to come....... further on down the line.

 

[DavidFL]

The delightful amphur of Long is situated just off R1023, 4.5 kms west of Ban Pin.

Long Phrae Thailand · 43 Rural Road Phrae 3030, Huai O, Long District, Phrae 54150, Thailand

âââââ · Cafe

goo.gl

Ride through Long & there are a couple of roads that link up with R11, south of the R1023 / R11 junction.
Long looks like a really cool little town & maybe a possibility for a future GTR dinner, once the covid-19 coast clears.
R2015 is the route number you need to pick up going out of Long.

It is a truly gorgeous winding rural back road with some fabulous traditional charming villages & is definitely worthy of a ride sometime if you are in the area.

4 kms S-W of Long it runs alongside the Yom river for a short distance.

18°02'37.3"N 99°50'41.3"E · 18.043694, 99.844806

goo.gl

Another 1.6 kms further on it crosses the Yom.

18°01'59.2"N 99°51'08.3"E · 18.033111, 99.852306

goo.gl

500 metres off R11 is a enchanting little forest garden & stream beside the road.

17°59'49.0"N 99°51'16.6"E · 17.996944, 99.854611

goo.gl

Once you hit the R11 it is all downhill, especially on the amazing run into the Kaeng Lung railway station.
The rain was drizzling & there were multiple trailer trucks on the slippery descent, such that it was quite daunting.

The route number is R2017 & it goes like this!

Straight down onto the Yom River.

The Kaeng Luang Station & what a gem it is backing straight onto the Yom River.

The super friendly staff let Dave DKT go & play at pulling levers

The room was a classic with the old equipment

17°59'49.0"N 99°51'16.6"E · 17.996944, 99.854611

goo.gl

Of note for Kaeng Luang is that there is an option to take another road on the east side of the Yom river back into Long.
Something to explore on the next trip. The route numbers should be 3043, 2007 & 2067. The Yom keeps calling...

3 more stations down the line to come.....

 

[DavidFL]

Some light rain & drizzle continues but the two intrepid rail riders continue on in their hunt.
It is 22 kms from Kaeng Luang to the next stop Den Chai city.

Den Chai is a major station in the North, & time for a lunch break.

Eventually Den Chai city will be the main rail junction for trains going to Chiang Rai - Chiang Saen - Chiang Khong, if they ever get the fast track / high speed rail line built.

ขยายดูชัดๆแผนที่แนวเส้นทางรถไฟเด่นชัย-พะเยา-เชียงราย-เชียงของ

www.phayaotv.com

Den Chai District · Phrae 54110, Thailand

Phrae 54110, Thailand

goo.gl

Den Chai is 3.7 kms south west of the Yom river, & 4.5 kms north up the rail line is Pak Pan railway station.
To get there is a round about way, & as luck would have we got a bit confused & ended up under a bridge that the rail line was on.

Too funny & unplanned, wouldn't it be an experience to be under the line as the train passed over. What a dirty selfie that would be?

17°59'45.7"N 100°00'14.5"E · 17.996028, 100.004028

goo.gl

80 metres later we ended up on the right road, turned left & rode into the Pak Pan station.

Standing out by the track Dave DKT says, can you hear the train coming?
Nah, BS, if there's train coming we should be under that bridge for a selfie, not here!
And then...

Bye guys you missed out

The railway station to the bridge is 420 metres.
Next trip we will time our run to be under that bridge for the experience!

Pak Pan station

Pak Pan · Sai Yoi, Den Chai District, Phrae 54110, Thailand

âââââ · Train station

goo.gl

Moving on down the line next,...the fabulous Mae Phuak station.

 

[DavidFL]

10.3 kms "south" down the rail line from Pak Pan is Mae Phuak / 6 kms from Den Chai.
By road it is 14 kms. One needs to get onto R11 & head towards Uttaradit.
3.5 kms from the junction of R101 / 11, there's a tricky turn off to the right.

Make the turn & follow the narrow bumpy lane through the village & you can see the railway line & a few buildings across a deserted car park.

The Mae Phuak station.

Our interest in the Mae Phuak station was alerted by this 2018 Bangkok Post article

Rediscovering Phrae

More than a decade-and-a-half before the northern railway reached Chiang Mai in 1926, the villagers of Ban Mae Phuak in what is now Den Chai district of Phrae province already had their own train station. A century later, this small station, which is less than 6km from the larger one in Den Chai...

www.bangkokpost.com

No longer in use as a railway station it had been turned into a homestay, come museum.
Sadly covid-19 seems to have taken its toll here too.

