Friday, January 5, 2018

The Bamboo Train

 The bamboo train, called the "norry" by locals, is one of Cambodia's most adventurous tourist attractions - rated by the Lonely Planet travel guide as one of the Top Ten Things to Do in Cambodia.

Located in the northwestern provincial capital of Battambang, the bamboo train began after the Khmer Rouge left Cambodia in tatters.  With the railroad mostly broken and abandoned, villagers took tank and truck parts leftover from the war and cut them to fit the railroad.  They then placed a bamboo platform on top - held in place only by gravity - and added a small motor to the back, often taken from small cars, motos, or boats.  The result was the bamboo train - a small railroad cart capable of traveling up to 40km per hour down the warped and bumpy tracks, which can be taken apart and reassembled in under two minutes.

Watch what happens when two of them meet going opposite directions.

There are even chickens riding on the train. Just for Chickenmom.

Another that shows more detail.


The Bamboo Train is Closed but Will Reopen (Currently Scheduled January 2018)

2 comments:

  1. Cool videos - Loved that there was no road rage - just smiles! Too funny with the start cord!

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  2. And the stick to pull the engine back to tighten the belt and make it speed up. Quite a throttle.

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