Ocean Island Railway

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Ocean Island Railway
Ocean Island - 1906 - La 1re locomotive Orenstein & Koppel.jpg
The first Orenstein & Koppel locomotive, 1906

Ocean Island - 1900's - Locomotive affretee specialement pour le transport des invites au diner des Irlandais.jpg
Special train for Irish dinner guests
Ocean island.jpg

Route of track on the south coast
Technical
Line length3 kilometres (1.864 mi)
Track gauge2 ft (610 mm), 3 ft (914 mm) and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Route map
Legend
 km (mi)
3 (5) northern guano area
 European Settlement
(Tabwewa, Tapiwa)
 Native Labour Quarters
(Tabiang, Tapiang)
 0 (0) Loading piers
(Uma, Ooma)
 Boat Harbour

The Ocean Island Railway (later Banaba Island Railway) was a 3 kilometres (2 mi) long guano mining railway with a gauge of initially 2 ft (610 mm), and after 1937 of 3 ft (914 mm) and finally 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) on Ocean Island (later renamed Banaba Island).[1]

Route[]

The track ran from the northern guano mining areas along the coast through the European Settlement (English:Tabwewa, French: Tapiwa) and the Native Labour Quarters (Tabiang, Tapiang) to the depot and Boat Harbour (Uma, Ooma).[2]

Operation[]

Initially steam locomotives of Orenstein & Koppel (O&K) and a saddle tank locomotive of Bagnall were used. One O&K locomotive was named Florence, one had the number 7 (O&K works number 12678 of 1935)[3] and another one the number 11 (O&K works number 9880 of 1922).[1]

Later diesel locomotives were used. Passenger transport was done with a canopee car for the Europeans and an open wagon for the native labourers.[3]

Locomotives[]

Manufacturer Type Works No Year Gauge Remarks
Bagnall 0-4-0ST 610 mm Saddle tank locomotive
O&K 0-4-0T 9880 1922 610mm No 11
O&K 0-4-0T 11174 1926 610mm Location unknown, possibly on another island
O&K 0-4-0T 11291 1926 610mm Location unknown, possibly on another island
O&K 0-4-0T 11585 1928 610mm
O&K 0-4-0T 11586 1928 610mm
O&K 0-4-0T 12678 1935 610mm No 7
O&K 0-4-0T 12887 1937 914mm
O&K 0-4-0T 12888 1937 914mm
O&K B-t 12889 1937 914mm
O&K 0-4-0T 12890 1937 914mm
O&K 0-4-0T 12891 1937 914mm
O&K 0-4-0T 3300 1909 600mm 40 PS, delivered to Marrison, James & Co., Australia for Nauru, from 1920 as No 12 on Ocean Island (Replacement boiler 13108 of 1955)[1]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Thomas Kautzor: Feldbahnen in Ozeanien (Nauru). 18 January 2015.
  2. ^ "Image: ocean_island.jpg, (638 × 571 px)". legacy.lib.utexas.edu. 2005-04-20. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
  3. ^ a b Vidar Skilnand: Guano Railway.

Coordinates: 0°51′58″S 169°32′17″E / 0.86621°S 169.53807°E / -0.86621; 169.53807

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