Railways of Jamaica: Kingston to Montego Bay

v · d · e Kingston to Montego Bay

Legend 0.0 Kingston to goods yard and railway piers 1,2 & 3 to engine sheds to turntable, workshops & PWD to locomotive works Trench Town Gully Shoemakers Gully Greenwich Town Halt Marcus Garvey Drive Halt Unclassified road (gated) Hunts Bay Halt Cockfight Bridge Salt River to sugar estate light railway Rio Cobre 10.5 Gregory Park Station 50' contour 14.5 Grange Lane Station Irrigation canal 18.9 Spanish Town Station 18.9 Spanish Town Junction Irrigation canal Town Gully Track 20.5 Horizon Park Halt Irrigation canal 24.1 Hartlands Halt Estate light railway crossing 50' contour Cut Throat Gully Spring Garden River 50' contour Irrigation canal Irrigation canal Coleburns Gully 32.2 Bushy Park Halt Church Pen Gully east Church Pen Gully west Stony Gully Fraser's Gully 36.5 to works 36.6 Old Harbour Station Old Harbour(?) River Bowers Gully 39.8 Bodles Junction Sandy Bay Halt 100' contour 100' contour Palmetto Gully 100' contour Bushy Park or Inverness Halt 250' contour Lancasters Halt Hunts Pen road 250' contour A2 road Rio Minho Combined A2 road and rail 52.3 May Pen Station 52.3 May Pen Junction Jacks Gully #1 Jacks Gully #2 55.4 Logans Junction Halt 55.5 Logan's Junction 56.3 Denbigh Siding Jacks Gully #3 56.7 Jacob’s Hut Jacks Gully #4 59.5 Four Paths Station 63.2 Rock Halt Flemings Gully east Flemings Gully west 68.4 Clarendon Park Station 250' contour Milk River 70.8 Scott’s Pass Halt 71.2 No. 1 Scotts Pass Tunnel 21m 71.6 No. 2 Scotts Pass Tunnel 52m Milk River (seasonal) 75.2 Porus Station 500' contour Unnamed Halt[1] Track 750' contour 1000' contour 1250' contour 85.3 Williamsfield Station 88.1 Kendal Station Kendal - Mandeville road 1500' contour 1500' contour 1500' contour 93.3 Grove Place Halt 98.2 Greenvale Station (Mile Gully) 1500' contour 1250' contour 1250' contour 1250' contour 105.4 No. 3 Comfort Hall Tunnel 209m 105.8 Comfort Hall Siding & Halt 1000' contour 109.0 Duck Pond Halt[2] 750' contour 111.0 Oxford Siding 112.6 No. 4 Balaclava Tunnel 106m 750' contour 113.4 Balaclava Station B6 road 750' contour 500' contour Estate light railway crossing Raheen Halt[1] 121.9 Siloah Halt 123.5 Appleton Station Appleton estate light railway 124.7 Appleton Tourist Halt Black River #1 Black River #2 128.3 Maggotty Station Black River #3 and Maggoty Falls road 500' contour 750' contour 135.2 No. 5 Highworth Tunnel 56m 136.0 No. 6 YS Tunnel 66m 138.0 Ipswich Station Ipswich - Merrywood road 138.8 No. 7 Ipswich Tunnel 261m 750' contour 750' contour 140.8 Breadnut Walk Halt 141.2 No. 8 Unnamed Tunnel 165m 142.4 No. 9 Merrywood Tunnel 116m 1000' contour 146.0 Stonehenge Station 151.3 Catadupa Station 1000' contour Richmond Hill road B6 road 750' contour 157.3 Cambridge Station Seven River #1 Seven River #2 500' contour Fifth Bridge (Seven River #3) Seven River #4 Seven River #5 Browns River 165.7 Montpelier Station Anchovy Gully 500' contour B6 road 168.2 No. 10 Anchovy Tunnel 31m 170.2 Anchovy Station 171.8 Ailford’s Halt 173.8 No. 11 Ramble Tunnel 56m 500' contour 174.6 No. 12 Long Hill Tunnel 389m 500' contour 175.0 No. 13 Bogue Hill Tunnel 140m Viaduct over dry valley 250' contour 177.0 Gordon’s Halt 100' contour 50' contour Montego River to engine sheds to sidings 181.4 Montego Bay

The Kingston to Montego Bay line was Jamaica's main railway. It linked the capital Kingston with the second city Montego Bay, passing enroute most of the major towns.

