Indonesian Railway Preservation Society

Solo Purwosari-Wonogiri Joyride

Filed under: Cinta Kereta Api,DAOP 6 — secretariat @ 15:21

The next IRPS programme after visiting Tasikmadu Sugar Mill was a joyride onboard a feeder train which served the Solo-Wonogiri branch line. It was held on May 25, 2008 and coordinated by the Yogyakarta branch of IRPS. The feeder train consisted of BB300 29 and an economic-class passenger car (K3-66519). The ticket cost Rp 2000 per trip.

Before boarding the feeder train, the team asked for permission from the conductor and the station master so that the train could be stopped at several locations for some photo sessions. The permission was granted for it would not affect other trains schedule. The train departed from Purwosari Station at 08:35 AM although it should have been departed at 07:45 AM. The train cruised slowly through Slamet Riyadi Street and became an attraction. Several policemen worked hard to keep the train travelled safely. 

After departing Solo Kota Station, the passengers were given the scenery of beautiful paddy fields and Gunung Sewu (A Thousand Mountains) as the background. Some whistling ducks flew over the paddy field. As if the train were a share-taxi, some would-be passengers stopped it at several locations other than stations/shelters and then boarded it. The rail tracks used on the line were still of the R25 type, so it gave different sensation for the passengers. The engineers kept sounding the horn every time the train passed a level-crossing. Children on the side of the rail tracks waved their hands to the passing train.

On the Pasar Nguter-Wonogiri line, the train passed a tight bridge, therefore its speed was limited to10 kilometres (km) per hour. Then the train ascended to Wonogiri. The locomotive was “panting” to pull the passenger car on the rail track in the middle of teak forest.

Finally the train arrived at Wonogiri Station on platform 1 at 10:20 AM. It took 1 hour 45 minutes to travel from Purwosari Station to Wonogiri Station (40 kms). Since the train would return to Purwosari at 2:20 PM, the team spent their time wandering around the station. Some of them returned to Solo by bus to catch the afternoon Sancaka to Surabaya. 

The train departed Wonogiri Station at 02:15 PM, 5 minutes earlier. While on the way to Purwosari, the train was stopped on a viaduct on Wonogiri road for a photo session.At Pasar Nguter and Sukoharjo Stations, there were some Bengawan passengers boarded the train. Finally the train arrived at Purwosari Station at 04:05 PM.