North Korea train

[mirrodie]

Surprised no ones mentioned it. What do we know about it?

[johnthefireman]

I posted one or two news items on it in another forum, here.

I particularly like the headline which says that China's social media users are calling Kim Jong Un 'Fatty on the Train' to bypass censors. Echoes of the Fat Controller in Thomas the Tank Engine?

[george matthews]

It says one of the Kims visited Russia with a private train. How did they cope with the gauge change?

[Gilbert B Norman]

"Safe, slow, and full of wine" says The New York Times:

http://nytimes.com/2018/03/27/world/asi ... ijing.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Fair Use:

...While much about Monday’s journey remains a mystery, here is what we know about the train:

A train believed by some to be from North Korea at Beijing’s central railway station on Tuesday. It fueled speculation that North Korea’s leader had arrived for talks with his Chinese counterpart.CreditJason Lee/Reuters
More powerful than a speeding bullet, but much slower
Much of what is known about the train comes from intelligence reports, recollections of officials permitted to travel on board in previous eras and rare state news media footage.

There are believed to be at least 90 high-security carriages at the leader’s disposal, according to a 2009 South Korea news report that relied on classified information. According to the report, written during the era of Mr. Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il, three trains operate each time the leader travels: an advance security train, the leader’s train and a third carrying additional bodyguards and supplies.

Each of the carriages is bulletproof, making them thousands of pounds heavier than average. That additional weight translates to a slow ride. The trains are estimated to reach a maximum speed of just 37 miles per hour.

In Kim Jong-il’s time, according to the 2009 report, 100 security officers traveled in the advance train, searching stations for bombs and other threats and testing the safety of the track. Additionally, military helicopters and airplanes would fly overhead to provide more security.

Twenty train stations have been built across North Korea just for the leader’s personal use, according to the report

[george matthews]

The Kims have the notion of being traditional Confucian emperors. But China's Xi is also so he will probably have no problems, as long as he does what he is told. But then Russia has reverted to Tsarism in much the same way. (I am 20 miles from Salisbury).

Kim's three trains were enough to carry a huge entourage, just like any traditional ruler might have had.

[mirrodie]

I posted one or two news items on it in another forum, here.

I particularly like the headline which says that China's social media users are calling Kim Jong Un 'Fatty on the Train' to bypass censors. Echoes of the Fat Controller in Thomas the Tank Engine?

THe Fat controller? Pretty funny.

[spRocket]

It says one of the Kims visited Russia with a private train. How did they cope with the gauge change?

At Tumangang there is a gauge-changing facility, and the bridge to Khasan, Russia is dual-gauge as well. Twice a month a sleeping car runs between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Source: http://vienna-pyongyang.blogspot.com/20 ... ation.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pretty much that whole trip would be impossible today... and it's a wonder those two didn't wind up in a North Korean gulag.