Rarawai–Kavanagasau Light Railway
The Rarawai–Kavanagasau Light Railway was a 142 miles (229 km) long narrow gauge railway on Fiji.
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.jpg.webp) Passenger train near Rarawai Mill, 1947
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| Line length | 142 miles (229 km) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 2 feet (610 mm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Operation
The railway with a gauge of 2 feet (610 mm) was built and operated by the Colonial Sugar Refinery Co.
The operation started in December 1914 with free, twice-weekly, return passenger train services and weekly public goods trains, which transported pipes for the manganese mines as well as agricultural produce such as potatoes, onions, rice, maize, and other food. Transport of cattle started in the early 1950s.[2]
The section of the Kavanagasau–Rarawai tramline from Kavanagasau to Baitiri behind Navisabasaba village, at the boundary of Cuvu and Lomawai sectors, about 4.5 kilometres from the Intercontinental Hotel towards Nadi was closed on 7 August 2009 due to the significant decline in the production of cane in the Cuvu and Olosara sectors and cane from these areas being transportable by lorry to the Lautoka Mill.[3]
Rolling stock
Locomotives
The Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 locomotive with works number 972 of 1912 named Fiji (Colonial Sugar Refining Co. No. 11) and a Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0ST with works number 1056 of 1914 (Colonial Sugar Refining Co. No. 19) are preserved at Statfold Barn Railway.[4][5]
| Mill | No | Manufacturer | Type | Fuel | Works No | Year built | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-7 | John Fowler | 0-6-0TT | Steam | 1903-1906[6] | |||
| Rarawai Mill | First 8, later 10 | John Fowler | 0-6-2TT | Steam | 11458 | 1908 | Plinthed outside the mill in 2011 and 2016[7] |
| 9 | John Fowler | 0-6-2TT | Steam | 1910[6] | |||
| 10-17 | Hudswell Clarke | 0-6-0 | Steam | 1912-1914[6] | |||
| 18 | Hudswell Clarke | 0-6-0 | Steam | 1915[6] | |||
| 19 | Hudswell Clarke | 0-4-0ST | Steam | 1914[6] | |||
| 20 & 21 | Hudswell Clarke | 0-6-0 | Steam | 1936[6] | |||
| 22 | Hudswell Clarke | 0-6-0 | Steam | 1938[6] | |||
| 23 & 24 | Hudswell Clarke | 0-6-0 | Steam | 1950[6] | |||
| 25 | Hudswell Clarke | 0-6-0 | Steam | 1914[6] | |||
| 1 & 2 | Clyde Engineering | 0-6-0 | Diesel | 1957[6] | |||
| Rarawai Mill | 22 | Hunslet | 6wDH | Diesel | 9274 | 1987 | Operable in 2016 and 2017[7] |
| Rarawai Mill | 24 | Baguley-Drewry | 0-6-0DH | Diesel | 3773 | 1983 | Operable for shunting in 2017[7] |
| Rarawai Mill, seen in 2007 at Penang Mill | Hudswell Clarke | 0-6-0DM | Diesel | D753 | 1950 | Derelict at Penang Mill in 2007. Remains scrapped in 2011.[7] | |
| Rarawai Sugar Mill | Australian Clyde, rebuilt by Ontrak Engineering of Sydney | 0-6-0DH | Diesel | Operable in 2012[7] | |||
| Lautoka Mill | Clyde | DHI-71 | Diesel | Derelict 2008[7] | |||
| Lautoka Mill | Clyde | DHI-71 | Diesel | Derelict 2008[7] |
Carriages
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Two second class passenger carriages and a brake van were built in 1914 by Clyde Engineering in Granville, Australia for Rarawai–Kavanagasau Light Railway. One of the carriages is now at the Ferrymead 2ft Railway in a partially disassembled state.
External links
References
- Fergusson, Jim (20 January 2016). "Fiji & Pacific Islands Railways, Passenger Stations & Stops" (PDF). railwaystationlists.co.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences. "Photograph of a brake van, No. 4, built for Rarawai-Kavanagasau Light Railway in Fiji". Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Australia. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- Fijian Government: Portion of Kavanagasau/Rarawai tramline closed. 7 August 2009.
- Andrew Naylor: Colonial Sugar Refining Co No 19, Statfold Barn Railway, Sat 8 August 2015. Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0ST 1056 / 1914, 2ft gauge. Repatriated from Fiji.
- Chris Allen: Statfold Barn Railway - green, red and yellow. The Geograph, No 5382236.
- Hodge, Peter (October 1960). "Narrow Gauge In Fiji". Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. 103 (103): 21–40. JSTOR 43517963.
- Photos on Facebook Narrow Gauge Enthusiasts Group