F.C. El Oro Southern line 750mm, eastern line metre gauge.
F.C. de Bahia a Chone, 49 miles, 3 steam locos, 2 coaches, 6 freight cars (1958) Cia. Bananera del Ecuador, United Fruit Company (Industrial or public?)
Egyptian Delta Light Railways 1898 - ? about 1000km. Built in 750mm gauge, unusual for a British railway. Network of lines throughout the delta region, north of Cairo, supporting the standard gauge railways. Not all lines connected. Early loco fleet as follows:
35 - Bagnell 4-4-0T, 1898; 18 - Krauss 2-4-0T, 1900; 16 - Krauss 0-6-2T, 1900; 30 - Nasmyth Wilson & North British 0-6-4T, 1907. Had a total of 129 locos in 1930. Later about 50 Sentinels added, and diesels first appeared in the 1930's.
Neile, A. ed., 1989, W.G.Bagnall Ltd. Narrow Gauge Locomotives & Rolling Stock 1910, Plateway Press, Brighton. NGIRM 54. loco drawing
Fayoum Light Railways 168km. 17 locos, south of Cairo.
Khatatha - Wadi-el-Natrun Egyptian Soda and Salt Co. 56km.
French policy initially allowed narrow gauge lines in 750mm and metre, however pressure from the Military made metre gauge compulsory in 1888. Later 600mm lines were allowed. Only one 750mm line was built:
Cie des CF Economiques Forestiers des Landes. 12km Roquefort - Lencouaq-Jourets 1907 - 1934. 2 - 0-4-0Ts.
Germany has had 54 systems with 123 individual lines and a total of 1753km or 1052miles of track. The first line was built in 1872, the last in 1948. Many are still in operation, either as preserved and museum lines or still operating a public service. The following list is largely based on this website: http://www.schmalspurbahn.de/
Buckower Kleinbahn Müncheberg - Buckow 1897. 5km. Electrified 1930, closed 1998. Re-opened as a museum line in September 2002. http://www.bf-buckow.de/
Osteroder Kleinbahn Includes some dual gauge track with standard gauge.
Osterode - Förste 1898 9km.
Westerhof - Kreiensen 1899 16km.
Förste - Westerhof 1901 8km. http://www.busfahrplan.de/
Balatonfenyvesi Opened 1950. Total 30km, some still survives. (MÁV) system
Királyrét Converted from 600mm in early 1980's, now a tourist operation.
Budapest Childrens' Railway Opened 1950, still operating. NGW 28, Aug-Sep 2003, p.15.
Csömödér Forestry Railway opened 1917, some 70+km of lines. In about 2000 a link line was built to the Lenti forestry line. Tourist passenger services operate in summer, as well as the forestry trains.About 10 small diesels http://www.ingr.co.uk/
Debrecen (Amusement Park)
Debrecen (Zsuzsi Railway) First section opened 1882 to 950mm gauge as a forestry railway, public traffic started 1922, line extended in sections between 1924 and 1950, reaching a total length of 48km. Converted to 760mm gauge in 1961/2. Goods traffic ended in 1977 and the line was taken over by the local authority. Regular passenger traffic ceased, but part of the line was operated as a pioneer/tourist railway until 1995, when the authority could no longer bear the cost of running it. In 1996 it was taken over by a new organisation seemingly formed mainly by retired railwaymen, and I believe a section is still in seasonal operation.
Felsõtárkány First line opened 1915 for forestry purposes, later extended to a network of around 30km. From 1940 there appears to have also been stone traffic from a quarry. All goods traffic ceased in 1986 and parts of the line were dismantled. Tourist trains operate over a 5km section.
Gemenci (Pörböly) lines - created in 1950s for forestry purposes, extended in sections up to 1966. Tourist passenger services started in 1966. Extended again in 1982. Still operates timber trains and seasonal tourist services.
Gyöngyös system Opened as a 600mm gauge horse-worked forestry line in 1906. In 1912 a stone quarry was connected. Steam traction was introduced in 1916. Regauged to 760mm and passenger services commenced in 1926, by which time the system extended to 46km. From 1960 to 1987 it was a pioneer railway, still with freight traffic until the mid 80s. The 7km line to Matrafured operates passenger services all year round (not Sundays in winter), while the 12km route to Lajoshaza operates on certain days from May to September - this is the more attractive route, but the Matrafured line still performs a public transport function.
