CARMONA STATION - PART 2

 

Welcome to 'Part 2' of our look at the abandoned Carmona station, on the San Pedro to Carmona branch, south of Manila.

For more information about the line, some history and photos of the platform and yard area, check out

Part 1 here.

Foyer area.

Sorry puppy, you will have to get a taxi.

A look at the main entrance facing the street.

Looking down onto the platform from the street.

Carmona Station - Part 1

The Carmona branchline, junctioning at San-Pedro (Laguna), has long fascinated me.
Sadly, while had many opportunities, I never took a ride on the train, my first visit being following cessation of services.

The lack of motivation stemmed mostly from the horrid timetable that existed by the time I started travelling to Manila.

 There was one service to Carmona in the evening, with the return being in the early hours of the morning. It is not the kind of frequency that endears anyone to use rail.

When it opened, there was a far more realistic operation of 13 return trips each day.

Opened on April 1st 1973 (April Fools Day), the line was both the last branchline constructed in the Philippines, thus far, and also the last one to be closed.

It's closure was brought on by demands from a landholder, through whos land the line was build, started demanding payment from the Arroyo Government.

There was not much to the branch, being single track from junction till terminus, with only one intermediate halt called 'Chrysanthemum Village', a rather glorious name for a very small little platform.

The terminus consisted of only a run around loop to allow for locomotives to change the ends of the train.

Despite appearances here, one more train would reach this station in 2010.
The train was a reclamation run, operated by 5001, and hauling three FL cars, including FL-255.

It was for removing the tracks and ensuring no more trains could operate there.

What fascinated me most about this Carmona station is the construction.

You enter the station building off the street in General Mariano Alvarez. Here you find the foyer and a ticket office (to be covered in part 2), before you proceed out the platform side.

Due to the lay of the land, it was required to install steps to take passengers down to the platform.

I think this is unique in the Philippines.

Now, despite the aforementioned track removal, much of the branch remained in situ.

However, in early 2019 it was reported that a group of criminals, dressed as PNR employees, were caught stealing some of this surviving track.

It was around the same time as these criminals were caught, that it was announced that Carmona would be reopened.

This was of course met with much excitement and, given all the new rollingstock, perhaps a regular service could have again been operated.
It sure could have helped transport in the area again and took a little more stress off the roads.

It was never quite explained how the previously mentioned landowner would be dealt with in order for the line to be restored, whether he would be paid what he was requesting, or simply passed on.

Anyway, at the time of this post, there has been no reports of any progress on the reopening on this popular branch.

However, sometimes these developments are occurring without anyone noticing.

We hope that one day this will become an important part of the Philippine National Railway system again.

Carmona Station       Photo: Lindsay Bridge

Google Image: Near junction at San Pedro in 2019
Copyright of Google-Used as per their terms and conditions.

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Thanks to Mark Chua  and Jose Ramirez.

wikipedia.org

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SPOTLIGHT ON THE CMC/CTC

 

Brad Peadon (PRHS)

A brief look at the once numerous CMC/CTC railcars that were once so common on the Philippine National Railways.
Back in 1999, when I first visited the Philippines, there was one remaining operational set being used around Manila. I got to see it, but sadly not photograph, at Espana station, having terminated there on a run from Caloocan (2nd station, north side of Samson Road).
At this same time, they were very commonly seen on loco hauled services to Alabang and, quite likely, Calamba and Carmona as well.

At this stage they were in their declining years and, by the time I returned in 2004, had started to drop greatly in numbers of serviceable units. They were all locomotive hauled by this time.

By 2010, all that remained were some examples in perway use (dormitories, rerailments) and a few ones that were well beyond economical repair.

CMC-201 was one of only two of her type built.
This being in 1976.
Tayuman locomotive depot - Brad Peadon

In 2020, it is only the perway use ones that have survived.

CMC-201 - Manila

CMC-366 - Naga

CMC-382- Hondagua

Of these, CMC-201 is the sole remaining double ended motor car, of which there were two, while CMC-382 appears to spend its time in Manila nowadays.
If you would like to learn more about Philippine rollingstock, the PRHS occasionally publishes free updates covering the subject 'HERE'.

CMC-386 sits off her bogies in Tutuban Yard 

Brad Peadon

CMC-372 Espana, enroute to Tayuman.

Brad Peadon

CMC-380 Caloocan Workshops.

Brad Peadon

CMC-387 Tutuban Yard.

The last CMC to be built, delivered in 1980.

Brad Peadon

CTC-153 Tutuban Yard.

This CTC is one of the earlier batch from 1976

Brad Peadon

CMC-372 Tutuban Yard.

Brad Peadon

CTC-176 Tutuban Yard.

Brad Peadon

CTC-168 Laon Laan, enroute to Tayuman.

Brad Peadon

CMC-369 Laon Laan, enroute to Tayuman.

Brad Peadon

CTC-167 Tutuban Yard.

'Manila Shed - Rerailment Gang'

Brad Peadon

CMC-372 Laon Laan, enroute to Tayuman.

Brad Peadon

CLASS	NUMBERS	BUILT	BUILDER
CTC	151-164	1976	Toyu Trading Co - Japan
CTC	165-176	1980	Mitsui & Co - Japan
CMC	201-202	1976	Toyu Trading Co - Japan
CMC	343-348	1974	C. Itoh & Co - Japan
CMC	352-364	1976	Toyu Trading Co - Japan
CMC	365-387	1980	Tokyu Car Mfg Co - Japan

CMC-370 at Tutuban.
Photo: John Ward

CMC-374 was noted derelict at Caloocan in 2010 and believed to have been scrapped by 2011.
Photo: John Ward

CMC-376 at Buendia.
Photo: John Ward

CMC-382 at Caloocan.

The number on the side is incorrect, with the '2' 

somehow having gone missing.
Photo: John Ward

CMC-383 at Caloocan.
Photo: John Ward

Can you help?
We are seeking photographs of CMC cars from the first two batches, that's CMC-364 and lower in number, for a bigger rollingstock project.
Please email us if you can help.

Thanks to: Mark Chua and John Ward.