Kosong

As the title goes, it is now empty. Emptiness brings in quietness. Here are the rest of the photos, after which I shall close this chapter (maybe) and start the new chapter. The more I dig into this chapter, the more feelings I will have. To stop all this, I shall stop digging more into it (maybe). Instead, I shall now start digging into the new chapter, one without the sound of railway trains.

Two blocks of flats near Spooner Road were built in 1980s (or earlier) to house people (and their family) who works for the railway section that was found in Singapore. People started vacating these flats since...I'm not sure. It only came upon me one day while I was passing by that area and spotted white A4 paper pasted on the doors. It reminded me of flats going to be demolished for SERS, whereby a notice will be pasted on the doors after the people vacated the unit. I took on the courage and walked closer to the flats near Spooner Road to take a quick look. 'Kosong' was what I saw, with a date written below it. I guess Melati was the name given to the block. 'Melati' according to Google Translate, is 'jasmine'.

I have been passing by these flats very often since young, without paying much attention to it. The only impression I have was that these flats looks old, and there was a playground near it which belongs to an era gone by. What will the future holds for these 2 blocks of flats?

Behind that two blocks of flats are the vast railway tracks that leads to and leads out of not only Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, but also some storage/ maintenance facilities area. Look at the vast land available for redevelopment! Back then before the news of relocation, various cargo and passengers carriages can be seen on the tracks. Today, these tracks are just tracks, waiting to be removed.

Three blocks of flats from the Spottiswoode Park Estate as seen in the background. In front of it is the, I guess, maintenance facilities for the railway. Spottiswoode Park Estate is a very quiet housing estate, whereby hearing the railway train was the usual. Noisy some might say. But from 1st July 2011, the sounds are gone, and the estate now is really quite.

Why is this sticking up from the center of the car park? Moving your point of view upwards, you will see the lamppost (next photo).

It does make me wonder why this thing still sticks out of the car park when it seems obvious that it is no more in its active state. Just an useless lamppost. But look closer at those design...it's awesome.

Train timings are changed prior to their departure for indication of which gate should passengers queue from. Something so manual...no more.

What a long platform. Today, the platforms are empty. No more trains, no more fencing, no more chairs. All removed. Will the platform be removed as well?

Looking to a arriving train out of the window of a departing train. Behind those trees are the Spottiswoode Park Estate flats.

Such signage are of no more. It reminds you of a long long time ago, bringing you back into certain memories, telling you that those were the good old times.

There was also a hotel in the Railway Station.

The main hall has 2 long huge light hanging from its ceiling that requires many florescent tubes to make it fully lighted. When I was young, I was very afraid that the lamps might hang loose and drop down and hit me. Thankfully this did not happen to me until today. But this was not the actual decorations hanging from the ceiling back then. From 'ancient' photos, it was actually 2 rectangular lamps and a square clock.

More signage reminding me of a long long time ago, bringing me back into certain memories, telling me that those were the good old times.

Look at the flower designs of the gates. Nice details.

The signage Singapura used to be a usual sight on dramas that have the Railway Station as the backdrop. Can you spot the train?

Obviously I was aiming for the blue skies again. Look a the 'white room'. Might be an add-on. Might be demolished when the restoration plans officially kicks off if it was really an add-on.

More blue skies. The clock, the lamp. Most probably will be kept intact, just that it would look so damn brand new after the preservation works are done. But for now, the clocks remain stopped.

I have no idea what's the purpose of the planks being placed across the metal lines. But I must say that wooden planks gives a more rustic and original feeling to railway. Currently if you really bother to take note, huge majority of planks along the tracks in Singapore are concrete, only a slight few are wooden planks.

These things prevent the train from smashing into the station. I don't think they were ever really used, thankfully. On it states some company name with the year 1930 on it. If these were really from 1930s till to-date, it must be really worth a huge 'wow'. But it would be sad if these are removed from the station.

I felt that these does belongs to the station structure itself that's worth being part of the building's preservation. But again, if it is still really in usable condition, it should then be used for its main purpose...not for display.

This sight, no more.

These murals are lighted using simple lighting. It shows a certain simplicity that makes you pay more attention to the murals rather than what type of awesome lighting system is being used to light it.

Lastly, if anyone really bothers to look closely at the windows made for natural ventilation. It uses a manual mechanic system whereby I'm not sure how to open it. But I am sure that you do not need to use a ladder and climb all the way up to open it. I do wonder would this be preserved as well...or just using some similar glass panels and cover the holes up?

Alright, that's all for now. Maybe some more some other time. I have more important things to complete rather than waste my time to find more railway stories, pictures and history of it. It has ended its journey through the main island of Singapore, except Woodlands. It will never come back. No point wasting so much time on it.

But recently one though came into me. If the station was officially moved to Woodlands 20 years (or around that time) ago, would there be anyone stepping up to say 'save this' and 'save that' and all the 'green corridor' issues. Or it would just be moved and land redeveloped without much of a debate of what should be done...?


Month Taken: June 2011
Time Taken: Afternoon, Morning
Photo Size Above: Normal (600 pixels - Longer side)