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.

Kingston to
Montego Bay railway
km
0.0
Kingston
to goods yard and
railway piers 1, 2 & 3
engine sheds
turntable, workshops &
Permanent Way Depot
locomotive works
Trench Town Gully
Shoemakers Gully
Greenwich Town Halt
Marcus Garvey Drive Halt
Hunts Bay Halt
Cockfight Bridge
Salt River
to sugar estate light railway
Rio Cobre
10.5
Gregory Park
50' contour
14.5
Grange Lane
irrigation canal
18.9
Spanish Town
18.9
Spanish Town Junction
to Ewarton
irrigation canal
Town Gully
20.5
Horizon Park Halt
irrigation canal
24.1
Hartlands Halt
Estate light railway crossing
50' contour
Cut Throat Gully
Spring Garden River
50' contour
irrigation canal
irrigation canal
Coleburns Gully
32.2
Bushy Park Halt
Church Pen Gully east
Church Pen Gully west
Stony Gully
Fraser's Gully
36.5
to works
36.6
Old Harbour
Old Harbour River
Bowers Gully
39.8
Bodles Junction
Sandy Bay Halt
100' contour
100' contour
Palmetto Gully
100' contour
Bushy Park Halt
or Inverness Halt
250' contour
Lancasters Halt
Hunts Pen road
250' contour
Rio Minho (
combined A2
road and rail
)
52.3
May Pen
52.3
May Pen Junction
Jacks Gully No.1
Jacks Gully No.2
55.4
Logans Junction Halt
55.5
Logan's Junction
56.3
Denbigh Siding
Jacks Gully No.3
56.7
Jacob’s Hut
Jacks Gully No.4
59.5
Four Paths
63.2
Rock Halt
Flemings Gully east
Flemings Gully west
68.4
Clarendon Park
250' contour
Milk River
70.8
Scott’s Pass Halt
71.2
No. 1 Scotts Pass Tunnel
21m
71.6
No. 2 Scotts Pass Tunnel
52m
Milk River (seasonal)
75.2
Porus
500' contour
unnamed halt[1]
750' contour
1,000' contour
1,250' contour
85.3
Williamsfield
88.1
Kendal
Kendal-Mandeville Road
1,500' contour
1,500' contour
1,500' contour
93.3
Grove Place Halt
98.2
Greenvale (Mile Gully)
1,500' contour
1,250' contour
1,250' contour
1,250' contour
105.4
No. 3 Comfort Hall Tunnel
209m
105.8
Comfort Hall Siding & Halt
1,000' contour
109.0
Duck Pond Halt[2]
750' contour
111.0
Oxford Siding
112.6
No. 4 Balaclava Tunnel
106m
750' contour
113.4
Balaclava
750' contour
500' contour
Estate light railway crossing
Raheen Halt[1]
121.9
Siloah Halt
123.5
Appleton
Appleton Estates light railway
124.7
Appleton Tourist Halt
Black River No.1
Black River No.2
128.3
Maggotty
Black River No.3 &
Maggoty Falls Road
500' contour
750' contour
135.2
No. 5 Highworth Tunnel
56m
136.0
No. 6 YS Tunnel
66m
138.0
Ipswich
Ipswich-Merrywood Road
138.8
No. 7 Ipswich Tunnel
261m
750' contour
750' contour
140.8
Breadnut Walk Halt
141.2
No. 8 unnamed tunnel
165m
142.4
No. 9 Merrywood Tunnel
116m
1,000' contour
146.0
Stonehenge
151.3
Catadupa
1000' contour
Richmond Hill Road
750' contour
157.3
Cambridge
Seven River No.1
Seven River No.2
500' contour
Fifth Bridge (Seven River No.3)
Seven River No.4
Seven River No.5
Browns River
165.7
Montpelier
Anchovy Gully
500' contour
168.2
No. 10 Anchovy Tunnel
31m
170.2
Anchovy
171.8
Ailford’s Halt
173.8
No. 11 Ramble Tunnel
56m
500' contour
174.6
No. 12 Long Hill Tunnel
389m
500' contour
175.0
No. 13 Bogue Hill Tunnel
140m
viaduct over dry valley
250' contour
177.0
Gordon’s Halt
100' contour
50' contour
engine sheds
sidings
181.4
Montego Bay
km
Railroad Crossings
Gated│Ungated
A and B roads
Parochial motorable road
Unclassified road
Track

Construction, operation and closure

The first 14.5 miles (23.3 km) of 4 ft 8 12 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]

  • Kingston (Terminus)
  • Greenwich Town Halt
  • Marcus Garvey Drive Halt                 
  • Hunts Bay Halt
  • Gregory Park Station
  • Grange Lane Station
  • Spanish Town Station
  • Horizon Park Halt
  • Hartlands Halt
  • Bushy Park Halt
  • Old Harbour Station
  • May Pen Station
  • Jacob’s Hut
  • Four Paths Station
  • Rock Halt
  • Clarendon Park Station
  • Scott’s Pass Halt
  • Porus Station
  • Williamsfield Station
  • Kendal Station
  • Grove Place Halt
  • Greenvale Station
  • Comfort Hall Halt
  • Duck Pond Halt
  • Oxford Halt[10]
  • Balaclava Station
  • Siloah Halt
  • Appleton Station
  • Appleton Tourist Halt
  • Maggotty Station
  • Ipswich Station
  • Breadnut Walk Halt
  • Stonehenge Station
  • Catadupa Station
  • Cambridge Station
  • Montpelier Station
  • Anchovy Station
  • Ailford’s Halt
  • Gordon’s Halt
  • Montego Bay (Terminus)

Tunnels

There are 13 tunnels on the line:[11]

No.NameDistance from KingstonParishLength
mileskmfeetmetres
1Scotts Pass44 1471.2Clarendon7021.3
2Scotts Pass44 1271.617051.8
3Comfort Hall65 12105.4St. Elizabeth688209.1
4Balaclava70112.6348106.1
5Highworth84135.218255.5
6Y S84 12136.021866.4
7Ipswich86 14138.8855260.6
8(unnamed)87 34141.2St. James555164.6
9Merrywood88 12142.4362115.8
10Anchovy104 12168.210231.1
11Ramble108173.818255.5
12Bogue Hill108 12174.61,276388.9
13Bogue Hill108 34175.0458139.6

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

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

  1. UK Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1:50,000 map of Jamaica, various sheets (1958-1973).
  2. "Duck Pond" is given in the Annual Transport Statistics; the 50K maps show "Dick Pond".
  3. The rise and fall of railways in Jamaica, 1845-1975 Archived 2007-12-08 at the Wayback Machine Journal of Transport History - March 2003
  4. 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.
  5. The Jamaica Railway 1845-1945 by H R Fox, General Manager, Jamaica Government Railway in The Railway Magazine of November & December 1945.
  6. 1866 to 1913 Crown Colony Government discoverjamaica.com
  7. 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
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. UK Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1:50,000 map of Jamaica sheet D, 1959.
  11. 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.
  12. In this context, significant means mapped on the Directorate of Overseas Surveys 50K series of maps:
  13. Volume 6 Number 7 Archived 2008-07-24 at the Wayback Machine, Monthly Comments, Ansell Hart, 1968-06.

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