Kaszó forestry line built 1952-55 for forestry purposes, extending to a maximum of 20km. Passenger services commenced 1961. Timber transport ceased in 1985. Tourist services are believed to still operate, in association with a forest hotel complex. Timber trains have occassionally run in relatively recent years.
Kecskeméti (MÁV) system a 12km brickworks railway built in 1917 was expanded in 1928 to form the 52km Kecskemet - Kiskunmajsa route. In 1951 the 46km route from Torokfai (8km from Kecskemet) opened to Kiskoros. In 1961 about 800m was closed in Kecskemet, and in 1980 the link to the sg line in Kecskemet was dismantled. Only passenger traffic now survives, all year round about three or four trains a day each way on each line. The lines run through the flat plains with little development (and few passengers when I travelled it a few years ago), there is some tourist interest at Bugac on the Kiskunmajsa line. This was the only line in Hungary to use transporter wagons.
Kemence forestry museum line 600mm gauge forestry line created in 1910, expanding to a network of 51km. Timber traffic on the remaining 8km section ceased in 1992.
Lillafüred forestry railway. Miskolc to Garadna was built as a forestry railway in 1919/20, Papirgyar to Mahoca followed in 1920/22. Passenger services commenced in 1923. As well as forestry traffic, a stone quarry and coal mine were served. The Mahoca route was extended to Taksalapa in 1938/40, and to Farkasgodor-Orvenyko in 1946/7. Stone and coal traffic ceased in 1982, timber traffic in 1989, but 33km of route still exist. The 14km line to Garadna is in operation all year round, but the other 19km section is in poorer condition. Some of the track has been stolen at the extreme end of the line, and seemingly only special trains run as far as Taksalapa. Both lines are very scenic - Lillafured station is situated between two tunnels and in an area very popular with tourists
Mesztegnyõ forestry railway. Built from 1925, switched from steam to horse operation in 1947. Rebuilt in 1958, diesel operation introduced, reaching greatest extent of 15km. Passenger services started in 1959. 9km remain in operation with some timber traffic and passenger trains on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the year - if there are any passengers.
Nagybörzsöny line built from 1908 as a 600mm gauge forestry railway, extended to 55km. After the First World War the line was severed by the border with Czechoslovakia, so in 1920 the section in Hungary was converted to 760mm gauge and extended to reach a stone quarry railway. Passenger traffic commenced in 1971 but ceased in 1984 after an accident, as a result of which a section of line was dismantled. Passenger trains ran again from 1987 to 1991, timber traffic ceased in 1992. A restoration outfit now appears to be operating about 8km.
Nagycenk (GySEV Szécheny Museum Railway)
Nyíregyháza (MÁV) system opened 1905 as a public carrier. Originally it ran through the town, with a tram service operating over the same tracks, but the tram service ceased at the end of 1969 and a new route for the railway was built alongside the sg line from the main station. The line to Dombrad is 51km long, with a branch from Herminatanya to Balsa (16km). Only passenger traffic survives, but when I visited in 2000 that was still quite significant. The operating pattern at that time was that trains ran generally of four coaches from Nyiregyhaza to Herminatanya, where they split into two trains of two coaches each, one continuing to Dombrad and the other to Balsa. Movements at Herminatanya were quite complex as trains arrived from all three directions, with those from Dombrad and Balsa joining together to continue to Nyiregyhaza and the other splitting to continue to the outer termini. On Saturday morning we saw a six coach train, double headed by two Mk48 locomotives, arriving at Nyiregyhaza. Originally the line at Balsa continued over a bridge across the Tisza river to join the Sarospatak system, but the bridge was destroyed in the Second World War and not rebuilt (although the remains are still visible). A ferry service was introduced across the river, and a line built down a steep gradient from Balsa station to the riverside. The Sarospatak system closed in 1980, but the line down to the river still exists and trains still use it in summer. I believe when we visited the line the locomotive sheds at Balsa and Dombrad were still used for lodging the locomotive and crew of the last trains of the day, to form the first trains into Nyiregyhaza in the morning. The line is still in operation, but I don't know whether the operating patterns have changed.
