Tanjong Pagar Railyway Station (1932)

An invitation to this tour by Preservation of Monuments Board, I was received an comfirmation email from them, the schedule date & time of the tour conducted by tour guide. Manytime, I had been passing by the road from Pasir Panjang Road along Keppel Road by public transport, to capture view of this railway station. And also tracks along at Queenstown/Buona Vista area where my usual walks to the Foodmarket. Prior to my visiting and guided by tour guide and his informations, I am able to furnish the history of the railway station at Tanjong Pagar on 25 May 2011
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"A short brief of history: Before Johor-Singapore Causeway was built, the railway in Singapore was exclusively limited to the island. The construction of the Johor-Singapore Causeway across the Straits of Johor began in 1919, and it was opened to goods trains on 17th Sept 1923 and to passenger trains on 1st Oct 1923. Previously, passengers and goods trains transferred at Woodlands to a ferry to Johor Bahru and the commecting train on the Peninsula. Tanjong Pagar Railway station was completed in 1932".

I was schedule to meet in 10mins early before 4pm at the entrance where the tour guide & others were waiting for 45mins tour. Tour guide explained on how Tanjong Pagar Railway station was built and the historic of Johor-Singapore Causeway was built before completion of the Tanjong Pagar railway station in 1932, it's been 79 years and remembered its heydays. Its operation will close at the end of 30 June 2011 and will relocate by 1st July 2011 at the woodlands checkpoint
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Outside entrance of the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, there are 4 towering statues on each side, represent the 4 pillars of Malaya: Agriculture, Commeerce, Transport and Industry was done by Rudolfo Nolli, a Italian sculptor and architect. The signboard showed 'FMSR' on each statues stands for "Federated Malay States Railway". There are 4 'boxes' below the statues was actually light fixtures. The 'entrance' to the railway station was early as 20th century European architecture with tall ceiling and arch.

The 'architecture' of the railway station had captured my attention and learned from tour guide that this architectural/Art Deco style was influenced by Finland's Helsinki station. Tour guide told me that the eight-pointed star design on the ceiling near the entrance of the station represents harmony and balance. Above the star (white) at the ceiling of the station had 8 points, was an auspicious number and architecture around the station has a blend of East and West.

The tour guide highlighted about the mosaic panels in the main lobby of the station. These 6 group of each panel wall is the portrait of Malayan's core activities, were tin-mining, rice-planting, rubber tapping, maritime trade, coconut-planting and agriculture. The mosaic panels tiles were made of coloured rubber through a patented process created by Singapore Rubber Works
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Tanjong Pagar Railway station had luxury quarters with well-furnished rooms and bath tubs for guests's stay. It is currently in bad shape as it was never maintained and there was also a suicide that took place in one of the rooms.

Lamp & ticket counterThe main vaulted hall in its early days, was once installed a clock and lamps( rectangle shape), has long disappeared but the hall still remains and installed a long lamp (above). The ticketing counter was once made of solid teak wood but now it is painted in white.



Railway Food Station
Inside the main hall, there are two platforms on each side - Departure platform and Arrival platform. Surrounding the hall, there are also VIP Room, Resting Area, Railyway Food Station..etc
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Dep. & Arr. trainNow you can see the 2 trains (above) a close up from both side of the platforms(Dep. & Arrival) which I took photos when the trains arrive at around 5.05pm(arrival) and few minutes later at 5.20pm (dep.)


Canteen & Film CrewsInside the Arrival platform, there are Railway Station Canteen (M. Hasan) where passengers sit down for a meal, snacks and a cup of coffee and drink while waiting for the incoming trains, on the next door is the Quick Baggage store (1st Pic above). I saw the Filming Crews (Malays) at the Departure platform to film the movie scene of this station and also at the arrival platform where I stood there. I believe that they had an approval from the management.

Carriage & Hydraulic Buffers (Above)

Switch lever & Buffers
In front of the canteen, there are 2 rail-tracks in between the line and 2 hydraulic buffers. These 2 buffers were designed by Ransomes and Rapier, allow the train to stop in front and to prevent crash towards the building. There are 2 manual switch lever which control the track switch to allow a train to switch the track by reversing. And there is also a carriage (Pullcart) which carries staffs to check on the tracks from time to time. The manual switch lever (3rd pics) which controls the train to switch the lane.


As I walked inside the canteen and went out at the back door of the canteen where I saw motorists had parked their cars and saw the parking van near the track. At the back of building is very much like European style.


As I walked to the left side of the building, there is a clock (1st pic above) was built on top of the building. I strolled along this path, I managed to capture the photo of the each doors where the staffs work on their duties outside the parked cars, that is - Door to Door service and Parcel Office Express. And also the parking lots for staffs only.
Parking lotsThis tour gave me insights of this station and tour guide's useful informations, am able to roam the place at the station after this 45mins tour.

