Kingston to Montego Bay railway
The Kingston to Montego Bay railway was the main railway in Jamaica, which from 1845 to 1992 linked the capital Kingston with the second city Montego Bay, passing en route most of the major towns.
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Construction, operation and closure
The first 14.5 miles (23.3 km) of 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) track were laid from Kingston to Angels (just north of Spanish Town) in 1845 at a cost of £222,250, or £15,377 per mile against a budgeted cost £150,000.[3]
An 11-mile (18 km) extension from Spanish Town to Old Harbour was added in 1869[4] at a cost of £60,000.[5]
A further 24½ mile extension from Old Harbour to Porus was added in 1885 at a cost of around £187,000.[5]
The final 62 miles (100 km) from Porus to Montego Bay was completed in 1895.[6]
Much of the line closed in October 1992 when all passenger traffic on Jamaica's railways abruptly ceased. Some sections remain in use for bauxite and aluminium freight[7] while the section from Montego Bay to the Appleton Estate remained open for a while as a tourist attraction.
Gradients and curvature
From Kingston the line ran west along the coastal plain, within 50 feet (15.2 m) of sea level, for about 40 miles (64 km) before starting a gentle climb over 5.25 miles (8.45 km) from Bodles to 250 feet (76.2 m) near Lancaster Halt.[1] From here there was a plateau for about 24.25 miles (39.03 km) to the Milk River and the start of the 20 miles (32 km) climb through Scotts Pass and Porus to 1,500 feet (457.2 m) just north of Kendal.[1]
Between Kendal and Mile Gully the line reaches its summit at around 1,700 feet (518.2 m); in this section the ruling curvature was 300 feet (91.4 m) and the ruling gradient was 1 in 30 (3.33%).[8]
From Mile Gully there was a gentle descent over 17 miles (27 km) to 500 feet (152.4 m) near Raheen.[1] From here the line ran on the level across the Appleton Plain to Maggotty and the start of a climb to 1,000 feet (304.8 m) near Stonehenge.[1] From here to Catadupa the line ran on the level then descended to 500 feet (152.4 m) at Seven River.[1] Another level section brought it to Long Hill Tunnel and the final descent into Montego Bay.[1]
Stations and Halts
There were 22 stations and 17 halts:[1][9]
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Tunnels
There are 13 tunnels on the line:[11]
| No. | Name | Distance from Kingston | Parish | Length | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| miles | km | feet | metres | |||
| 1 | Scotts Pass | 44 1⁄4 | 71.2 | Clarendon | 70 | 21.3 |
| 2 | Scotts Pass | 44 1⁄2 | 71.6 | 170 | 51.8 | |
| 3 | Comfort Hall | 65 1⁄2 | 105.4 | St. Elizabeth | 688 | 209.1 |
| 4 | Balaclava | 70 | 112.6 | 348 | 106.1 | |
| 5 | Highworth | 84 | 135.2 | 182 | 55.5 | |
| 6 | Y S | 84 1⁄2 | 136.0 | 218 | 66.4 | |
| 7 | Ipswich | 86 1⁄4 | 138.8 | 855 | 260.6 | |
| 8 | (unnamed) | 87 3⁄4 | 141.2 | St. James | 555 | 164.6 |
| 9 | Merrywood | 88 1⁄2 | 142.4 | 362 | 115.8 | |
| 10 | Anchovy | 104 1⁄2 | 168.2 | 102 | 31.1 | |
| 11 | Ramble | 108 | 173.8 | 182 | 55.5 | |
| 12 | Bogue Hill | 108 1⁄2 | 174.6 | 1,276 | 388.9 | |
| 13 | Bogue Hill | 108 3⁄4 | 175.0 | 458 | 139.6 | |
Bridges
There were 51 significant[12] bridges and one viaduct on the line[1]
- Trench Town Gully
- Shoemakers Gully
- Cockfight Bridge (gully)
- Salt River
- Rio Cobre
- Irrigation canal east
- Irrigation canal west
- Creek Town Gully
- Track (rail over)
- Irrigation canal
- Cut Throat Gully
- Spring Garden River
- Irrigation canal east
- Irrigation canal west
- Coleburns Gully
- Church Pen Gully east
- Church Pen Gully west
- Stony Gully
- Fraser's Gully
- Old Harbour(?) River
- Bowers Gully
