Kawasaki Green. Why?

[2wheels]

'Motorcycle Thailand' has an interesting explanation of why Kawasaki chose their unusual colour and also a report on Kawasaki's 50th Year;


http://www.motorcycle.in.th/forum/viewtopic.php?showtopic=5023

 

[Loop]

'Motorcycle Thailand' has an interesting explanation of why Kawasaki chose their unusual colour and also a report on Kawasaki's 50th Year;


http://www.motorcycle.in.th/forum/viewtopic.php?showtopic=5023

Thanks for the link. My first bikes were early 70`s Kawasakis. I had 3 green meanies in the garage fairly recently.

Interesting...they built the first Japanese steam train 1901 and a lot of planes before they started on bikes.
The `68 H1 or Mach 111 shooting them to prominence followed by the H2 and the Z900.
All bar one of my Kwakas were 2 strokes.

 

[KTMphil]

A 1936 green Kawasaki

View attachment 9676

 

[Loop]

^ Excellent...where was that Phil?

 

[KTMphil]

It's only about 20km from Hang Dong! It's been "lost" for 20 years, I stumbled upon it a few weeks back ...... story is in the link below:



http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-forum/trail-riding-reports/2237-steam-train-surprises-jungle.html

A 1936 green Kawasaki

View attachment 9676

 

[2wheels]

Good one Phil.
Puts a new meaning to 'mean' and green!

 

[Loop]

It's only about 20km from Hang Dong! It's been "lost" for 20 years, I stumbled upon it a few weeks back ...... story is in the link below:

Looks like it`s accessible by good road? Do you have co ordinates,the map entries on the map are a little small.
My first job was an English company that built steam boilers,trains power stations etc.

Wouldn`t mind checking it out as it`s close to home.

 

[Loop]

Shana Kongmun
An antique Japanese train that was used on the infamous Death Railway in Kanchanaburi and made its way to Chiang Mai only to disappear from train enthusiasts’ radar 20 years ago was found 25 kilometers south west of Chiang Mai on Highway 1269 by Phil Gibbins of Rider’s Corner sitting under a small roofed in area with four carriages nearby.

A quick contact with some Thailand based train enthusiasts yields the results that this 1936 Kawasaki steam engine was shipped over to Thailand by the Japanese for use during World War II, ferrying troops and munitions to Burma. These steam engines were quite durable and in use until the 1980’s. Two locomotives remain in Kanchanaburi and are pulled out for operation during River Kwai Festival in December. This particular engine was renamed the 744 after the Japanese left Thailand and was used for a further 25 years by the State Railway of Thailand.

Last seen in 1992-93 on the Mae Jo road outside a now defunct property development, or rather one that never quite got off the ground called Lanna Hill View, the engine was on display complete with carriages and a purpose built “station cover”. Mike Pass of Rail Asia said that train enthusiasts have been wondering about the disappearance of this mighty engine for many years and indeed Robert Tilley of the Writer’s Club even covered this steam engine in an article in Guidelines last year.

According to Mike Pass, nine of these locomotives remain preserved in Thailand while two of them were sent back to Japan one of which is still in use on the Oigawa tourist line from Tokyo to Nagoya and the other, the first locomotive to run on the Siam Burma railway, is set at Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo. The 744 was built in 1936 and is believed to be the only remaining survivor of Kawasaki production in South East Asia.

“It’s very ‘Alice in Wonderland’, this decaying resort and the carriages look as though they are lived in,” Phil said. He noted that the steam engine remains under a roof but grass and vines are growing up and around the old locomotive.

He added that it was too bad to see such an important piece of Thailand’s history decaying out in the jungle.
The Japanese Consulate General is currently investigating the old train and will issue a release when more information is uncovered.

Phil Gibbins is a dedicated motorcyclist who started RideAsia forum, a non –commercial motorcycle enthusiasts community based forum. It was here that he posted the photos of his find and here that fellow motorcyclists help him contact the train buffs. Phil, an affable Londoner, has been living in Chiang Mai for 3 years and with his wife has Rider’s Corner, which can’t be missed right on the North East corner inside the moat.

XI No.6 - Sunday September 2 - Saturday September 15, 2012NEWS