Construction, operation and closure

The first 14.5 miles (23.3 km) of standard gauge track were laid from Kingston to Angels (just North of Spanish Town) in 1845 at a cost of £222,250, or £15,377 per mile against a budgeted cost £150,000.^[3]

An 11 mile extension from Spanish Town to Old Harbour was added in 1869^[4] at a cost of £60,000.^[5]

A further 24½ mile extension from Old Harbour to Porus was added in 1885 at a cost of around £187,000.^[5]

The final 62 miles (100 km) from Porus to Montego Bay was completed in 1895.^[6]

Much of the line closed in October 1992 when all passenger traffic on Jamaica's railways abruptly ceased. Some sections remain in use for Bauxite and Aluminium freight^[7] while the section from Montego Bay to the Appleton Estate remained open for a while as a tourist attraction.

Gradients and curvature

From Kingston the line ran west along the coastal plain, within 50 feet (15 m) of sea level, for about 40 miles (64 km) before starting a gentle climb over 5.25 miles (8.45 km) from Bodles to 250 feet (76 m) near Lancaster Halt.^[1] From here there was a plateau for about 24.25 miles (39.03 km) to the Milk River and the start of the 20 miles (32 km) climb through Scotts Pass and Porus to 1,500 feet (460 m) just north of Kendal.^[1]

Between Kendal and Mile Gully the line reaches its summit at around 1,700 feet (520 m); in this section the ruling curvature was 300 feet (91 m) and the ruling gradient was 1 in 30.^[8]

From Mile Gully there was a gentle descent over 17 miles (27 km) to 500 feet (150 m) near Raheen.^[1] From here the line ran on the level across the Appleton Plain to Maggotty and the start of a climb to 1,000 feet (300 m) near Stonehenge.^[1] From here to Catadupa the line ran on the level then descended to 500 feet (150 m) at Seven River.^[1] Another level section brought it to Long Hill Tunnel and the final descent into Montego Bay.^[1]

Stations and Halts

There were 22 stations and 17 halts^[1][9]:

Kingston (Terminus) Greenwich Town Halt Marcus Garvey Drive Halt                  Hunts Bay Halt Gregory Park Station Grange Lane Station Spanish Town Station Horizon Park Halt Hartlands Halt Bushy Park Halt Old Harbour Station May Pen Station Jacob’s Hut Four Paths Station Rock Halt Clarendon Park Station Scott’s Pass Halt Porus Station Williamsfield Station Kendal Station Grove Place Halt Greenvale Station Comfort Hall Halt Duck Pond Halt Oxford Halt[10] Balaclava Station Siloah Halt Appleton Station Appleton Tourist Halt Maggotty Station Ipswich Station Breadnut Walk Halt Stonehenge Station Catadupa Station Cambridge Station Montpelier Station Anchovy Station Ailford’s Halt Gordon’s Halt Montego Bay (Terminus)

Gregory Park railway station c1980. Montego Bay railway station c1905.

Tunnels

There are 13 tunnels on the line:^[11]

Bridges

There were 51 significant^[12] bridges and one viaduct on the line^[1]

Junctions

There were 3 branch line junctions, 3 railway works junctions and 4 estate railway junctions on the line:^[1]

Branch lines

• Spanish Town Junction to Bog Walk, Ewarton, New Works and Port Antonio.
• May Pen Junction to Frankfield.
• Logans Junction to Fort Simmonds.

Railway works

• Kingston railway workshops.
• Kingston permanent way department.
• Kingston engine sheds.

Estate railways

• Caymanas estate.
• Bridge Pen.
• Raheen.
• Appleton.

Bauxite lines

• Bodles.

Piers

• Kingston railway piers numbers 1, 2 & 3.

