Dalat Train Depot
N 11° 56.486 E 108° 27.259
49P E 222735 N 1321352
Once a true beauty of the French Indochine area, now it's a deserted lost dream.
Waymark Code: WM3YNQ
Location: Vietnam
Date Posted: 06/07/2008
Views: 33
In 1932, two French architects, Moncet and Reveron, designed the Da Lat railway station and hired Vietnamese companies to build this station about two kilometers from Xuan Huong Lake in Da Lat. The station's design was distinctly western but also has some characteristics of a Cao Nguyen (Central Highland) communal house with its high, steep roof. The station is divided into three areas, each of a nice size with stained-glass windows and arched ceilings.
As soon as the station went into use in 1936, trains with brand new Japanese locomotives carried passengers and freight along three routes: Thap Cham–Da Lat, Nha Trang–Thap Cham–Da Lat, and Saigon–Thap Cham–Da Lat. The station had three Japanese made steam locomotives. The steam engines were fueled by wood, bringing the temperature up to boil water (12 cubic meters of water were carried), creating steam that was converted into a pulling power of 700 tonnes. Due to Viet Cong's constant sabotage, the trains hauled their last passengers around 1970 and ceased the operations completely.
(narrative taken from "Tracing the Forgotten Path to Shangri-La")
Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: No
Is the station/depot open to the public?: Yes
If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?:
Visitors came see the station and contribute to a fund for historical renovation. There's also a small gift shop run by a mountain tribe.
Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link]
What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: Not listed
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