| History |
The train community began on SGForums in 2005 by a train enthusiast. People with similar interest started to gather there and share information with each other. As time passed, new members joined the community and more information was exchanged.
In May 2010, the community was made known to the Public Transport Operators and further enhanced train enthusiasts' knowledge.
This further enhanced train enthusiasts' knowledge about train operations.
The year 2011 was a huge milestone for the train community as a new website titled "SGTrains" was created by several train enthusiasts to share information with others with the same passion and also to the general public.
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| SGTrains - Main Management Team |
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You Yuan, 20. President, Operations of SGTrains Management.
You Yuan's passion for trains sparked from a school project in September 2009 which led him to becoming a train enthusiast. He takes interest in almost every aspect of the MRT trains - from their livery, make and models, to carriage identification numbers and even advertisements in stations and trains.
Intrigued by the eye-catching graffiti design on a train of which he initially took to be an advertisement, You Yuan shot the 27-second video on 18 May 2010.
You Yuan is currently the president of SGTrains and is the overall manager of its associated social media. He is also in charge of marketing SGTrains and oversees the advertisements section in stations and trains.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Diploma in Business Informatics.
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Benjamin Goh, 17. Vice President, Operations & Corporate Communications & Community Affairs of SGTrains Management.
Interested in MRT Trains since young, he was captured and mesmerized by how each train operates and the beauty of the design of the trains including the building and testing of Dover station. This was the turning point which made in got more interested into trains. Witnessing the refurbishment of C151s, STARiS installation and the major change in announcements system.
He is responsible for communications & community affairs and also assisting in minor technical aspects of the system and also responding to questions and doubts and also implementing new features to the forums.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Diploma in Electrical & Electronic Engineering.
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Lim Wen Jie, 17, Projects and New Media Department of SGTrains Management.
Having to travel via train to school, he started observing the operations of trains and gained passion for them. Interested in every aspect of trains, the livery, the make and the models, the carriage number, he frequently updates management team members of any changes.
Intrigued by the refurbishment of the C151s, he started recording down which trains are refurbished and which trains are missing for refurbishment. Not long later, the installation of STARiS in trains further gained his passion for trains.
Further interest brought him to organizing the inaugural Singapore Train Amazing Race (STAR) in 2010. He is currently a member of SGTrains management, in-charge of all SGTrains video productions, as well as responsible for updates on announcements, information displays, on trains and stations.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Diploma in Aerospace Avionics.
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Willis Chong, 17, System Specialist of SGTrains Management.
Interested in MRT trains since young, he has gained interest in physical features of trains, such as their windows, doors and the colour of its exterior. When the C151 trains are undergoing refurbishment works, he started to go in depth to the individual train numbers, and joined the early train fan community in SGForums to participate in the tracking of C151 refurbishment works and soon after, the installation of the STARiS in trains.
From SGForums to the current SGTrains, he is responsible for the technical aspects of SGTrains, responding to system bugs and implementing new features to the website.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Diploma in Mechanical Engineering.
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Nicholas Lim, 17, Human Resource Manager of SGTrains Management.
Originally a sole-bus enthusiast at SGForums, Nicholas came across the train community in SGForums in January 2010 and have since become an avid hybrid enthusiast of both buses and trains.
Nicholas' interest for trains include not just the design, but also the motor of each and every train model. Nicholas plays an important role in the SGTrains Management, such as assigning different jobs and roles for every member in the forum team. Besides being a hybrid enthusiast, Nicholas is also musically inclined and has an ambition of becoming a Musician one day. He often listens to classical music and occasionally contemporary music as well. Nicholas also enjoys watching musical concerts performed by different schools and famous orchestras.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Tertiary Education.
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John Chang, 17. Consultant of SGTrains Management.
John's journey with the train community began way back in mid-2008, where his observant nature aroused his curiosity regarding the different appearances of the first generation C151 trains. Sourcing the net for more information, John came across the SGForums website, where he learnt about the refurbishment of the C151 trains. Since then, he has been actively participating in forum topics, events and has also taken charge as forum moderator for a period of time.
Due to heavy workload, John has temporary stepped down from forum moderating. However, he still continues to contribute to the forum by providing valuable feedback and advice to fellow moderators. John also contributes in the drafting and editing of feedback letters to the various train operators occasionally.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Tertiary Education.