National Museum of Singapore (1849)

After the trip to Old Kallang Airport, I hopped on the bus that take me to National Museum Of Singapore (established in 1849) which is about 15mins travel from OKA. The building then Raffles Library and Museum,was first opened by Governor Sir F.A.Weld, in the Jubilee Year of Her Majesty Queen Victoria in 1887. The Museum was named National Museum of Singapore in 1965. And thereafter, restored during the silver Jubilee year of Singapore's Independence, was reopened by Mr Goh Chok Tong (First Deputy Prime Minister) on 16 Nov 1990. The Museum went under three-year redevelopment on its 119th year and was reopened by his Excellency President S R Nathan on 7 Dec 2006.

And the bus will arrive the corner side of the entrance which you can see the picture above..led to the 2nd story of the building side entrance.


There is a small garden just outside the NMS's entrance, stands a Domescape is a kind of viewing scopes, children are guided to see playful images superimposed on the museum's dome and other objects like stones, sculptures (see pistures above).

As I went to the level One, to find the cylindrical shape at the top of the ceiling with dizzle lights above called DOME. The other sculpture (tubular shape) is made of bamboo, rattan, plywood and metal wire that suggests bombs or ammunition and the threat of destruction.

Indian Convicts
Once entering the museum, I saw many people who are remembered by Singapore's history. The prisoner Chetoo is one of the India convicts (old convicts jail at Singapore) who built Singapore town. I remembered back then was told by elderly folks, many years ago in 1787, convicts from India were the first sent into Singapore prison and about the same time that transported to Australia for English convicts was sanctioned by our laws. They were employed principally upon road-making, and on clearing estates.

Seah Eu Chin

At the corner of a small room, I saw few people sitting down to look at the table of one of the Singapore pioneers who contributed much to the development of Singapore - Seah Eu Chin(1805-1883) born in Swatow, Canton in 1805. He came to Singapore in 1823 as an immigrant, worked as a clerk, dealing with Chinese junks. After 25 years, he became a Commission Agent operating from Kling Street (now known as Chulia Street). In Singapore, he was the first Chinese to start gambier and pepper plantations and earned profits, he purchased land properties stretched from River Valley to Bukit Timah Road. Seah Eu Chin also served as a grand juror in Singapore, gave valuable service to the government during Hokkien and Teochew riots in 1854. British government made him - Justice of the Peace and a trustee of Teochew civil Chinese Burial ground in Orchand Road. He retired from active business in 1864 at the age of 60 and devoted his study in Chinese Literature. He passed away on 1883 at the age of 78 and his widow died in 1905. His descendants are still resident in Singapore today. Sveral streets in Singapore are for him and his sons namely: Eu Chin Street, Liang Seah Street and Pek Seah Street. Seah Street in Bras Basah is named for the Seah family.

CinemaScope

Tuck along the corner of the dark room, I was bewildered to see the huge film making equipment that stands at the corner - CinemaScope (picture above). Legends has it..After the time of Japanese invasion in 1945, the cinema business to be developed when people generally begin to spend their leisure time with entertainment to relieve themselves to escape from the shackles of exhibitors war-fighting film exhibitors to attract viewers to import these goods, such as recent movies 3-D and serving areas. The film screening is fixed with lenses for CinemaScope to show films in panoramic format. This was used in the 1960s at the Hollywood Theater at Tanjong Katong Road. This movie boes include 16mm prints of films published in the Singapore Malay and published in locations outside the entrance to the price of 20-15 cents is quite low.
Chinese Opera Puppe
Chinese Opera Puppet doll game series is a popular type of entertainment early to immigrants in Singapore. Most of the immigrants who arrived between the end of the 19th century and early 20th century, China from the south east to bring puppets and a puppet opera style of art doll in their own game. Although this is different in terms of dialect and music, they still have a way of staging and the same stories are found by the epic literary fiction and fairy tales. The combination of calm, sounds and movement have made movies Chinese opera or the arts play a puppet show in religious or social functions.

Stage Roles

This tools are used in the movie has a style of Chinese opera and its performance. Stage set is minimal and the movement style can only be conveyed through movement actors. The roles of Chinese Opera puppet can be classified in four main roles: Female character, man character, the character of a man with his face painted and a comedian. Each character type has its own category, offering style, makeup and costumes. These symbols are displayed by a woman in handcuffs Bunya Peony shows.
Glove Puppet Theatre (1st pic) & Three Twins Film Art (2nd pic)

Glove puppet theatre stage is a glove puppet belonging to Sin Sai Lok, a group that came from the Fujian province of China in 1930. This stage is equipped with electric light bulbs 1,000 handcuffs. This stage is amazing when it is exposed in the dark. Mobile platform can be installed and opened long hours.
Golden Age Malay Film - glorious era in the 1950s to the 1960s, the rise of the short film filmmaker - Royston Tan (Singapore).

Remembering the times, when I was at my grandma's Kampong since childhood. I am delighted to see the old tools which is the same as my grandma's old kitchen and its kerosene lamp hanging on top of small cupboard that keep dishes away from rats and housefly.