Some magic old photos & belles

Unfortunately soon after this, the rain set in & with tropical storm Koguma inbound we abandoned the planned exploratory ramble down to Phichit. So with no rain gear for the old GTR fellah we set of North & home.
Lampang it was for the night & a test munch on Long Jim's famed pizzas.

The old GTR Fellah with a small "Fat Bastard" pizza

Young Nong Dave with his & some fermented coffee

Long may the good times roll.
Riding is the best therapy in these difficult times.

For some more interesting info on the old stations

Train reaction: Fighting to save old stations

Parinya Chukaew is using social media to take on the establishment in hope of saving up to half of the nation

www.bangkokpost.com

 

[DavidFL]

One last "post mortem" almost.

The next day's ride from Lampang was wet all the way & the old fellah had no rain gear but decided to tough it out & ride straight through Lampang - Chiang Khong non-stop.
There was one fuel stop, just north of Phayao & then power on.
Towards Chiang Rai the rain lightened right up & it got considerably cooler with blustery winds around the western bypass R131.
Back on R1063 & the homeward straight, some light rain kept falling, and with a cool breeze blowing I started to get chilled right through, losing some feeling in my hands. Don't stop though, let's get home, power on. It was a bit of as shock then when I looked down at my speedo & noticed I was doing 155KPH. Oops, didn't think I was going that fast in the wet.
Now back at home I downloaded my GPS track & note that I hit 162KPH.

It's good to be alive - I don't plan on going that fast in the wet again.

 

[ianyonok]

The old railway stations are wonderful. Nice trip.

 

[DavidFL]

Phichit Railway Station

Phichit city is a provinical capital of the province with the same name.
The city lays south of Phitsanulok, west of R11, between the Nan & Yom Rivers, which join 80 kms south as the Nan, to flow onto Nakhon Sawan to form the Chao Praya river with the Ping River.

Known as the land of the crocodiles, Phichit has a legend that tells of Chalawan, the powerful crocodile king.

East of Phichit city, across the Nan River, is the provincial railway station & what a little classic it is.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

goo.gl

 

[DavidFL]

Taphan Hin Railway station
The station opened on 24 January 1908 as part of the Northern Line extension from Pak Nam Pho (Nakhon Sawan) to Phitsanulok.

Taphan Hin, was once the largest city in Phichit & all the trains stopped in Taphhan Hin, but when Phichit City grew bigger than Taphan Hin, most of the trains missed Taphan Hin.

Taphan Hin · Taphan Hin, Taphan Hin District, Phichit 66110, Thailand

âââââ · Train station

goo.gl

 

[DavidFL]

The confluence of the Yom & Nan rivers

From

Confluences, Crocs, Commies, Civilization & Escaping Covid.

Tired of being a good boy & "locked down" in Chiang Khong for almost 3 weeks, fruitlessly waiting for a vax at the Chiang Khong hospital, it was time to break out & make a move. One of the complications of living in such a small community is that you can easily get a high profile, & in my case...

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Wat Koei Chai Nuea (Wat Phra Borommadhat) · 1 1, Koei Chai, Chum Saeng District, Nakhon Sawan 60120, Thailand

âââââ · Buddhist temple

goo.gl

 

[Fatmama]

always loved Thai railways and their old school stations.

great pics

 

[DavidFL]

Riding home from the GTR Dinner in Si Satchanalai it was time to tick off another couple of roads & places on the Yom out of Long city.

Wat Phrathat Laem Si was my first destination.

The wat sits on a big oxbow bend in the Yom River.

Wat Phrathat Laem Si is an ancient important wat with 5 important Buddha images.
The main image is a reclining Buddha, Phra Wewa.

Located in a large elongated oxbow of the Yom, there is an annual merit making ceremony, where villagers come by boat on the Yom to pay homage to the God Vatthaphat, the God of the Martyrs, and the God of Rain at the temple.

The steps from the Yom river to the temple.

GTR is interested to witness this old traditional boat merit making ceremony one day.