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Joel Ong, 19, New Media Department of SGTrains Management.
He has a rich interest and enthusiasm in trains since young. He has been observant about train operations, together with the traction and signalling devices used.
Joel's curiosity about the variety of train models and their characteristics, especially the different interior designs and the improvements made to each train over time, such as refurbishments and upgrading made his interest in trains grew deeper.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Diploma in Civil Engineering.
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Ong Wei Jian, 17, Community Affairs & Advisor of SGTrains Management.
Interested in MRT Trains since 2001, he was amazed by how the system works, paying special attention to the doors and the motor sounds. He joined SGForums to post his train rides or spottings for the day and share it. He also pays attention to the window advertisements on trains and taking pictures of them for collection.
He is responsible for the host of SGTrains events, advertisement updates and train schedule.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Secondary Education.
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Ho Hoe Han, 18 Projects & Support Department of SGTrains Management.
Interested in trains since young, he really started joyriding trains and was curious and likes the motor of all trains especially the KNS C751B. Interested in the operation of the trains and how the scheduling works, he would note down all the timings.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
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Lam Zhihao, 16, Projects & Support Department of SGTrains Management.
Zhi Hao developed a passion in train since young. His interest got deeper when the C151 trains are undergoing refurbishment works. He has been fascinated in the operations of the trains especially the announcement system.
He is currently pursuing his Secondary Education.
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Matthew Ng, 16, Projects & Support Department, Official BVESG Developer of SGTrains Management.
Matthew has developed a passion for trains 2 years ago while he was curious on the different types of trains on the Singapore MRT. Before his interest sparked, he only takes the train during his free time or when needing to commute to a place via the rail transport. During his journey he would often notice the different rolling stocks entering the station, and also, the unique designs of each and every train stations.
Interested in the designs of the trains (e.g. ergonomics and comfort of commuters on board trains, up-to-date designs of the interior) and also interested in developing the virtual sector, or openBVE. He spends his free time on developing add-ons such as the Harbourvale Line (a fictional line) and the train called 'Kawasaki/Nippon Sharyo C751B'. His first project was co-developing the North South Line last year (2010) in December, in which he first modified sectors of the route, and became an official co-developer for that add-on.
He is currently pursuing his Secondary Education.
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Jeremy Tan, 16, New Media Department of SGTrains Management.
Interested in the configuration of the trains (number or cars, design of exterior), the motors of each models, the sounds being produced and also the front and rear driver cabin controls (notches, buttons, etc.). In addition, he is also interested in the tracks and everything around it (sleepers, pandrol clips, etc.) His interest in Malaysia's KTM Railway also sparked since May 2010.
He is now responsible for the operation of the New Media section, updating trains and stations advertisement lists on the forums and Facebook pages.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Secondary Education.
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| SGTrains - Forum Team |
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Nicholas Yan, 17, Executive Moderator, Moderator of International & Local Buses Forum, Hobbies and Interest Forum and Leisure Ambassador of SGTrains Forum Team.
Intrigued in MRT trains, his interest regarding the STARiS installation and the refurbishment of the C151s trains.
Joined SGF Buses and Trains Community to share his opinions and viewpoints with others in the community. Today, he focuses on evaluating adverts on stations, trains and massive advert spotting spree. He posts up his latest food and music recommendations up on SGTrains so as to encourage lifestyle development amongst members.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Diploma in Aerospace Electronics.
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Joey Foo, 17, Executive Moderator, Moderator of the openBVE Singapore and World of Technology forums of SGTrains Forum Team.
Joey's interest in trains started with him finding out about BVE, which is freeware train simulator.
He is interested about various aspects of trains and their operations, such as signalling, from the old token system to modern in-cab signalling.
Joey is also an openBVE add-on developer, and is behind numerous add-ons including the detailed North East Line C751A train, the KTM Singapore Sector route, North South Line and the London Underground Bombardier Movia 2009 tube stock.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Diploma in Information Technology.
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Terence Au, 22, Moderator of Singapore Urban Trains Forums & Rolling Stock Specialist of SGTrains Forum Team.
Like many children around the world, he started out as a kid who frequently got the chance to take trains.