Pálháza forestry system a 700mm gauge forestry railway opened in 1888 reaching a greatest extent of 14km. Horses were replaced by a steam locomotive in 1902 but due to problems with fires the horses took over again in 1906. From 1924 the railway had a connection to the 760mm gauge local railway leading to Fuzerkomlos (later part of MAV's Sarospatak system). In 1947 the forestry line was regauged to 760mm, and in 1958 passenger traffic was introduced. The closure of the Sarospatak system in 1980 also brought about the end of the forestry line, but in 1988 a 8km section reopened for tourist traffic. In 1996 this was extended by about 1km along the trackbed of the Sarospatak system into Palhaza. The line operates during the summer only, with haulage by locomotive in one direction and seemingly by gravity in the other direction. The journey includes a tunnel that was built to extend the line in 1903 and is very tight to loading gauge.
Pécs (Mecsek) line park railway
Szilvásvárad forestry railway first opened in 1908, extending eventually to 22km, also carrying stone. Has a maximum gradient of 6.0%. Passenger traffic commenced 1953, a 4.5km section survives exclusively for summer tourist traffic. It is associated with a popular tourist park and the service of up to nine trains a day carries 300,000 passengers a year.
This book gives a complete list of all common carrier 30" gauge railways:
Hughes, Hugh. 1994. Indian Locomotives Part 3, Continental Railway Circle, Harrow.
Central Provinces Railways 2-8-4t, 0-4-2t, 2-8-2, 0-4-0t, 4-8-0, 0-4-2, 122hp railcar.
Ellichpur-Yeotmal 1913-present.
A proposal to preserve this line: http://www.shakuntala.8m.com/
Pulgaon-Arvi 1917-?
Dhond-Baramati 1914-?
Pachora-Jamner 1918-?
Darwha-Pusad 1931-?
Parlakimedi Light Railway 1900-? 24.5 miles 0-6-4t. Had 3 classes of passenger accommodation, upper, lower, and lowest!
Mourbhanj State Railway 1905-? 38 miles 0-6-4t
Raipur-Dhamtari Railway 1899-? 4x0-6-2, 6x2-6-2
Satpura Lines. Opened in stages between 1905 and 1913. Numerous 2-8-4t, 2-8-2 and 4-6-2. Extensive complex of lines in central India, forming their own "narrow gauge circle". NGW 15, Oct/Nov 2001, pp.32-33. NGIRM 51, pp.109-113. loco drawing
Bombay, Baroda, & Central India Railway. 1911-? 2-8-4t, 0-6-2, 2-6-2, 0-6-0.
Cherra-Companyganj State Railway. 1884-1901, 14 miles, including 4 miles of rope-hauled inclines, rising 3616'. 4x0-4-2t. Terminus was noted for having the worlds highest annual rainfall (426").
Cutch State Railway. 1905-? 2x0-4-0, 2x4-4-0, 4x4-6-0.
Eastern Bengal State Railway
Cooch Behar State Railway. 1893-1910. 2-4-0t, 0-4-2t. Widened to metre gauge.
Ranaghat-Krishnagar Light Railway. 1899-? 0-4-2t.
Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway. First opened in 1861 using 13lb rail and bullock power. Unsucessful attempts to use a loco resulted in re-laying in 30lb rail, and re-opening in 1873. Additional lines constructed up to 1929, creating a complex network in western India. 0-4-2, 0-6-2, 4-6-0t, 0-6-0t, 2-6-2, railcars.
Great Indian Peninsula Railway 2-8-4t, 2-8-2, 4-8-0.
Ellichpur-Yeotmal 1913-?
Pulgaon-Arvi 1917-?
Dhond-Baramati 1914-?
Pachora-Jamner 1918-?
Darwha-Pusad 1931-?
Kangra Valley Railway 1928-present. 103 miles, 53 bridges, grades to 1:25 (4%) Pathankot - Palampur. Various NWR locos used, including 2 2-6-2+2-6-2 Kitson Meyer. Currently runs diesel passenger and freight service. http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r019.html
Powayan Steam Tramway 1894-1918, 40 miles. The entire railway was purchaced by the Government and shipped to Iran to help the war effort in World War 1. 4x0-4-2st, 2x0-4-2.
Singri Panchnoi River Tramway 1930-?, 20 miles, 2x2-6-2t.