History
When the Buddha attained enlightenment, he came to preach the Dharma "Saramma Chitta Sutta", and when the Buddha had passed away for 220 years, Phraya Sri Thammasoka the Great, along with 400 arhat monks, brought the Buddha's relics to be contained. Since then, around 949 B.E. Phraya Brahmakul was the ruler of Wevaphasat (Long District) in those days, and Alaiyaramo had Phraya Minaya as the ruler of Thung Yang. Phraya Changko was the ruler of Fang Phraya Sirisutthawangsa is the ruler of Lawo City (Lop Buri); and they all had become friends and built Phra That Laem Li. Therefore, Phra That Laem Li is a sacred place in Thailand Or, in the world, that is to say, there are five Buddhas, namely Kakusandha, Konagamana, Kassapa, Gotama, and Ariyamataya to show the name "Saramma Chitta Sutta" everyone, so this Laem Li temple So it's amazing. If anyone comes to pay homage here, it is as if we have paid homage five gods, there is no merit that can be compared.
Source: Thailand Tourism Directory - Digital Tourism

There are also two old chedis Phrathat Noi and Phrathat Laem Li.
The chedis

An old 200 year ordination hall houses some very old Buddhas.

Some old Buddhas

A model of the site

Check it out sometime.

Wat Phrathat Laem Li · 3030 Rural Road, Pak Kang, Long District, Phrae 54150, Thailand

âââââ · Buddhist temple

goo.gl

 

[DavidFL]

Si Satchanalai April 2022 - Buat Chang / Monks Ordination festival.

Si Satchanlai has an annual monks ordination festival, where the young novice monks to be are paraded around town on elephant back.
One of the highlights late in the day, is the elephants wading in the Yom River.

 

[DavidFL]

Sawankhalok Railway Station - Sawankhalok attractions.

The Sawankhalok railway station & line is a sideline from off the main rail Bangkok - north line.

It links up at

Ban Dara Junction · Ban Dara, Phichai District, Uttaradit 53220, Thailand

âââââ · Train station

goo.gl

It was built by King Rama V in honour of one of his wives who was from Sawankhalok, and opened on the 15th August 1910.

The station is a Class 3 Station and is located 487.14 kilometres (302.7 mi) from Bangkok railway station.
Notably this station uses signs as signals instead of lighted poles or semaphores and is operated manually.

It is one of the two stations on the Northern Line that uses this signalling system, the other being Khlong Maphlap railway station, the preceding station.

The station is the terminus of the Sawankhalok Branch from Ban Dara Junction.

Some old scales at the station.

In olden days people from Tak, Sukhothai, & Kamphaeng Phet would travel to Sawankhalok to catch the train to Bangkok.
Sawankhalok was an important halfway stop on the Bangkok - Chiang Mai rail line for steam engines to top up, & there is an old well by the railway station that supplied the water.

17°18'48.9"N 99°49'53.4"E · 17.313583, 99.831500

goo.gl

The station has an old coffee shop that is a classic, with its "muang boran coffee."

See also

A CSL Dinner ride: Chiang Khong - Sawankhalok - Si Satchanalai & Return.

10- days away from Chiang Khong & first time out riding on a trip since my accident. https://www.gt-rider.com/se-asia-motorcycling/threads/ooops-done-it-again-a-david-unk-crash.15939/ CSL Restaurant in Si Satchanalai had their 9th Anniversary on the 31s January, so a few of us headed to Si...

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The Sawankhalok Police Station Museum

Up to 1893 Sawankhalok was a province & the police station was located on the west side of the Yom River. It was a one storey building, 1 metre above ground level. After 1893 Sawankhalok became part of Sukhothai province, & the police station was relocated to the East side of the Yom River...

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[DavidFL]

February 2024
2024 & playing catch up still after my accident 21 months ago - how time flies - back in Phrae fossicking around for new attractions & following the Yom.
I was chasing a suspension bridge over the Yom River where a lady driver in her car following her GPS got stuck on the Yom where she shouldn't have been.

How could you possibly do that I thought?

A search of google earth in the "offending town" of Sung Men turned up what looked like a possibility for me.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

However my close inspection made me think nah, it's not this one.

She couldn't have driven out onto this one, surely not?
Or did she try from the other bank, on the west side?

So back at home I now see this one

18°07'09.1"N 100°06'49.6"E · 18.119194, 100.113778

maps.app.goo.gl

and if you zoom in on google earth stret view on the East bank, you can see a scooter riding across the bridge.
Could this be the one?
I'm still undecided & need to take another look.

Should go again you could try this coffee shop by the first bridge

หัวà¸à¸±à¸§ à¸à¸à¸à¸à¸µà¹à¹à¸à¸à¸à¹à¸à¸²à¸£à¹ · 449F+7X6, Wiang Thong, Sung Men District, Phrae 54000, Thailand

âââââ · Cafe

maps.app.goo.gl