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- Jan 6, 2013
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1. The History
Have looked into this place before I thought I'd try and dig out some more history on this place.
A mere 3km north of the heart of Kualar Lumpur, the history of the railway town of Sentul goes back a very, very long way back. It was famous for the Sentul Works, situated east of the current Komuter station. In 1904, the Federated Malay States (FMS) railway began building a complex of railway maintenance works at Sentul known as the Central Railway Workshops. It consisted of numerous brick buildings and metal sheds primarily used as a workshop and storage area for steam and diesel locomotives and railway cars. Occupying an estimated 5.2 hectares (13 acres) of land, the Works was the largest train depot in Malaysia. The extensive buildings included a locomotive-running section, a workshop manufacturing small parts, a gauge-testing room, a small laboratory and a big saw mill (to the west where the KLPac arts centre is now situated).
Sentul was the home and workplace of thousands of railway workers, a majority of whom were Indians, leading to it being referred to as "Little India". It wasn't all Indian workers - the parts makers and carpenters were mostly Chinese, while the Indians and the Malays were good as metalsmiths, painters and tailors. In its heyday it employed approximately 2,500 workers. It contained the finest integrated engineering workshop in the world. In her 1957 book on Malayan railways, Katharine Sim noted that “Sentul makes all the fine new coaches now seen on the track. Railway experts from many countries who have from time to time toured the workshops, were equally amazed to realise that such heavy industry is being done in a primarily agricultural country. Apart from the wheels, axles and a few other proprietary parts which must be imported from overseas, everything else for the coaches, down to the smallest fitting, is made at Sentul Works.”
Before World War II each morning at 6.15am the wailing siren would hail yet another working day at the engineering works. If that didn't get you out the bed there was a repeat siren at 6:45am! This was shortly followed by a long procession of workers on their bicycles going to their place of work. A more welcome siren was the 4pm signal that indicated the end of the working day. During the war 1945 B-29 super bombers belonging to British Forces bombed the then-controlled Japanese complex. The central workshop of where a wide variety of steam locomotives and passenger coaches were assembled and repaired since 1904 suffered a direct hit and some 72% of the workshop was obliterated. One good thing was it signified what was to be the end of the Japanese Occupation in Malaysia.
After the War, the workshops were partially rebuilt but they never regained their former glory and many of the former colonial railway buildings were left as hollow shells or ruins. Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) was privatised in mid-1983 and the numbers of workers at the works was steadily reduced to around 900 people. Many of the workers went back to India and the workers quarters have been dismantled and replaced with squatter homes.
2. The Explore
I'd previously visited Sentul with the sole intention of looking at the iconic old station-masters house I'd seen pop up on pre-travel reach. Having rocked up here I encountered "the guard" who took objection to me even taking pictures from the road. Now admittedly the house and complex is on private land but access is granted so members of the public can visit the KLPac arts centre further on into the park. So this time, aware of the guard, I walked past him, snook round the back and started shooting. And it worked too! Playing cat-and-mouse with him wasn't too hard given his bright red beret. This time around I was also aware of the even-more interesting former loco works. I tried to find a way round the back to the North but this wasn't happening. The East has the railway lines and the West side a "live" industrial unit with guard at the entrance gate. I however did spot a way over the wall to the south - just north and over the grass from the station-masters house. It was a do I go fo it or not. In the end I chickened out and just shot pics from over the wall of what may have been. I've found no explores of this place on the web but from the edge and from Google Maps the place looks awesome. Another time perhaps…
3. The Pictures:
A random structure to the north-west of the station masters house:
img5250 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5245 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The green gate:
img5246 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And red sentry post:
img5249 by HughieDW, on Flickr
On to the wonderful Station Master's house:
img5270 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5251 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5272 by HughieDW, on Flickr
It's just a shell now:
img5286 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5267 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5255 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5265 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5266 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5290 by HughieDW, on Flickr
But the corridors are great:
img5260 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5276 by HughieDW, on Flickr
As are the arches:
img5288 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The external details are really nice
img5268 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5277 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5289 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5296 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5297 by HughieDW, on Flickr
This sign is outside the new EMU works which is next to the old Sentul works. Sort of made me a bit nervous:
img5271 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And a tantalising view of those enormous loco works:
img5308 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5318 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5301 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5303 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5310 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img5311 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Have looked into this place before I thought I'd try and dig out some more history on this place.