MAHARASTRA
Bombay Improvement Trust
Municipal Corporation of Bombay Waterworks Department
Braithwaite & Co, Tansa pipeline contract, Bombay
Maharastra State Electricity
Nagpur Government Power Station
Patel Engineering Co Ltd, Bombay
Sewerage Tunnel, Bombay (750mm)
Tata Power Co Ltd
Tata Engineering, Bombay
Walchandnagar Industries http://irfca.org/faq/misc/industrial/Maharashtra.html
Tata Iron & Steel Co (TISCO) http://irfca.org/faq/misc/industrial/steel.html
Pongkor Gold mine. 762mm Locos include two 4wWE locos, 240 volt, 11.5 ton. Observations in 2002 recorded 4 Clayton 4wWE, 2 x Pickrose 4wWE, 13 x Clayton 4wBE and 10 x Gemco 4wBE. There is also one of the original 4wWE locos of unknown builder preserved.
Tamin Mini Jakata, museum come amusement park. Diesel locos. Also a large number of Indonesian steam locos are preserved here, it is possible some 750mm locos are amongst them.
KPM shipping line Borneo, coal mine, known to have had at least two Maffei 0-8-0T locos.
This list is of sugar mill lines in east and central Java. Some may still be operating, while others have stored equipment or operate only in the confines of the mill. There were many more lines in 600mm and 700mm gauges. The following site has many photos and much information: http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/javatour/java1997.htm
Mills without locos usually used bullock power. Banjaratma (Java) Sugar mill, 0-6-0t, 0-8-0t of German manufacture, two Vulcan 0-6-0T's from USA. now closed Besito (Java) sugar mill, no locos Ceper Baru (Java) Sugar mill 0-4-0t, 0-6-0t, 0-10-0t, 0-4-4-0t of German manufacture. Closed. Colomadu (Java) Sugar mill, 0-6-0t, 0-8-0t of German manufacture. Closed. Kaliwangoe (Java) sugar mill, no locos
Langsee (Java) sugar mill, no locos Manishardjo (Java) sugar mill, 1 x 80hp VIW 0-6-0T, 1 x 80hp O&K, 1 x 35hp Maffei, 3 x 20hp O&K 0-4-2T, 1 x 60hp D&B 0-8-0T, 2 x 60hp O&K, later 1 x D&B 75hp 0-8-0T, 1 x 80hp D&B 0-4-4-0T. Medarie (Java) sugar mill, 1 x 80hp VIW 0-6-0T, 1 x 30hp VIW 0-6-0T, 1 x 35hp VIW diesel, 2 x 30hp O&K, 7 x 100hp O&K 0-8-0T Pakis Baru (Java) Sugar mill 0-4-0t, 0-4-2t, 0-8-0t, 0-4-4-0t of German manufacture. Closed. Sendang Pitoe (Java) sugar mill, 1 x 110hp O&K, 5 x 85hp O&K, 1 x 40hp Simplex diesel, later 1 x 150hp O&K 0-10-0T and 2 x 150hp D&B 0-10-0T Tasikmadu (Java) Sugar mill 0-4-0t, 0-6-0t, 0-8-0t, 0-10-0t, of German manufacture. Still working June 02 Trangkil (Java) Sugar mill 0-6-0 from Netherlands, 0-4-0's from Germany, 0-4-2T was from England, last steam engine built by Hunslet in 1972? Still working. Tjandie Sewoe (Java) sugar mill, 1 x 100hp O&K, 1 x 80hp Henschel, Wonosarie (Java) sugar mill , no locos
Geydar-Abad (pier on Lake Urmiya) - Revanduz (Iraq) 36km. 1917-? Planned to be 77km long. Built by Russian army but never completed. http://parovoz.com/narrow/indexe.php
Bushire Railway 53 miles. 1918-1921. Built by the British Indian army to support the operations of the Persian Field Force. The entire stock of the Powayan Tramway (India) was commandeered for the purpose.
Hughes, Hugh. 1994. Indian Locomotives Part 3, Continental Railway Circle, Harrow.
Geydar-Abad (Iran) - Revanduz 36km. 1917-? Planned to be 77km long. Built by Russian army but never completed. http://parovoz.com/narrow/indexe.php
British Expeditionary Force "Many" miles of railway. 1916-? Originally used in Basra area, but construction followed war front. 14 - 2-4-2ST annd 4 0-6-2 locos provided, as well as a number of petrol powered 4-wheel ambulances.
Hughes, Hugh. 1994. Indian Locomotives Part 3, Continental Railway Circle, Harrow.
Kamaishi Mine. Underground mine using 30" equipment. Mine closed but still used for other purposes. http://www.seaple.icc.ne.jp/~nkoizumi/index.html
Kusatsu Keiben (type of industry not known) opened 7-1915. Used steam and later electric locos.
