A trail of heritage conservation in progress

Talks are intensified among leaders at the railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT KAI), with restoration projects for old locomotives and other aspects such as stations, railway tracks and warehouses, are under way.

The project results are open for the public to see. For example, the Tanjung Priok station in North Jakarta and old locomotives that are at the Ambarawa train museum in Ambarawa, Central Java.

One of the old locomotives that undergoes conservation, TD-100, or Tedi, is being displayed at PT KAI’s main office in Bandung. Tedi was made in 1926 by Werkspoor, a Dutch train factory. It could run 15 kilometers per hour between Rengasdengklok, Karawang, Cikampek and Cilamaya, transporting crops and merchandise until 1970.

The main office complex itself are conserved old buildings. Built in 1864, the complex has two fireproof buildings. Djoko Margono, an official at PT KAI, said that his team also found an underground tunnel, but they had not entered it for it might contain lethal gases.

Another conservation work in progress is Dayang Sumbi house, a property that serves as a guesthouse for clients. The house, built in 1927 by Dutch officer Ernst Gerard Oscar Kelling, was modified with more rooms. But with the spirit of conservation blooming in the company, the house is now undergoing restoration.

Saptawan Yunandri, architect in charge of the restoration project, said that his team had torn down new additions such as bathrooms, bedrooms and terraces.

“The conservation and development plan of the house is to transform it into the company’s gallery and showroom. The house can also be rented for meetings since it has a café and several meeting rooms,” he said.

Another asset waiting for restoration is a warehouse complex in Cikudapateuh. Sprawling on the 45-hectare land are 24 railway warehouses, an abandoned railway track and an old locomotive situated in the middle of the tracks.

Ella Ubaidi, executive vice president for conservation and heritage assets at PT KAI, said that her company would hold a tender for the master plan of the complex.

“Perhaps we can turn this area into a railway museum, with old locomotives taking visitors from one place to another within the complex.

She said that her company had planned to make 2011 the year of train tourism. One of the plans made for that particular year includes an added panoramic car to the Priangan line.

“We will also ask each train operation area to propose a conservation of one old station. We have nine operation areas, so there will be nine stations getting revamped,” she said.

Source : http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/03/07/a-trail-heritage-conservation-progress.html