CC203 27 in 1 scale
CC203 27 in 1 scale

SS 300 class with two wagons and a semaphore signal
SS 300 class with two wagons and a semaphore signal

BB201 with a freight train
BB201 with a freight train

CC201 with a passenger train
CC201 with a passenger train

CC203 with Batavia city hall and Purwosari water tower
CC203 with Batavia city hall and Purwosari water tower

Depot scene with Progo bridge in the background
Depot scene with Progo bridge in the background
Indonesian Railway Models

The models pictured in this page were created by Mikhail Krishnamurti. All of them are completely scratchbuilt from styrene sheets and various scrap material, such as plastic sprues, wires, tubing etc.

Mr. Krishnamurti has been building those models since 1994. He built the models in various scales, including 1, 0, h0 and TT (all scales are approximations).

The 0 scale models include one C11, C53, BB301, CC201 and two CC203s. The C11 is shown here with two freight wagons.

Mr. Krishnamurti's home layout recreates the Javanese railway scene. Most of it was scratchbuilt -- even the figures, which were carved from chalk --, with the exception of the rolling stock and the tracks. These were made by Minitrix, Arnold, Atlas and Kato.

On the layout, there are display models of the C300, BB300, BB301, BB201, CC201, two CC203s, and two Plasser & Theurer track maintenance vehicles.

All the bridges on the layout were scratchbuilt from styrene sheets. One of the center attractions of the layout is a model of the Progo river bridge, in 1/250 scale (because a full-sized 1/120 or 1/160 one will take too much space).

Several historic buildings are reproduced on the layout, including the Batavia old city hall (now the Jakarta History Museum) and the Harmonie clubhouse.

Two temples, made of plastic sheets with carved chalk relief detailing, gives a Central Javan flavor to the layout. There is one Hindu temple and one Buddhist temple. Both are fictional, but plausible: the models follow ancient guidelines of temple construction!

As has been mentioned earlier, almost all of the figures were carved from chalk. This allows the reproduction of uniquely Javan features: which manufacturer would have produced a bakul jamu (Javan female traditional medicine vendor) or a becak (tricycle) and its driver?

Mr. Krishnamurti's modelling, though not strictly finescale, should be regarded as an attempt to create railways in miniature, which would otherwise not be available.

Created by Indra Krishnamurti
Last updated June 25, 2000