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Hong Kong Visit - October 1984
Part 2 - The Trams & Other Transport

In October 1984 Malcolm King made a three week visit to the Far East.  Using a Super 8 sound cine camera he recorded the trams, Peak railway, some trains and visited the Royal Hong Kong Police driver training school.

“Hong Kong Tramways operate 163 trams between Shau Kei Wan and Kennedy Town, the fare a mere 60c, any distance along the 10 mile route.  Boarding at the back and paying upon alighting at the front the coins being deposited into a box at the departure gate.  In 1984 most trams had advertising liveries which were usually hand painted for 12 month contracts, bringing a kaleidoscope of colour to the routes trundling through the smokey grey smog that embraces Hong Kong island on some days.  The tramway opened on the 30th July 1904, and during the past 80 years many changes have taken place, conductors and trailers alas had gone before my visit.  The film shows track repairs / replacement along the coast line close to Kennedy Town, the coastline being viewed has now long since gone as land reclamation is ongoing for the ever increasing population.

Hong Kong’s famous ‘Star Ferries’ plies between Hong Kong island and the Kowloon Peninsula from 0630hrs to 2330hrs and carry approx. 110,000 passengers a day.  There are 10 ferries in total - they weave their way across Victoria harbour with cool breezes where passengers can view the ever changing skyline.  The ferries are known as double enders  which means they are capable of being operated from either end by two separate wheelhouses each controlling separate rudders.
The Victoria Peak funicular railway  carries some 3,000 passengers a day up to the view of the harbour, the island and Kowloon and the New Territories and beyond.  The funicular serves five stations as it climbs the 1,809ft to the summit.

The Kowloon and Canton Railway Company (KCRC) is filmed showing the British built trains in service.  There is on board footage together with views of goods trains in action.

To finish our 1984 visit to Hong Kong we pay a brief visit to the police training ground, and see the vehicles used, which includes a couple of buses!”

Malcolm King, December 2003

All the sound on this video programme is original, for added interest we have edited in views of the Star Ferry and the Peak tramway from footage we shot in 2003.
   
 Filmed :  1984
   
 Duration :  64 minutes (approx).
   
 Price :  Within UK - £16
   Rest of world - £18
   
 Format :  DVD - Digital
   
   
 Order Ref :  D040 - DVD format
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