Ocean Island Railway

Ocean Island Railway
Ocean Island Railway
	The first Orenstein & Koppel locomotive, 1906 ; ; Special train for Irish dinner guests ; Route of track on the south coast
Technical
Line length	3 kilometres (1.864 mi)
Track gauge	2 ft (610 mm), 3 ft (914 mm) and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Route map

The Ocean Island Railway (later Banaba Island Railway) was a 3-kilometre (2 mi)-long guano mining railway on Ocean Island (later renamed Banaba Island). It had an initial gauge of 2 ft (610 mm). After 1937, the gauge was widened to 3 ft (914 mm) and, finally, to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) .[1]

Route

The track ran along the coast from the northern guano mining areas, 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 manufactured by Orenstein & Koppel (O&K), and a saddle tank locomotive manufactured by 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. European passengers were transported in a canopy car and native labourers in an open wagon.[3]

Locomotives

Manufacturer	Type	Works No	Year	Gauge	Remarks
Bagnall	0-4-0 ST			610 mm	Saddle tank locomotive
O&K	0-4-0 T	9880	1922	610mm	No 11
O&K	0-4-0 T	11174	1926	610mm	Location unknown, possibly on another island
O&K	0-4-0 T	11291	1926	610mm	Location unknown, possibly on another island
O&K	0-4-0 T	11585	1928	610mm
O&K	0-4-0 T	11586	1928	610mm
O&K	0-4-0 T	12678	1935	610mm	No 7
O&K	0-4-0 T	12887	1937	914mm
O&K	0-4-0 T	12888	1937	914mm
O&K	B-t	12889	1937	914mm
O&K	0-4-0 T	12890	1937	914mm
O&K	0-4-0 T	12891	1937	914mm
O&K	0-4-0 T	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

Thomas Kautzor: Feldbahnen in Ozeanien (Nauru). 18 January 2015.
"Image: ocean_island.jpg, (638 × 571 px)". legacy.lib.utexas.edu. 2005-04-20. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
Skilnand, Vidar (2015-11-23). "(Ocean Island Railway Photos)". Facebook. Retrieved 2023-09-01.

0.86621°S 169.53807°E / -0.86621; 169.53807

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[Kautzor-1] Thomas Kautzor: Feldbahnen in Ozeanien (Nauru). 18 January 2015.

[utexas-2] "Image: ocean_island.jpg, (638 × 571 px)". legacy.lib.utexas.edu. 2005-04-20. Retrieved 2018-10-03.

[Skilnand-3] Skilnand, Vidar (2015-11-23). "(Ocean Island Railway Photos)". Facebook. Retrieved 2023-09-01.