Enclosure.2.
>>
In June 1937, considerable progress had been
made with construction of a loop line to connect the Port of
Whampoa with the Canton-Hankow Railway.
This loop line necessitated the crossing of the
Canton-Kowloon Railway in the vicinity of Shek Pai, and
three schemes were discussed and considered. The scheme
involving a flying-junction was favoured and work continued
with that object in view.
Due to the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese trouble
during July, work on the loop line to Whampoa was stopped
and a new scheme connecting the Canton-Hankow Railway
near Sai Cheun to the Canton-Kowloon Railway near Shek Pai
was approved and work put in hand with the utmost dispatch.
This connection was completed about the 23rd
August 1937, and the actual junction was effected by means
of a manganese steel 1 in 10 crossing. A scotch block
had been fitted to protect the main line, and the switch
points were effectively clipped and locked. A matshed
station was erected by the Canton-Kowloon Railway and this
was connected by telephone to Tai Sha Tou, Che Pi and
Shek Pai, the nearest stations.
On 23rd August, 1937, Mr. Tseng Yang-Fu, Mayor of
Canton, together with a number of officials proceeded to
the junction from Tai Sha Tou in a special train to officially
open the line to traffic. A train from Hankow, containing
bullion, was to make the inaugural run. This was not a
success, as the track in the vicinity of the junction and
also at Sai Chuen was rough and boggy owing to heavy rains.
The immediate result of this connection was the
need for a Working Agreement for the carriage of goods by rail from Kowloon to stations on the Canton-Hankow Railway
and vice versa. In consequence a meeting was arranged at the Kowloon Station offices on 23rd August, 1937, between
Mr.C.M.Chen representing the Ministry of Railways as
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.