Greenpia Nihonmatsu (Fukushima) amusement park, oil-fueled 0-4-0T
Yanagawa Kibo-no-mori Park (Fukushima) amusement park, oil-fueled 0-4-0T
Imperial Government Steel Works, Yokohama http://www.ShayLocomotives.com/data/dataframe.htm
Korea was part of the Japanese Empire prior to the Second World War, and the Japanese built a number of lines in 30" gauge. Most were in North Korea, and information about all things North Korean remains sparse. Only one ended up in the south. A number of Japanese-built locos were provided, including 2-6-2t, 2-8-2t, 2-8-0, and 2-8-2.
Suwon-Yoju, 30 miles. (South Korea).
Zenhoku Railway
Chosen Chuo Railway/Chosen Railway Keito Line Tomon Railway Kaisen Light Railway
There also appear to have been industrial lines serving salt pans and coal mines operating in South Korea until the 1980's.
Stekmane - Gulbene - Aluksne - Ape - Valka (209km) opened 1902/3 or Stukmani-Vecgulbene- Aluksne-Valka, 1903, 212km, was built when Latvia was part of the Russian empire.
Stekmane - Gulbene (99km) converted to 1520mm gauge 1916
Ape - Valka (50km) closed 1970
Aluksne - Ape (27km) Dieselized late 1950s closed 1973
Ape - Valka worked by Estonian railways 1920 - 1940 (though both ends in Latvia) http://www.banitis.lv/gulbene-aluksnebanisang.htm http://www.banitis.lv/english/main_dzc_latvija.htm
Valka - Rujiena - Moisakuila - Parnu opened 1896/7
Valka - Rujiena (44km) closed 1944
Rujiena - Parnu closed 1975 - subsequently converted to 1520mm guage and reopened 1981
worked by Estonian railways 1920 - 1940 (though Valka - Moisakuila in Latvia)
Smiltene - Valmiera - Pikule - Pale - Ainazi (115km) opened 1912, closed 1979 ??
branch Pale - Staicele (16km) opened 1927, closed 1944 ??
also wartime connection Ainazi - Ikla (Estonia)
see also industrial
Sita - Berzpils - Burzava - Rezekne (87km) opened 1927-34, closed 1965.
Burzava - Rezekne mixed gauge.
See also industrial
Liepaja - Aizpute (50km) opened 1900 (as metre gauge). Converted to 750mm c1938.
Dieselized late 1950s.
Closed 1964.
Liepaja - Kursa - Alsunga - Kuldiga (99km) opened 1932 - 35
branch Kursa - Pavilosta (3km) opened by 1939
Liepaja - Alsunga (67km) converted to standard gauge 1944 (and to 1520mm 1945)
Alsunga - Kuldiga (32km) closed by 1974
intended to extend Kuldiga - Tukums, but never built
Leipaja - Dubeni - Barta - Rucava (55km) opened 1916-22 (as 600mm)
converted to 750mm 1932
Barta - Rucava (27km) closed by 1960
Liepaja - Barta (28km) closed by 1966
Liepaja - Dubeni mixed gauge
Ziguri - Kaceni (approx 25km) opened 1927, closed 1944. Freight only ?
Industrial
The Quail Map Co railway map of Latvia shows 750mm guage peat lines at the following places. Ones marked * are also shown on the current Latvian road atlas.
* Puikule - Dauguli - Zilaiskalns (Puikule- Dauguli part of former Ainazi - Smiltene line)
* Burzava - Driceni - Struzani (Burzava - Driceni part of former Sita - Rezekne line)
* Misa - Brukna
* Strenci / Seda - Sedas tirelis 1954 - current (see www.seda.lv) Livani - ?? (shown on current Livani street map) Kukas Olaine - Tiraine
* Jaunkalsnava - Vietalva (may be 1520mm gauge) Aizpute
other Latvian narrow gauge industrial lines are known to have existed, but their gauge isn't known.
Military
Ropazi - Edzelinmezs (12km) opened 1916, closed 1924.
Other
Riga Pioneer / Childrens Railway (3km) c1948 - 1995.
Dieselized (late 1950s ?).
track still in situ 2000,
stock to Gulbene - Aluksne.
Preserved
Gulbene - Aluksne, 33 km, part of the Stukmani-Vecgulbene- Aluksne-Valka line. Regular diesel-powered passenger service. http://www.banitis.lv/eng/index.htm