PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TC.O. 882
6 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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mishaps have occurred, the foundations having been washed out and new work was thus The bricks used in building the necessary, The other bridges are in fair order. abutments, the faces of which are sometimes rendered in cement, were often very inferior and in places already show signs of decay. “Mirbau" timber, which is used for the longitudinal timbers, is said to last only three or four years. In some cases earthen- ware pipe drains, which were laid under the banks instead of culvertsure broken, and the water is now carried by small iron pipes acting as syphons; we consider that culverts in the first instance would have been preferable.
proper 8. The permanent way was not well laid in the first instance, and as rails of and slightly shorter lengths were not used on the inside of the curves, there is a "lead,” frequently considerable, in the joints of the inside rails, the joint sleepers are thus much askew. The rails weigh 464 lbs, per yard. The fang bolts which were sent out for use at the joints and at the centre of each rail, were not always put in properly. From Kunla Lumpur to about 16 miles the ballast is laterite, and thence to Kuala Kubu it is gravel from the tin mines. These sleepers of " Mirbau" are generally sound and the road is in fairly good order, but more ballast is required. There are several open formation drains of very rough and temporary character made of sleepers, which we consider objectionable. The staff employed on maintenance is :—
One Chief Assistant Engineer (Mr. Bighet, who also has charge of the other
branches).
One European Inspector of Way and Works,
Two Sub-Inspectors (Eurasians).
Four Time-keepers.
The average number of coolies employed in maintenance is four per mile.
the station
9. Excluding the Residency Station, now disused, but including Kuala Lumpur, there are ten stations. The passenger station at Kuala Lumpur is a large and imposing building with double line and wide and long platforms under a roof of one span, which, however, at the lower end of the station extends over the platforms only; yard is inconvenient, as lying between a principal road and a river it is insufficiently browl, and, therefore, the new carriage shed and building and repairing shops, which have just been built. are half-a-mile from the station and more that this distance from the Locomotive shops, no available ground for them being found nearer to the station. Serendah is an important station with two platforms and large passenger station; here and at Kepong, Rawang, Rasa, and Kuala Kubu there are goods sheds. The buildings at four of the stations are of a temporary character and one of them is for timber traffic only. All have sidings to allow trains to pass, but none have signals. The buildings are generally suitable but would look better for cleaning and painting. The longest run without stopping is 7 miles between Kuala Lumpur and Keping; this occupies 21
minutes.
10. The cost of this railway, excluding rolling stock and the whole of Kuala Lumpur new station, was approximately $1,769,196 or $15,656 per mile, the exact amount is, we understand, not known.
11. Kuala Lumpur to Klang,—This line, 21 miles in length, was opened to Bukit Kuda in September, 1886, it was afterwards diverted from that place and carried on to Klang, the latter section being opened in April, 1890. It was surveyed and constructed under the direction of Mr. Spence Moss; the curves in places are sharper than they need have been, and in others unnecessary curves have been used. The curves vary from 10 to 120 chains in radius, their aggregate length being 7 miles 4191 chains. The steepest. gradient for 2121 chains only is 1 in 115, and of the total length 41⁄2 miles is level.
12. The earthwork, except for about a dozen large cuttings which have stood very well, is generally light. Much of the line is on embankment in which in one or two enses, where swampy ground is crossed, there has been much subsidence.
13. There are not many bridges, and only one of any size, namely, that over the Klang River between Padang Java and Klang Stations; this has four 100 feet spans on cylinder piers sunk 67 feet below the bed of the river, and two shore spans of 25 feet 105 inches. One of the abutments has sink about 8 inches and one of the piers about one and a half inch since the bridge was built, but they are said not to be moving now. As the camber was not allowed for in laying the longitudinal timbers, and the line across the bridge is out of the straight, the road does not look well. There is a 60 feet bridge which is in goal order. The abutments of two small bridges sunk after they were finished, in one ense badly, but we understand they have not now moved for years.
The
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bridge abutments and the culverts, of which latter there are several both arched and open, appear generally to be in good order.
