Railways of Jamaica: Bog Walk to Port Antonio
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The Bog Walk to Port Antonio was built to serve the banana, cacao, citrus and coconut districts of St Catherine, St Mary and Portland.[1]
All external links below are to WikiMapia.
Construction, operation and closure
The railway operated from 1896 to 1978. It was temporarily closed from 1975 to 1977.[2] The line was 54 miles (87 km) long.[3]
Gradients
The ruling gradient was 1 in 63 with the line climbing approximately 550 feet (170 m) in 18 miles (29 km) (average gradient 1 in 173) from Bog Walk (approximately 250 feet (76 m)) to its summit at Highgate (approximately 800 feet (240 m)) then descending approximately 750 feet (230 m) in just 9 miles (14 km) (average gradient 1 in 63) to the Wag Water Bridge (just above sea level) and continuing for another 27 miles (43 km) more or less on the level and along the coast to Port Antonio.[4]
Stations and Halts
There were 13 stations and 15 halts:[4]
|
 Troja railway station c1896.  Buff Bay Station in 1960. |
Tunnels
Rear of a train entering a tunnel near Troja c1896.
There were 17 tunnels:[4]
| Tunnel | Approximate length |
|---|---|
| Riversdale | 150 metres (160 yards) |
| Harewood | 150 metres (160 yards) |
| Darling Spring | 200 metres (220 yards) |
| Cromwell Mountain #1 | 75 metres (82 yards) |
| Cromwell Mountain #2 | 270 metres (300 yards) |
| Cromwell Mountain #3 | 150 metres (160 yards) |
| Cromwell Mountain #4 | 100 metres (110 yards) |
| Cromwell Mountain #5 | 150 metres (160 yards) |
| Cromwell Mountain #6 | 200 metres (220 yards) |
| Cromwell Mountain #7 | 175 metres (191 yards) |
| Taja | 250 metres (270 yards) |
| Flint River | 250 metres (270 yards) |
| Richmond | 150 metres (160 yards) |
| Rock Hill | 150 metres (160 yards) |
| Hope Bay #1 | 225 metres (246 yards) |
| Hope Bay #2 | 50 metres (55 yards) |
| Hope Bay #3 | 100 metres (110 yards) |
Bridges
There were ten significant bridges.[4] Approximate bridge lengths[6] are shown in the route diagram to the right.
- B2 & River Doro at Darling Spring/Troja
- Orange River at Richmond
- Wagwater River
- Pencar River[5]
- Dry River[5]
- White River[5]
- Buff Bay River[5]
- Spanish River
- Swift River
- Rio Grande
Bibliography
- Satchell, Veront M & Sampson, Cezley (2003), The rise and fall of railways in Jamaica 1845-1975, The Journal of Transport History
See also
Notes and references
- ↑ Satchell & Sampson 2003, p. 6
- ↑ Satchell & Sampson 2003, p. 7
- ↑ Table 3.5 Mileage for JRC Stations, Halts & Sidings in relation to the Kingston Railway Terminus, Annual Transport Statistics Report: Jamaica in Figures 2003-2004, Ministry of Transport and Works, July 2005.
- 1 2 3 4 UK Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1:50,000 map of Jamaica Sheets K, L & M c1970.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Google satellite image resolution is at present insufficient to show this station/bridge.
- ↑ Bridge lengths were obtained using Wikimapia's GeoTools.
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