The real catapult into the hobby was in 2002 when he first visited Japan and was exposed to the technology used on trains there.
Since then he aimed to be a dedicated hobbyist pursuing rolling stock technology from Japan and the World. It had been nine years running and this field has never bored him out.
He is now responsible for moderating the forum and shares technical information to members on the rolling stock technology used locally and overseas.
He has just completed his studies in Diploma in Aerospace Electronics and is currently serving the nation.
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Teo Wei Shen, 18, SGT Buses Moderator and Offical Photographer for SGTrains.
Wei Shen's interest for buses began in Oct 2006, when he first stumbled onto Buses @ SgForums by chance. Before that, he had been exposed to buses from young, often taking the school bus between home and school. Since then, his area of interest has expanded to include trains and aviation as well.
As a bus enthusiast, he mainly likes taking photos, joyriding as well as learning the history of buses. In the span of 5 years, he has enmassed over 10,000 photographs, memorised over 300 bus routes and witnessed major changes in the transport scene. He is an advocate of using public transport for travel and finds enjoyment in it, especially when taking the bus. "Being able to see many things along the way and/or sleep on the bus are what made me find bus rides enjoyable." Through becoming a moderator for SGT Buses, he hopes to share his experiences about buses with his fellow forumers.
However, his life does not solely revolve around buses or transport; in fact, his interest for buses actually stemmed from another one of his interests: photography. Armed with a camera, he would sometimes practise his photography skills in his free time, exploring the day-to-day life in pictures. He also has over 5 years of experience covering for many events, ranging from school, to polytechnic, as well as community events. He is mainly fascinated at how some photographers are able to produce visually influential photographs and wants to emulate them from his point of view.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Diploma in Business Administration.
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Mohamed Azmee, 19, Moderator of Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) Forums of SGTrains Forum Team.
His interest in the railways developed since young when his parents bought for him train models. The passion for trains developed over time.
Fascinated by the big, moving object moving on rails, transporting people or freight. The trains, the railway line, the rolling stock, technical aspects of the railway including trains and signaling.
He is now responsible for moderating of the forum and will like to enlighten people with the knowledge.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Diploma in Technology & Arts Management.
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Christopher Tan, 23.
He was interested in Buses since 1998 when he started collecting bus tickets and bus guides. He went more indept into the hobby in 2007, when he started collecting diecast models of buses in Singapore, Hong Kong and UK. He has also been taking photos of buses in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong ever since the time when the Singapore Bus Services (SBS) Volvo Mark IIs were retiring.
He currently owns a Facebook Page named Public Transport Hub which features photos of buses that he took since he started bus photography.
He is an expert when it comes to information on local public buses operated by SBS Transit or SMRT, such as the deployment of buses, the design, the specifications and bodywork of each different bus.
He often organise bus tours, such as the Hino, Lance & UD Tribute tour for fellow bus enthusiast to enjoy. He also takes interest in Hong Kong public buses, where he knows about information such as the fleet code, specification and bodywork of the bus.
He now takes responsibility as Vice president of SGT Buses as he would like to share his knowledge with fellow enthusiast.
He is currently working.
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Afiq Azman, 19, Moderator of International & Local Buses Forums of SGTrains Forum Team.
The sound of trains rolling down the railway is like ecstasy to Afiq; once you consume it, you'll never stop. When he was a kid, he recalls taking trains and buses, loving every single aspect of it. The sounds, the designs, the history of it fascinates him. He began studying the deployments of buses in Secondary 2 and history of trains in Secondary 3.
His ambition is to serve the public transport operators in the field of Public Relations. During his free time, Afiq produces videos about new trains and buses that have entered service such as the SMRT C151As and the Circle Line.
One message that Afiq has is to train enthusiasts is the neccesity of balance between hobby, academics and social life. Whenever Afiq is in school, he will spend time doing up his projects and assignments to the best of his ability and helping out his faculty in events such as Open House and Orientation Programmes. That doesn't mean Afiq is a complete workaholic though. He considers train and bus rides as his peaceful haven to calm down and reflect on life.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Diploma in Media and Communication.
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Sun Hanchen, 14, Civil Aviation Moderator of SGTrains.
Hanchen has developed an interest in civil aviation ever since the crash of AF447. He spends his spare time flying in Flight Simulator and reading up about cockpit mechanics.
