Mudanya Train and Memories

Once upon a time, there was a "Mudanya Train" running between Mudanya and Bursa. It was not easy to build this line and put the train into operation. The Mudanya Train was decommissioned after 56 years of service.
First, Ibrahim Tunabay (D. 1920), the last officer of the Muradiye Station (Merinos) told us that:

Can you tell us about your service on the Mudanya Train?

Between 1943 and 1948, I worked as a dispatcher on the Mudanya Train. I worked as a dispatcher at Muradiye (Merinos) Station for five years, 7-8 months at Mudanya Station. When the line was closed in 1948, all personnel were assigned to the State Railways Adana Administration. After 27 years of service, I retired from the TCDD Administration.

Who were your colleagues while working on the Mudanya Train?

Our Mudanya Station Chief was Rıza Çağlayan, our Operations Supervisor was Vehbi Gülmadan, and our Operations Manager was Şefik Bilge. Cevdet Cengiz Bey was our conductor.

Different figures are given about the line length, what is the exact distance?

Although the distance between Bursa and Mudanya is 30 kilometers, foreign operators made the line pass through winding roads and built it as 42 kilometers and 100 meters. I think they aimed to get more income by extending the way.

How many stations were there?

There were 5 stations and 2 stops on the Mudanya-Bursa line, their names were as follows: Mudanya (Station), Yörükali (stop), Koru (Station – at Geçit), Beşevler (stop), Çekirge (Station), Muradiye-Merinos (Station) and Demirtaş (Station) in Bursa.

Where was the business managed?

- Our building was located in Mudanya, the current building of Montanya Hotel. The Directorate of Operations and lodging buildings were located between the present and the Montanya Hotel.

-Mudanya Train is said to be slow, even some anecdotes about the subject are explained. What's the matter?

The train between Madi and Bursa would take two hours. The reason he went slow was the fact that the iş traverse esk was called, on which the rails were placed, the floor was transverse, the pieces of iron or wood could not be changed in time, they were old and rotten. The crossbars produced at the State Railways Workshop in Afyon could only respond to the changing of more busy lines. It was unable to meet the needs of small lines such as the Mudanya-Bursa line. So; The rails were defective, it was not suitable for normal driving. For this reason, some of the passengers were able to get off the train and retreat after a while in the ramps such as Bademli and Yörükali.

• How much was the trip cost?
• The journey took two hours, with a fee of 22 kuruş for adults and 11 kurus for minors.
• And your salary?

Personnel wages varied according to seniority and job, and averaged around 50 TL.

-Mudanya ?Bursa how many times a day in between?
- The ferries were largely dependent on the ferries coming to Mudanya. When I was working at Mudanya Train, there were 4 locomotives and 15 wagons. Normally the train, 2 arrival, would be the 2 return expedition. On demand, the number of voyages was known to be increased.
Every morning, the train departed from Mudanya at the 07.00, in the winter at 16.00 and at the 17.00 in the summer.
In order to inform the passengers about the movement of the train, the bell (train bell) was played. The drums always played different times:
When you play tantantan… .tan !, - so a tan at the end! when his voice came out - the box office would open. (This message was given when the ship was seen.)
Tantantan! tan !, when he played-at the end of the tan tone when the exit two - 5 minutes to be removed from the train was understood.
Tantant the ... Tan! Tan! Tan !, the steal when he finally played the tan-tone three times - the train would move.

How was the working system of the locomotives?

Our train used to run on steam. Long ago, locomotives were operated by burning wood, then coal began to be used to heat water. During the years of the National Struggle, I heard that the train was operated with straw because there was no other fuel available.

Did the Mudanya–Bursa Train have other functions than passenger and freight transport?

Of course there was. For example: We used to carry the coal of the Merinos Factory. We also had freight cars. Transportation was done with these wagons. The coal was brought to Mudanya Port by ferry from Zonguldak. From here, it was transported to the Merinos Factory by the Mudanya Train. We used to bring 40-45 tons of coal to the factory a day. At that time, the Merinos Factory was producing Bursa's electricity. Coal was needed to run the turbines. The factory produced 110 volts of electricity; For a while, we illuminated our homes and workplaces with this energy.

We carried heavy turbines of Bursa Elektrik Isletmesi. We also brought heavy turbines of the Municipal Electricity Factory, the Mudanya Train, to the company to carry these tribunes, from the Merinos Station to the current Uedaş building.

Asker Shipment was made by train

At that time, the railroad served in the ship's shipment. On the day of shipment; the soldiers, the mother, father, spouse, engaged, relatives and friends formed a large crowd of relatives. The machinists would turn the whistle of the train into a pathetic pathetic act. Meanwhile, it was seen that some of the relatives of soldiers who were affected by this voice and separation were crying and even fainted. The soldiers were taken to Mudanya, and they were transported to Istanbul by ferry. They were sent from Istanbul to their barracks.

What do you know about the establishment (construction) of the line?

Our engineers started the construction of the line between Mudanya and Bursa. When there was no money in the budget, a French company undertook the completion of the line in return for the right to operate. The railway was put into service in 1892. The line was run by a French company between 1892 and 1931. When the contract expired, it was purchased by TCDD from 1932, and our state operated it until 1948.

How did the line end?

In 1948, the General Directorate of State Railways held a meeting at the Bursa Municipality Building on the future of the Mudanya Train. I attended this meeting because it concerns my future. Representatives of shipping companies also attended this meeting. At the meeting, they pressed for the business not to be shut down, offered different alternatives, even aspire to the business, they said, 'Give us, let's run the line?'. However, they could not convince our General Manager, the requests were not accepted. 'We're hurting,' it was said. The business was closed in 1948.

How was the liquidation carried out?

After the decision to close, the work stopped and a guard was left at each station. Until 1952, they protected the line, the station buildings, the fruit trees on the land belonging to the State Railways Administration, which stretches along the line on the right and left, and harvested the fruits in season; These fruits were then sold on behalf of the state.
In 1952, the wagons and locomotives moved from Istanbul to Mudanya to the Istanbul-Turkey State Railways Yedikule Workshop. Then the rail rails were removed.

RECIPES FROM MUDANYA TRAIN

Can you tell us your memories of those days?

Mudanya was an entertainment and resting place for the people of Bursa. On summer days, the people of Bursa would be transported to Mudanya by train starting on Friday morning. On Saturday and Sunday, people flocked to Mudanya from Bursa. The people who spent the night outside would brew and drink tea with the samovar they brought with them, and spend the night on the sands on the beach.
As long as they stay in Mudanya, they enter the sea, have picnics with the food they bring, they will play with darbuka. On Monday mornings, they returned to their homes and workplaces enthusiastic.

I Send a Wrestler in Bursa to Yiğitali by Train

One Sunday, a soldier named Recep came to the station where I was working. "There are wrestling, my brother, send me to Yörükali," he said. Every year, oil wrestling was held there. Because he was a wrestler, he wanted to go there and wrestle. “The next train is marantis, (freight train) let's ask the train chief, if he takes it, you go,” I said. When the train arrived, I explained the situation to the conductor: 'I like wrestling, it is against the law, but I will take you, I will help you', and he took me.

That soldier used to come by when he landed a permit. After his discharge, he did not go to his hometown, Tekirdağ, and settled in Bursa. We talked to him at the market-market, we became friends.