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Welcome one and all to the 'Philippine Railway Historical Society' blogsite. This site was set up to share photos, historical pieces, comment and virtually anything else pertaining to transportation in the Philippines, with a special emphasis on rail. Occasional we vary from topic, but this is the less serious side of the hobby shining through - cause sometimes, in this miserable and uptight world, we just take ourselves a little too seriously.
Since 1999, the Philippine Railway Historical Society has regularly published items, FOR FREE, of railway interest on our PRHS Website. These include locomotive, rollingstock and transit updates, as well as our occasional magazine, 'Along Da Riles'.
 Our interest base has grown over the years with our main Facebook railway group expanding to include groups interested in other Philippine Transport, modelling of Philippine transport and even a group for Philippine railfans interested in overseas railways.
 If it sounds interesting, come join in the fun of the oldest, and most diverse, group dedicated to Philippine railways and other transport.
 We look forward to meeting you.

If you have a question Philippine railway related, just drop us a line, maybe we can help.
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Tuesday, September 23, 2025

2010: PHILIPPINE NATIONAL RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE PT4

 

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Urgent note for regular readers.
Facebook is giving people some grief (when does it not?) with their
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If you wish to know about all the stuff I publish as it happens, please follow my
Semi-Retired Foamer Facebook Page.
as it seems Facebook is now an unreliable place to let people know of stuff.
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The Infrastructure Saga Continues.

PNR Infrastructure: A 2010 Time Capsule Brought to You by Sweat, Rain, and a certain amount of pointless stupidity.

Ah, the Philippine National Railways — once the clattering metal backbone of Metro Manila, now just another ghost added to the city's long list of things we almost fixed. The urban section has finally wheezed its last breath, quietly shuttered like a sad karaoke bar with too many unpaid electric bills. But fear not: while Manila mourns the death of its railway, the provinces are still hanging on — clackety-clack and all — like a vintage car on life support, stubbornly refusing to die out of spite.

This gallery, this accidental archive, is a throwback to 2010 — back when PNR in the capital still limped along the tracks like a hungover commuter, and the only thing sleeker than the trains was the layer of oil on the station floor. This was before everything started transforming into sterile glass cubes and airport-inspired terminals that no one asked for. Back when infrastructure had texture. And tetanus risk.

Let’s be clear: these photos weren’t snapped from the comfort of an air-conditioned Grab car while sipping an oat milk latte. No. They were earned. They required navigating Metro Manila traffic that seemed designed by a malicious AI, dodging jeepneys with the reflexes of a caffeinated lizard, and enduring both sunstroke and spontaneous flooding — often within a single afternoon. All to capture a disappearing world of rusted signals, crumbling bridges, and train stations that looked like they hosted more breakups than departures.

Now that Manila’s section of the PNR has been unceremoniously buried in the name of “progress” (read: demolition, delays, and PowerPoint slides), these photos have become even more precious. What was once ignored is now… well, still ignored, but with slightly more historical value.

The collection includes a delightful mix of barely operational infrastructure: tracks held together by hope and colonial hangovers, signal lights that probably haven’t blinked since the original Marcos era, and provincial stations so empty they make your soul echo. It’s chaos, it’s nostalgia, it’s… deeply unsafe. But it was ours.

So if you're someone who enjoys their history raw, rusty, and just a bit tragic — with a side of provincial resilience — you’ve come to the right place. Scroll through, squint dramatically, and pretend you're feeling something deep and profound about infrastructure. Because nothing says romance like watching a national railway slowly vanish while the provinces wave politely from 50 years in the past.

You're welcome. Again. 

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Crossing signage on Pedro Gil street near the third Paco railway station.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Level crossing protection at the same spot.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Above and five below.
A modernised, but now closed and soon eradicated, Sucat railway station.
Photo: Brad Peadon
PRHS: Sucat Railway Station Page: 







The remains of Baao station in Bicol.
I am advised that the guy in the photo is the late Sylvestre Borja (PNR Driver)
Photo: Brad Peadon


More crossing signage, this time at the crazy busy Espana crossing near the station of the same name.
Below is the same view today. Yet another elevated road transferring traffic problems elsewhere.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Above and two below.
Various scenes between Iriga City and Bato (Bicol Region) from the cab of GE U15C 918.
Photos: Brad Peadon





Above and below.
There is no doubting the beauty of the Bicol Region. Stunning sights from your train window.
A railway tourism opportunity waiting to happen. Maybe less so since wiping out the line into the capital. :-(
Photos: Brad Peadon





Above and below.
The Tutuban platforms were still quite new when these shots were taken in 2010. On my 2007 visit I remember have to climb up onto the carriage at the now wiped out Tayuman station.
Photos: Brad Peadon



Former awning supports at Ligao station (Bicol Region).
This station has since been vandali, ahhmmm, modernised.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Above and below.
Espana station looking north and south during our 2010 PRHS Railfan Day..
Photos: Brad Peadon



A view of Espana today. Line closed, tracks removed, horrid elevated roadway above. 
They have been removing stations, so even that may not be there anymore.
Really quite depressing to be perfectly honest.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Above and below.
Pasay Road station during the 2010 PRHS Railfan Day.
Photos: Brad Peadon



Above and three below.
The abandoned Camalig station in Bicol.
This section of line was diverted in the mid-80s.
Photos: Brad Peadon






Above and three below.
Libmanan station, again taken from 918 on the Bicol Commuter Train.
Photos: Brad Peadon





Appears to be a new station building being constructed.
Photo: Google Streetscape


Above and below.
Libmanan bridge over the, not surprisingly, Libmanan River, in Libmanan (Bicol Region).
Photos: Brad Peadon

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MrX, Nhing, and Onyo.
Mark Chua (PNR & PRHS)
PNR Management & Staff.
wikipedia.org






Website. 


