Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

N. Korea: a Train Worse Than an Ox Cart(passengers should push a train over the hill)
FreeNK ^ | 01/05/07 | Choi Kwang-hyuk

Posted on 01/07/2007 2:13:47 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster

/begin my translation

a Train Worse Than an Ox Cart [Report from China]

2007-01-05

There is a narrow-track railroad between Musan, N. Hamkyong Province, and Baek-am, Yang-gang Province, on which a train is supposed to do a round trip once a day, but due to fuel shortage, barely do it once every ten days or once a week.

What is even more awful is that passengers in the train are asked to get off and push the train over the pass because the shortage of brown coal, the fuel for the train, forced them to use firewood coated with waste oil, which does not provide enough horse power.

Last November, Kang Chol-ju(male, age:53), an ethnic Korean living in Helong, Jilin Province, China, who visited his relatives in Baek-am, Yang-gang Province, recounted his experience, saying, "I have been told that people may have to push their car(when it is stuck), but never heard in my life that people have to push a train (to get it moving.)"

He crossed through Sung-shen-zhen (?) Checkpoint on the China side, followed by a N. Korean customs office at Sam-jang-ri, Yonsa County, N. Hamkyong Province, N. Korea. He took a long car ride, paid with liquor and cigarettes, to get to Yonsa, but waited for three days until he finally got on the train of Baekam-Musan Line.

After leaving Baek-am Station the train moved so slowly like 'a crawling worm', limped along, and started to go up the Baek-am Pass when it stopped abruptly. A steward blew a whistle and every passenger got out, and started to swarm around the train, pushing it upwards. It took 6 hours for them to push it over the hill, having to brave cold and hunger all along. He really regretted going there.

He deplored, "I don't know whether all N. Korean railroads are like that, but I saw no railroad ties in working condition, and bolts and pins were mostly loose or missing. The rail bed was also bumpy. The situation is pretty hazardous. The train ride is worse than riding an ox cart traveling on gravel field. The train is nothing more than a heap of scrap metal destined for a blast furnace."

Choi Kwang-hyuk

/end my translation



TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: korea; passenger; pushing; train
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-28 next last

1 posted on 01/07/2007 2:13:50 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster; AmericanInTokyo; OahuBreeze; yonif; risk; Steel Wolf; nuconvert; MizSterious; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 01/07/2007 2:14:25 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster (kim jong-il, kae jong-il, chia head, pogri, midget sh*tbag)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster
I understand that it's common to that with a bus in the mountains of many rural far-away countries, but a train?
3 posted on 01/07/2007 2:19:44 AM PST by endthematrix (Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

Nothing like Communism.....


4 posted on 01/07/2007 2:20:55 AM PST by Sprite518
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

Virgin Trains Passengers Asked to Push Start Broken Down Train - October 31st 2006
http://www.randomperspective.com/page.asp?1news/3/039


5 posted on 01/07/2007 2:24:00 AM PST by endthematrix (Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

When I was a high school freshman, I attended a small military academy, and we always had to push the old school bus up any hill we came to. Hell, it was fun!


6 posted on 01/07/2007 2:31:03 AM PST by SWAMPSNIPER (BUAIDH NO BAS, JUST SAY NO TO RINO!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SWAMPSNIPER
RE #6

Now pushing a Amtrak commuter train with no fuel up and down between D.C. and NYC would be a real fun. May need 1,000 men, with their families cheering on in the background. Probably take two weeks?:-)

7 posted on 01/07/2007 3:00:13 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster (kim jong-il, kae jong-il, chia head, pogri, midget sh*tbag)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

bttt


8 posted on 01/07/2007 3:02:33 AM PST by ConservativeMan55
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger! I suspect most folks in the USA today have things too easy for their own good.


9 posted on 01/07/2007 3:12:10 AM PST by SWAMPSNIPER (BUAIDH NO BAS, JUST SAY NO TO RINO!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster
What is even more awful is that passengers in the train are asked to get off and push the train over the pass

Several years ago I heard that there was a train in Liberia that was entirely human powered. This was following a long civil war. Perhaps things have improved a little now.

10 posted on 01/07/2007 3:29:59 AM PST by wideminded
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

The people all suffer in order to surround that parasite Kim Jong Il with luxury and security. Yes, I think that's called Communism.

Now Communism is hooking up with that insane Islamic thug movement and will once more try to subjugate the world.

Meanwhile we punish our soldiers before the whole world. Is there any hope for America?


11 posted on 01/07/2007 4:18:37 AM PST by RoadTest (Get our Marines out of Pendleton's Kangaroo court!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

You know a country has hit bottom when its people have to get out and push a friggin train


12 posted on 01/07/2007 4:30:53 AM PST by Husker24
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SWAMPSNIPER

Yabbut you probably had something to eat besides tree bark.


13 posted on 01/07/2007 4:43:30 AM PST by Past Your Eyes (Some people are too stupid to be ashamed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Husker24
You know a country has hit bottom when its people have to get out and push a friggin train

Would the NK troops run for cover from some bandits crossing the border into their country?

14 posted on 01/07/2007 5:30:42 AM PST by Mark was here (You are guilty of something when you do it, proving your guilt is something else.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

Hell!/ these people are so far in the past, I am surprised they know what a train is.

I would venture some of them don't even know what an air craft is when flying over head.


15 posted on 01/07/2007 5:35:12 AM PST by buck61
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

Russian communists were much more advanced.

16 posted on 01/07/2007 6:27:43 AM PST by aculeus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

(photo's not from N. Korea, but you get the idea)

17 posted on 01/07/2007 6:32:35 AM PST by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Sprite518
Communism?

Surely you jest.

I bet all the "greens" in NK would let "Dear Leader" build a railroad that trains could actually run on without the above inconveniences.

Or maybe Mad Mike Bloomberg's Food Nazis infiltrated the railroad, and got the railroad to make people exercise "for their own good".

18 posted on 01/07/2007 6:59:24 AM PST by Calvin Locke
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

Kim Il-Jong you have caused confusion and delay!

19 posted on 01/07/2007 7:06:30 AM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (The artist doesn't have to have all the answers; he must, however, ask the right questions honestly.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SWAMPSNIPER
When I was a high school freshman, I attended a small military academy, and we always had to push the old school bus up any hill we came to. Hell, it was fun!

Operative words: "When I was a high school freshman,... it was fun!"

A lot of the optional challenges of youth are kinda fun. Try it when you're middle aged, cold and hungry.

20 posted on 01/07/2007 7:10:46 AM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (The artist doesn't have to have all the answers; he must, however, ask the right questions honestly.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-28 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson