SENIOR BYAHERO
The Philippines has one of the oldest railway systems in South-East Asia. In the late 1800s, while our neighbors were still travelling using horse-drawn transportations, Filipinos were already commuting long distance using the train system.
The Philippine National Railways started during Spanish time when Edmund Sykes was given the concession rights to construct a rail line connecting Manila and Dagupan by the Spanish government on June 1, 1887. On Nov. 24, 1892, Ferrocarril de Manila a Dagupan (Manila-Dagupan railroad) was formally inaugurated.
133-year-old No. 17 Urdaneta Locomotive.
According to history, Jose Rizal took the Manila-Dagupan train several times prior to the opening of the full length to Dagupan. Rizal made several trips to Bulacan, Pampanga and Tarlac to recruit potential members for La Liga Filipina prior to his exile in Dapitan. He wrote about the last train he took on June 26, 1892, the 120-kilometer ride to Tarlac which took him five hours and 40 minutes, two weeks prior to his exile. Had he not gone to Dapitan, he could have taken the 207-kilometer full line to Dagupan a few months later and visited the hometown of his first love, Leonor Rivera who was born in Dagupan.
Steam-powered locomotives named Dagupan class were built to service the Manila-Dagupan line. The first locomotive class later called A subclass was built by Nielson in 1888. It was simpler in design, did not have a bell in front, and featured a different smokestock. The Dubs B subclass built by Dubs and Company in 1890 had a more complex design, with a bell and one of its boilers had its whistle attached to the sandbox. These locomotives took passengers to Dagupan for many years, until the 1920s when the arrival of larger locomotives made the Dagupan class obsolete for long haul. Some were transferred to the shorter lines until 1947 when the three remaining locomotives were decommissioned. One of the locomotives, No. 17 Urdaneta, was used briefly by Franklin Baker Company as a switcher, then it was initially displayed in Tutuban, then finally sent to Dagupan in 2005 for static display. The two other remaining locomotives were scrapped in 1963.
Original Spanish era Dagupan Station.
I have become a train enthusiast after retirement and have started exploring old train stations and old locomotives. The search for the 133-year old No. 17 Urdaneta had me driving for four hours to Dagupan where it all started. I also wanted to see the old terminus station of Dagupan, and how the decision to build a line going there had created the biggest commercial center in the north.
Walking around the city, I found locomotive No. 17 Urdaneta displayed in front of the old city hall, which now houses the city museum. I could hardly see the old locomotive as it is now covered by the temporary parking, where people hang around waiting for their ride, oblivious of the old machine that once brought people and products to this city. But I saw the old railway logo and the faded “No. 17” sign I was happy to see the locomotive that has become an important part of our transportation history, but felt sad seeing how many people are not aware of its history.
My next search was the old train station. My Google map said that was about a kilometer walk going south. When I started walking, I was able to see the old downtown area that has retained its old charm with several emporiums, cinema houses and restaurants, like the old Avenida in Manila. I heard that the railway system made the Dagupan bangus popular in Manila and the rest of the country as they were delivered fresh daily via the train.
Old Dagupan City Hall.
When I finally reached the old station, my heart sank. After being closed for over three decades, the old station has turned into shelter for people who built houses around the old structure. The only remnants of the historic building are the old stone walls and the rusted galvanized roofing. This was the second Dagupan station which was built when the line was extended to La Union.
I still need to see the original terminus station built when the line opened in 1892. I walked further around 400 meters before I saw the original station or what remained of it. Almost covered with vegetation, I was finally able to enter the ruins of a Spanish era building with thick walls and large Victorian windows. For an instant I was transported back to an era when people still ride trains, when people come to this station to see friends taking the long journey to Manila or meet a family member coming back after a long stay in the big city.
Inside the original Dagupan Station.
The Philippine government is now building an elevated North South Commuter Rail from Calamba, Laguna to Clark, Pampanga. Sadly, the plan did not include Dagupan. People will soon forget about the old locomotive, the old stations and the first railway in the country that once helped shaped the city of Dagupan. The train may have stopped but the memory that it was once an important part of our history should be kept running.
(The author recently retired from work as an engineer in an auto manufacturing company. He used to be a regular contributor to MB's Cruising Magazine. His taste for adventure has not kept him from travelling, usually via not-so-usual routes.)