Interested In All Things Philippines? We Have Heaps.
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Monday, September 8, 2025

SPOTLIGHT ON DEL GALLEGO - 2010

 


Ah yes, once again we find ourselves looking back through locations visited during our somewhat epic 2010 pilgrimage from Manila all the way down to Legazpi, accompanied by the ever-mysterious MrX and the ever-patient Philippine Railway Historical Society crew. Back then, railfanning wasn’t yet overrun by questionable characters and half the places we explored were still shiny new discoveries for us—like kids in a railway-themed candy store.

Del Gallego Station, in particular, was a bit of a wild goose chase—difficult to locate but absolutely worth the effort once we stumbled upon its surprisingly charming design and prime real estate. As with many stops on that journey, the locals were a treasure trove of stories, mostly people who’d grown up with the railway line as their backdrop, swapping tales while the station silently waited for trains that weren’t coming. At the time, typhoon damage had already put a big fat pause on services, and though the trains briefly made a comeback, it was the kind of comeback that lasts about as long as a mayfly’s Tinder match. These days, the rails see the occasional maintenance train — if you squint and wish really hard — while the station building plays the world’s slowest game of “gather dust and hope for a brighter future.”




Del Gallego Station On Streetscape.

Ah, Del Gallego Station — the grand old diva of Philippine railway history, now enjoying a well-earned retirement in the quiet town of Del Gallego, Camarines Sur. Once a bustling stop on the Philippine National Railways’ Main Line South, this station used to be the place where dreams took the train from Manila all the way to Bicol. It was 1938, jazz was still cool, and President Manuel L. Quezon himself came all the way down to hammer in a ceremonial golden spike, because apparently, nothing says "progress" like hitting metal into wood while photographers clap. It was a big deal — the kind of ribbon-cutting moment you’d post on Instagram with a sepia filter and a long caption about nation-building.

Architecturally, Del Gallego Station is no slouch either. Designed by Pablo S. Antonio, a National Artist who clearly had a thing for river stones and concrete, the building was a masterpiece of “weather-resistant chic.” You could throw a typhoon at it and it would probably just yawn. The design is shared with other stations in the south, so it’s kind of like the IKEA of Bicol railway architecture — stylish, durable, and hard to replicate without the manual. Back in its heyday, it sat right in the middle of town like a socially active grandmother — near the church, the school, and all the local gossip.

These days? Well, let’s just say the station has “retired gracefully.” No more trains, no more passengers — just curious tourists, history nerds, and maybe a couple of stray pusas. It’s been labeled a historical landmark, which is a polite way of saying “you’re old, but we still kind of like you.” Sure, the tracks are quiet, and the walls may be crumbling a bit, but Del Gallego Station still stands as a nostalgic reminder of when rail travel was king — or at least when it had a working schedule. So if you're ever in town, drop by. Take a selfie. Pay your respects to a legend that once made history — and is now making peace with the weeds.


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What was passing for commuter transport back in 2010.
These sleds do carry more freight than PNR has in many a long year though.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Looking southwards along the platform area.
I suspect it will again see passengers if they finally get a local commuter service in this section.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Pretty self explanatory.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Above and below.
Both ends of the Del Gallego loop.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Today it would be hard to use the loop with all the guff, including structures, all needing to be cleared.



A local vender at the station.
Photo: Brad Peadon


First class local train complete with natural air-conditioning.
Photo: Brad Peadon



It a really lovely little rural (provincial) location.
Photo: Brad Peadon


The original Bongo Van takes a break from the railway adventures as is basks in the sunlight at Del Gallego station.
Photo: Brad Peadon



I love these designs on a number of south line stations.
Looking northwards along the platform.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Been a looooong time since a sale was made at this window.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Station seating is all for socialising nowadays.
Not much had changed by the time of my 2022 visit which is yet to be posted.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Above and two below.
The PRHS was generously donated a heap of records showing various of shipments out of Del Gallego back in the days that you could.
There is some truly interesting things they were still being sent out by rail before my time in the Philippines.
Photo: Brad Peadon





Above and three below.
The well known Kilbay Bridge over the Sabang River not far south of Del Gallego station.
Photo: Brad Peadon



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MrX, Nhing, and Onyo.

PNR Management & Staff.
wikipedia.org







Interested In All Things Philippines? We Have Heaps.
Check out our new Link Tree site.

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A list of recommended genuine locations to find further information on Philippine transport topics 
that will be expanded on from time to time.
Have a look if you wish to learn more.






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