His interest in aviation also helped him develop his passion for trains. When he was young, he was very interested in the carriage numbers and the differences between each train. Civil aviation helped spur him on further, and he eventualy found SGTrains and joined as a member in May 2011.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Secondary Education.
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Shaun So, 17, Moderator of International & Local Buses Forums of SGTrains Forum Team.
Shaun has been an avid fan of Transport, Architecture and Service Quality Management.
His interest in transport started when he was 2, when he shifted to a flat, which faces the MRT tracks. His interest in buses grew when he started travelling on long distances since 5 and further when he started his secondary school's Co-curricular activity (CCA), when he would utilise bus service 855 to get to training grounds. He enjoys joyriding bus routes such as 855 and 138, as well as on the MRT & LRT.
As an architecture student, he also takes interest in the way buildings are built and if they are all-rounded. Photography of buildings is one way he expresses appreciation of good and unique architecture.
Improving service standards has been a goal in his life. Complaining is of no cure. Instead, provide feedback with a viable solution or suggestions. Not only would you promote improvement, you would also become an asset to the society. Seen those floor stickers at Paya Lebar Interchange? The stickers have helped make the commuting experience smoother flowing, bringing benefits to commuters.
His motto in life is always to Prioritise and Achieve Perfection. This motto came as he realised the importance of balancing studies with his hobby, which are both important. He takes a no-nonsense approach when at work, thus leading to productivity.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Diploma in Architecture.
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| BVESG Team Members |
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BVESG Moderators
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Jericho Chua, 13, Moderator of the BVESG forums of SGTrains Management.
His passion started while he was very young and used to take trains and buses as the only way around Singapore. Mostly interested in the rolling stock of trains, but not too technical about it.
He found out about BVE while trying to look for a free train simulator. The development of his routes started when he saw the Changi Branch Line being made for BVE, and being inspired by it, development started on the North South Line.
He is currently pursuing his Secondary Education.
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Bryan Wee, 12, Moderator of the BVESG forums of SGTrains Management.
Interested in trains since he was young, he started joyriding trains and started to became more interested in the physical features such as train livery, different interior designs of each train, different motor sounds etc.
He found out openBVE when he was searching some train simulators and was inspired by the Changi Airport Branch Line and Kawasaki C151 BVE, thus he started developing his own route and trains and is currently developing the Circle Line Anti-Clockwise and Alstom Metropolis C830 for openBVE.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Secondary Education.
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Official BVESG Developers
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Samuel Lee, 20, BVESG Developer of SGTrains.
His passion on trains and buses actually is the transport subject as a whole was started since young.
Because of that, that's why it evolves to me being a walking map / GPS in Singapore, and essentially buses and MRTs are my own strong forte. As for being more specific parts, I would say, is actually the route planning and such. Because of this opportunity, I had found openBVE in the SGForums and of course had a better understanding on top of what I know of the trains.
I played BVE routes like CGL WB, NSL and various HK routes on openBVE. It was until 2010 March, I started to develop EWL WB from Bedok to Aljunied as my first release
He has currently completed his Diploma.
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Zidane Tiew, 12, BVESG Developer of SGTrains.
Zidane has a deep interest in trains ever since he was 4, even though he don't frequently commutes with them. He prefers the KNS C751B and portrays them as the most ideal type of trains.
He is currently developing the Punggol East LRT for openBVE.
He is currently pursuing his studies in Secondary Education.
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Aaron Lee, 15, BVESG Developer of SGTrains.
Aaron has loved trains as the sound emitting from the motors is very unique. Especially for the KNS train would produce a high pitched whining sound.
He travels to school by train often, hence his interest for train operations grew overtime. He also has a passion for photography, where he often photographs trains plying by different landscapes. He is currently developing a fictional train for openBVE.
He is currently pursuing his Secondary Education.
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| Monthly Featured Photo |
PHOTO:
SBS2991C
THEME: Peak
A typical peak period scenario in an MRT station includes heavy boarding and alighting activities, crowded trains despite decent frequencies, especially in interchange stations. Travel time is also usually longer than the what signboards in platforms stipulate given the huge crowd and other factors like train bunching.
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| Yearly Featured Photo |
PHOTO: tintinspartan
A new train on a bright sunny day.
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