Kuen TuTu and Eggs baskets

I walked to the Singapore Living Gallery which is FOOD that many Singaporean loves most in early life during the times of old kampong days in urban legands that lived till today. As you can see above pictures which the life of old kampong folks used to live the life in the streets for living expenses during and after WWII in Singapore. I remembered when I was young, I went along the road stretched from Jurong to Bukit Timah where my relatives used to live in kampong huts and houses with no streets light. During the times, old malay and chinese hawkers sold Satay, Char Kway Teow and Laksa along the road side in early 19th century. Malay women food vendors would sling carrier baskets made from woven bamboo or rattan on a carring pole. These baskets contained a variety of food items, such as nasi lemak, fermented soya bean cake, salted fish, tapioca leaves and sweet potato leaves. Egg baskets made from iron wire mesh were commonly used by hawkers of all ethnic groups.

Well, I have pen off here and hope to see much more in this urban legands in Singapore.

Old Kallang Airport

Old Settlement Airport (then)

Old Kallang Airport (now)

Back to my place, where I belong to this world on my own since I was young being told by my elderly grandparents and mom to this memory of Old Kallang Airport which was officially opened on 12 June1937 by Sir Shenton Thomas(took governorship from Sir Cecil in 1934), after the reclamation work began on the tidal swamp in Kallang Basin in 1932 to 1936 until the land was completed, forming a 915-metre diameter, dome-shaped landing ground.

Old Gate of Yore

An old gate structure and the three concrete lamp posts which have been conserved

Entrance to Old Kallang Airport

Old Kallang Airport also known as the Kallang Aerodrome, Kallang Airfield and RAF Kallang as Singapore's first built civil airport, together with an anchorage for seaplanes. It operated until 1955, except during WWII, and was later converted into the early headquarters of the People's Association (PA). Old Kallang Airport was closed in 1955 when the new Singapore International AIrport at Paya Lebar was built. The distinctive terminal building was used as the headquarter of the PA until year 2009. It is now currently unoccupied.

After more than 50 years, the Singapore Biennale 2011 has given its reason to open its doors and welcome all visitors to experience the artworks while exploring its every nook and cranny. Old Kallang Airport continues to hold fond memories for many Singaporean today.

Toast Box

And there was a special buns and drinks at a very special outlet of Toast Box, set up as 1940-styled coffee shop just outside the Old Airport's Hanger. Beside the EAST Block, a van with 'Free' milo (cold) for all visitors too. And there are children's playdome in the field, kite flying in the compound field of the Old Kallang Airport.
On 15 May 2011, I went to the Old Kallang Airport aka OKA which is free admission. It was such a hot day at the Old Kallang Airport that packed with crowd. And there are two buildings namely WEST BLOCK & EAST BLOCK (See Above before Toast Box pictures)) from Terminal Building (Centre) which has two levels on each block, Beside the WEST BLOCK building, there is a Hanger building just beside the Toast Box shop.
My first stop is at Terminal Building of Old Kallang Airport which you can see above photo taken by me. As I reached to a destination just outside the entrance, just as I walked in, saw the old door and staircase that led up to a 2nd-storey building which is called BOARD Room. On top of the staircase that led to the Control Tower which is stated 'NO ENTRY' as shown picture above.

At the BOARD Room, I came across the field of ruined and scarred plinths created by artist Mike Nelson (London) which he destoyed at the Hayward Gallery,London. As I walked into the gallery to find an empty white walls hacked and broken. Piles of plasters, paint and shredded wood were scattered across the floor. They have been shattered by a history we (Singaporean) can only guess at and bear witness to the presence of a malign interlligence or a nameless anger.To make a short route, to the EAST Block, I picked up & read the book stated that there is a Purple Forbidden Encloseure which is at the level 2, showing the spiritual energy that channelled to this room with the help of local medium.
 
These are the intangilble materials and invisible forces are the stuff of an artist (Dane Mitchell). In his works such as dust, scent, memory and light to the presence of spirits and the dynamics of human interaction, to the life of spaces, here and now, and in the past. So the special energies of a room at Old Kallang Airport, a site with a fascinating and complex history, have been identified and channelled with a help of a local medium, mapped by the artist's astrological sign (Dragon), delineating a conversation between cultures and threshold between worlds.

Just as I walked to the next door, I am surprised to see all newspapers cutting (see above) that pasted on the walls of the past of battlefield haunting, spirits, ghosts haunted at old kampong,Nelson road (where my parents once stayed), siglap street.. everywhere during & after WWII (1942-1950). I managed to capture all photos and post here in my blog just a few as there are many news about ghost haunted at cinema in Singapore in 1952.

I think I have to make a trip at the Hanger (above), just beside WEST Block. Inside the Hanger, there is a Traditional German Barn and a pullcart full of dried weeds designed by an artist Elmgreen & Dragset. The Hanger that stored aeroplanes, protected aircraft from weather and ultraviolet light. Hangers may be used as an enclosed repair shop or, in some cases, an assembly area. In addition, hanger keeps secret aircraft hidden from satellites or spyplanes.
As there are so much more details and pictures at Old Kallang Airport, which I have to make it short here.
My next trip is National Museum of Singapore after Old Kallang Airport on the same day, so I took a 'Free' shutter bus that takes me to the museum. You can watch my video as shown below: Inside Terminal Building(Old Kalland Airport) & Hanger.