Notes and references

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} UK Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1:50,000 map of Jamaica, various sheets (1958-1973).
2. ^ "Duck Pond" is given in the Annual Transport Statistics; the 50K maps show "Dick Pond".
3. ^ The rise and fall of railways in Jamaica, 1845-1975 Journal of Transport History - March 2003
4. ^ The rise and fall of railways in Jamaica, 1845-1975 - Pg3 Journal of Transport History - March 2003.
5. ^ ^{a b} The Jamaica Railway 1845-1945 by H R Fox, General Manager, Jamaica Government Railway in The Railway Magazine of November & December 1945.
6. ^ 1866 to 1913 Crown Colony Government discoverjamaica.com
7. ^ The rise and fall of railways in Jamaica, 1845-1975 - Pg18 Journal of Transport History - March 2003
8. ^ The Jamaica Railway 1845-1945, H R Fox (General Manager, Jamaica Government Railway), The Railway Magazine Volume 91 Number 560 November and December 1945, pages 313-317.
9. ^ Annual Transport Statistics Report: Jamaica in Figures 2003-2004, Ministry of Transport and Works, July 2005, Table 3.5 - Mileage for JRC Stations, Halts & Sidings in relation to the Kingston Railway Terminus 2003-2004.
10. ^ UK Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1:50,000 map of Jamaica sheet D, 1959.
11. ^ Annual Transport Statistics Report: Jamaica in Figures 2003-2004, Ministry of Transport and Works, July 2005, Table 3.6 - List of JRC Railway Tunnels by Line 2003-2004.
12. ^ In this context, significant means mapped on the Directorate of Overseas Surveys 50K series of maps:
13. ^ Volume 6 Number 7, Monthly Comments, Ansell Hart, 1968-06.

v · d · e Railways of Jamaica Passenger lines Kingston to Montego Bay • Spanish Town to Ewarton • Bog Walk to Port Antonio • Linstead to New Works • May Pen to Frankfield Stations List of railway stations in Jamaica • Ailford’s halt • Albany • Anchovy • Angels halt • Annotto Bay • Appleton • Appleton Tourist halt • Balaclava • Baughs halt • Belfield halt • Bog Walk • Breadnut Walk halt • Bryan's Hill • Buff Bay • Bushy Park halt • Cambridge • Catadupa • Chapelton • Clarendon Park • Comfort Hall halt • Crawle halt • Crescent halt • Crooked River • Cross Roads/Ivy Store • Darling Spring halt • Duck Pond halt • Esher • Ewarton • Fort George halt • Fort Stewart halt • Four Paths • Frankfield • Gordon’s halt • Grange Lane • Grays Inn halt • Greenvale • Greenwich Town halt • Gregory Park • Grove Place halt • Harewood halt • Hartlands halt • Highgate • Hope Bay • Horizon Park halt • Hunts Bay halt • Ipswich • Jacob’s Hut • Kendal • Kingston • Linstead • Longville halt • Maggotty • Marcus Garvey Drive halt • May Pen • Michleton halt • Montego Bay • Montpelier • Morgans • New Works • Norwich halt • Old Harbour • Orange Bay • Oxford halt • Passley Gardens halt • Port Antonio • Porus • Richmond • Riversdale • Robertson's halt • Rock halt • Saint Margaret's Bay • Scott’s Pass halt • Siloah halt • Snow Hill halt • Spanish Town • Spring Garden halt • St. John’s Road halt • Sterling Castle halt • Stonehenge • Suttons • Taja halt • Troja • Trout Hall • Williamsfield • Windsor Castle halt Bauxite lines Alcan Bodies to Port Esquiville (Alcan) • Woodside mines to Rocky Point Port (Alcoa) • Nain to Port Kaiser (Alpart) • Upper Saint Ann to Discovery Bay (Kaiser) • (Reynolds) Estate lines Appleton (sugar) • Bowden (bananas) Military lines Logans Junction to Fort Simmonds Notable personnel H R Fox • David Smith (railway promoter) • William Smith (railway promoter) Notable incidents Balaclava rail disaster • Kendal rail disaster Locomotives Rolling stock