A mere 3km north of the heart of Kualar Lumpur, the history of the railway town of Sentul goes back a very, very long way back. It was famous for the Sentul Works, situated east of the current Komuter station. In 1904, the Federated Malay States (FMS) railway began building a complex of railway maintenance works at Sentul known as the Central Railway Workshops. It consisted of numerous brick buildings and metal sheds primarily used as a workshop and storage area for steam and diesel locomotives and railway cars. Occupying an estimated 5.2 hectares (13 acres) of land, the Works was the largest train depot in Malaysia. The extensive buildings included a locomotive-running section, a workshop manufacturing small parts, a gauge-testing room, a small laboratory and a big saw mill (to the west where the KLPac arts centre is now situated).
Sentul was the home and workplace of thousands of railway workers, a majority of whom were Indians, leading to it being referred to as "Little India". It wasn't all Indian workers - the parts makers and carpenters were mostly Chinese, while the Indians and the Malays were good as metalsmiths, painters and tailors. In its heyday it employed approximately 2,500 workers. It contained the finest integrated engineering workshop in the world. In her 1957 book on Malayan railways, Katharine Sim noted that “Sentul makes all the fine new coaches now seen on the track. Railway experts from many countries who have from time to time toured the workshops, were equally amazed to realise that such heavy industry is being done in a primarily agricultural country. Apart from the wheels, axles and a few other proprietary parts which must be imported from overseas, everything else for the coaches, down to the smallest fitting, is made at Sentul Works.”
Before World War II each morning at 6.15am the wailing siren would hail yet another working day at the engineering works. If that didn't get you out the bed there was a repeat siren at 6:45am! This was shortly followed by a long procession of workers on their bicycles going to their place of work. A more welcome siren was the 4pm signal that indicated the end of the working day. During the war 1945 B-29 super bombers belonging to British Forces bombed the then-controlled Japanese complex. The central workshop of where a wide variety of steam locomotives and passenger coaches were assembled and repaired since 1904 suffered a direct hit and some 72% of the workshop was obliterated. One good thing was it signified what was to be the end of the Japanese Occupation in Malaysia.
After the War, the workshops were partially rebuilt but they never regained their former glory and many of the former colonial railway buildings were left as hollow shells or ruins. Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) was privatised in mid-1983 and the numbers of workers at the works was steadily reduced to around 900 people. Many of the workers went back to India and the workers quarters have been dismantled and replaced with squatter homes.
2. The Explore
I'd previously visited Sentul with the sole intention of looking at the iconic old station-masters house I'd seen pop up on pre-travel reach. Having rocked up here I encountered "the guard" who took objection to me even taking pictures from the road. Now admittedly the house and complex is on private land but access is granted so members of the public can visit the KLPac arts centre further on into the park. So this time, aware of the guard, I walked past him, snook round the back and started shooting. And it worked too! Playing cat-and-mouse with him wasn't too hard given his bright red beret. This time around I was also aware of the even-more interesting former loco works. I tried to find a way round the back to the North but this wasn't happening. The East has the railway lines and the West side a "live" industrial unit with guard at the entrance gate. I however did spot a way over the wall to the south - just north and over the grass from the station-masters house. It was a do I go fo it or not. In the end I chickened out and just shot pics from over the wall of what may have been. I've found no explores of this place on the web but from the edge and from Google Maps the place looks awesome. Another time perhaps…
3. The Pictures:
A random structure to the north-west of the station masters house:
img5250 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5245 by HughieDW, on FlickrThe green gate:
img5246 by HughieDW, on FlickrAnd red sentry post:
img5249 by HughieDW, on FlickrOn to the wonderful Station Master's house:
img5270 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5251 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5272 by HughieDW, on FlickrIt's just a shell now:
img5286 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5267 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5255 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5265 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5266 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5290 by HughieDW, on FlickrBut the corridors are great:
img5260 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5276 by HughieDW, on FlickrAs are the arches:
img5288 by HughieDW, on FlickrThe external details are really nice
img5268 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5277 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5289 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5296 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5297 by HughieDW, on FlickrThis sign is outside the new EMU works which is next to the old Sentul works. Sort of made me a bit nervous:
img5271 by HughieDW, on FlickrAnd a tantalising view of those enormous loco works:
img5308 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5318 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5301 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5303 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5310 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg5311 by HughieDW, on Flickr
