HF and Elizabeth Ride (ER) New information in red. The article 1941 Report – Future Control and Development of the Port Of Hong Kong mentions the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company. The first Hong Kong mention I can find is about the Vacuum Oil Company from The Hongkong Government Gazette of 23rd May 1896. Then this from the Hongkong Government Gazette of […]
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Hugh Farmer with thanks to IDJ for the following report: This extract from a report in the Modern Tramway Journal c1988, mentions several proposals, none of which came to fruition.’ Namely: a) building a second line to the Peak in 1908 c) 1948-1958 extending the existing Peak Tram line further down into Central b) constructing a funicular railway at Lion […]
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In Search of an Improved Industrial Design – The Hong Kong Rickshaw over Time By Fung Chi Ming The rickshaw, as westerners pronounce it, originated in Japan where it is known as jinrikisha – jin (man) riki (power) sha (carriage). Its basic design includes a carriage resting on two large-diameter wheels, a pair of long parallel poles joined by a […]
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“With its outstanding record of safety and continuity, the Peak Tramways Company has always been conscious of the requirement to keep the Tramway’s operational heart in top shape. Surprisingly, since the beginning, the haulage plant has seen only one complete change – in 1926 when the original boilers and steam engine were replaced with an electrically-powered system.” Many thanks to […]
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IDJ: When Hong Kong was liberated in September 1945, one of the military groups diverted to assist restoring the city’s electricity, gas and water utilities and railway was the Royal Air Force’s No. 5358 Airfield Construction Wing that was part of Shield Force. This fleet of Royal Navy Cruisers and Aircraft Carriers plus their support ships were transporting 3000 airman […]
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HF: I was told many years ago that Hong Kong had the most ferry routes of any city in the world. And that Sydney was second and Seattle third. If that was true back in the 1980s it may not be so in 2014. During this period I have seen several routes vanish, including Jordan Road to Central, a wonderful […]
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Tymon Mellor: At the turn of the 19th century, railways and steam ships were changing the world and demanding new infrastructure to support them. With the construction of the Kowloon-Canton Railway – British Section in full swing, attention turned to the location of the terminus station in Kowloon. There were many competing requirements for the location; resulting in the site […]
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Peter Howell has kindly sent the following introduction and images. If you wish to know more about Peter’s involvement in the Shatin Airfield and life there please see our RAF Shatin Airfield articles linked below. HF: I was a little confused as to whether the name of the building and compound at RAF Shatin Headquarters was Arcullis House or Camp. […]
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Peter Howell has kindly sent the following introduction and images: 1900 Air Observation Post Flight, 657 Squadron, arrived in Hong Kong at the end of April 1953. Within a few weeks, the personnel had re-assembled their four Auster Mk 6 and one Auster Mk 7 aircraft and started flying operations from the airstrip near Shatin village. The attached photographs of […]
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Peter Howell has kindly sent the following introduction to and images of RAF Shatin Airfield: 1900 Air Observation Post Flight, 657 Squadron, arrived in Hong Kong at the end of April 1953. Within a few weeks, the personnel had re-assembled their four Auster Mk 6 and one Auster Mk 7 aircraft and started flying operations from the airstrip near Shatin […]
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