- Palmetto Gully
- Hunts Pen road (rail over)
- A2 road (rail under)
- Rio Minho - originally completed in 1874, it was completely rebuilt during the second decade of the twentieth century by Hewson (of the Jamaica Government Railway) using the then new method of concrete blocks[13]
- Jacks or St Annes Gully #1
- Jacks or St Annes Gully #2
- Jacks or St Annes Gully #3
- Jacks or St Annes Gully #4
- Flemings (sic) Gully east
- Flemings (sic) Gully west
- Milk River
- Milk River (seasonal)
- Track (rail over)
- Kendal - Mandeville road (rail over)
- B6 road, Balaclava (rail under)
- Black River #1
- Black River #2
- Black River #3
- Ipswich - Merrywood road (rail under)
- Richmond Hill road (rail under)
- B6 road, Jubilee (rail under)
- Seven River #1
- Seven River #2
- Seven River #3
- Seven River #4
- Seven River #5
- Browns River
- Anchovy Gully
- B8 road, Mount Carey (rail under)
- Bogue Viaduct
- Montego River
Junctions
There were three branch line junctions, three railway works junctions and four estate railway junctions on the line:[1]
Branch lines
- Spanish Town Junction to Bog Walk, Ewarton, New Works and Port Antonio
- May Pen Junction to Frankfield
- Logans Junction to Fort Simmonds
Railway works
- Kingston railway workshops
- Kingston permanent way department
- Kingston engine sheds
Estate railways
- Caymanas estate
- Bridge Pen
- Raheen
- Appleton
Bauxite lines
- Bodles
Piers
- Kingston railway piers numbers 1, 2 & 3
Notes and references
- UK Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1:50,000 map of Jamaica, various sheets (1958-1973).
- "Duck Pond" is given in the Annual Transport Statistics; the 50K maps show "Dick Pond".
- The rise and fall of railways in Jamaica, 1845-1975 Archived 2007-12-08 at the Wayback Machine Journal of Transport History - March 2003
- The rise and fall of railways in Jamaica, 1845-1975 - Pg3 Archived 2010-04-09 at the Wayback Machine Journal of Transport History - March 2003.
- The Jamaica Railway 1845-1945 by H R Fox, General Manager, Jamaica Government Railway in The Railway Magazine of November & December 1945.
- 1866 to 1913 Crown Colony Government discoverjamaica.com
- The rise and fall of railways in Jamaica, 1845-1975 - Pg18 Archived 2009-04-25 at the Wayback Machine Journal of Transport History - March 2003
- The Jamaica Railway 1845-1945, H R Fox (General Manager, Jamaica Government Railway), The Railway Magazine Volume 91 Number 560 November and December 1945, pages 313-317.
- Annual Transport Statistics Report: Jamaica in Figures 2003-2004 Archived 2013-03-15 at the Wayback Machine, Ministry of Transport and Works, July 2005, Table 3.5 - Mileage for JRC Stations, Halts & Sidings in relation to the Kingston Railway Terminus 2003-2004.
- UK Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1:50,000 map of Jamaica sheet D, 1959.
- Annual Transport Statistics Report: Jamaica in Figures 2003-2004 Archived 2013-03-15 at the Wayback Machine, Ministry of Transport and Works, July 2005, Table 3.6 - List of JRC Railway Tunnels by Line 2003-2004.
- In this context, significant means mapped on the Directorate of Overseas Surveys 50K series of maps:
- Volume 6 Number 7 Archived 2008-07-24 at the Wayback Machine, Monthly Comments, Ansell Hart, 1968-06.
External links
- Montego Bay to Williamsfield, Jamaica, 7 minute black and white silent film shot from the rear of a moving train, SINTZENICH, Hal & WEDDUP, Charlie, Kineto, 1913, Colonial Film: Moving Images of the British Empire.
- Advertisement for shares in the railway published in the Railway Register in Britain in 1845
 Railways of Jamaica  | ||
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| Notable personnel |
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