14. The permanent way is of the same class and has the same defects as on the line between Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Kubu, referred to in the eighth paragraph of this report, and the need for more ballast seems urgent. The ballast is laterite. Near Klang about a mile of the line is laid with steel sleepers, which are not satisfactory, as the road where they are laid will not keep its proper shape. We cannot find that these were sent out by you. Taking into consideration the want of ballast the line is in fair order, and, at Mr. Oliver's visit, was clean and free from weeds. The coolies on maintenance average
a little over four to the mile, and the staff employed besides Mr. Highet is :—
One European Inspector (who also inspects the Kajang branch). One Sub-Inspector (Eurasian).
Two timekeepers.
15. Including Kuala Lumpur there are six stations, and at each there are sidings allowing trains to pass. At Petaling and Batu Tiga there are two platforms, one with a brick wall and the second of timber. A line of rails runs through the goods shed at Batu Tiga, and at this station there is a water tank. Pedang Java is a smaller station than the others; the platform is of timber and there is no goods shed. At Klang the passenger station is roofed in, and there are two lines of rails and two platforms under the roof; the station yard is a large one with sidings connected with the wharves, but when the new wharves at Kuala Klang are finished this station will lose much of its traffic. The longest run of trains without stopping is 7 miles, and the fastest train covers the whole distance of 21 miles from Kuala Lumpur to Klang at the rate of 21.2 miles per hour including stoppages.
16. The cost of this branch, excluding rolling stock, was $852,880, equal per mile to $39,668.
17. Kuala Lumpur to Kajang.-This line, 17 miles long, was constructed and opened in sections, first to Pudoh, 2 miles, then to Sungei Besi, 64 miles, and then to Kajang, 8 miles, between June, 1893, and August, 1897. The terminus at Kajang is at present on the west side of the River Langat, which is now being bridged, and the line will shortly be opened to the new station already built about a quarter of a mile distant from the east bank of that river. After passing through Kuala Lumpur the line traverses a tin mining country up to about 11 miles, and thence it is mostly through forest. In the mining district there appear to be, at first sight, unnecessary curves, but we under- stand they were put in to avoid the mines. Generally, the trace may be said to be fairly good. The line passes a range of hills, through which curves of 10 chains radius and gradients of 1 in 100 were necessary; the flattest curve is 60 chains radius, and the aggregate length of curved line is 7 miles 5:43 chains. The steepest gradient of 1 in 100 occurs three times for an aggregate length of 2 miles 61-65 chains. Of the total length 3 miles 11 chains only are level.
18. The earthwork on the first part of the line is very light, but through the hills there are several large cuttings, the slopes of some of which have slipped badly. The slopes have been well drained and turfed, and it may now be expected that these cuttings will give little or no more trouble.
19. There is one bridge of 100 feet span in Kuala Lumpur and one of 50 feet span near 4 miles. The bridge at Kajang now being built has one span of 130 feet with two side spans of 20 feet each. The abutments and wing walls of the bridges are of brick- work, in some cases unpointed. At the 50 feet span, which was built in 1896 to replace a 20 feet span originally provided, but which was washed away, the superstructure was ordered for a bridge on the straight, whereas the line is on a flat curve, but instead of the permanent way being carried, as it should have been, on longitudinal timbers of sufficient width, old rails wedged into the pocket plates with pieces of wood are used as runners, and on them the ordinary cross sleeper road is laid; this is manifestly unsatisfactory, and, we think also, a somewhat unsafe arrangement, and should be rectified.
20. The permanent way on the older part of this branch is of the same class and has the same defects, both as regards the manner in which the road was laid and the insufficiency of ballast, as on the Kuala Kubu and Klang sections already referred to. From Sungei Besi to Kajang the rails weigh 60 lbs. per lin. yard. Except for short distances near Kuala Lumpur and Kajang there are no fang bolts, spikes only being used, but on curves the sleepers next the rail joints are double spiked. The ballast on the first part is laterite, then for some miles sand with a little laterite, and near Kajang laterite only is again used; there is a good supply of this along the sides of the second