Railways of Jamaica: May Pen to Frankfield

v · d · e May Pen to Frankfield

Legend 0.0 May Pen Station & Junction Mainline from Kingston continues to Montego Bay 0.2 A2 road (gated) 1.2 250' contour 1.9 Unclassified road (ungated) 331' spot height Track (ungated) B3 spur road (ungated) 250' contour Track ~?m Track (ungated) 250' contour 7.2 Longville Halt Parochial Motorable Road (ungated) Track (ungated) 500' contour Parochial Motorable Road (ungated) to North Hall Unclassified road (ungated) 16.1 Suttons Station 750' contour B3 road (gated) 18.5 Ivy Store Halt 750' contour 20.9 Chapelton Station B3 road (gated) Parochial Motorable Road (gated) Unclassified road (gated) Thomas River Bridge ~40m Rio Minho Bridge ~70m Orange River Bridge ~30m Unclassified road (gated) 25.8 Morgans Pass Station 611' spot height Stony River Bridge ~20m Parochial Motorable Road (gated) Parochial Motorable Road (gated) Orange River Bridge ~40m Parochial Motorable Road (gated) 750' contour Bryans Hill Station Parochial Motorable Road (gated) Ballards River Bridge ~80m Parochial Motorable Road (gated) 889' spot height Crooked River Bridge ~40m 29.8 Crooked River Station Crooked River Bridge ~35m Dawkins River & Track Bridge ~15m B3 road (gated) 750' contour 32.6 Trout Hall Station 738' spot height B3 road (gated) B3 ~15m Rio Minho Bridge ~25m Franks River Bridge ~30m 750' contour Unnamed tributary of the Rio Minho ~50m Unclassified road (gated) 36.6 Frankfield Terminus

The May Pen to Frankfield line was built to serve the fast developing citrus industry in the upper Clarendon regions of Chapelton and Frankfield^[1].

All external links below are to WikiMapia.

Inception

During the 1911 General Election railway extension was a prominent issue, and in March the Colonial Secretary introduced into the Legislature a resolution authorising the expenditure of £90,000 on the construction of a branch line from May Pen to Danks, beyond Chapelton in upper Clarendon.^[2] "After an animated discussion the resolution was carried by 19 votes to 5. The new line will open up the fertile valley of the Rio Minho... It is hoped that ultimately the line will be driven forward to the still more fertile district of Ulster Spring in Upper Trelawny and then on to Falmouth, the seaport on the north side of the island, whose former prosperity would thereby be restored."^[2] Due to the Great War and the economic situation in the Twenties this long-term aim was never accomplished.^[3]

Construction, operation and closure

The 13 miles (21 km) of standard gauge track from May Pen to Chapelton were laid between 1911 and 1913 at a cost of £86,000.^[1]

The 9¼ mile extension to Frankfield was added in 1925.^[1] It required the bridging of twelve rivers, which must have been a significant contribution to the twelve year construction hiatus.

The line closed in 1974.^[4]

Gradients

The line climbed 650 feet in 18½ miles (average gradient 1 in 150) from May Pen (239 feet^[5]) to its summit at Crooked River (889 feet^[6]) then continued for 3¾ miles more or less on the level to Frankfield (908 feet^[7]).

Stations and Halts

There were 10 stations and halts on the line c1973^[6]. More recent references^[8] mention only nine:

Tunnels

There were no tunnels on the line^[6].

Bridges

There were 13 significant bridges on the line, all but the first being on the Chapelton to Frankfield extension^[6]. Approximate bridge lengths^[10] are shown in the route diagram (right):

See also

• Railways of Jamaica

Notes and references

1. ^ ^{a b c} The rise and fall of railways in Jamaica 1845-1975 page 7, Veront M Satchell & Cezley Sampson, The Journal of Transport History, March 2003.
2. ^ ^{a b} Official handbook on the BWI, 1912.
3. ^ ^{a b} B097, BWISC Bulletin 1978-06, Jamaica Railway Markings, Major T W Jefferson.
4. ^ The rise and fall of railways in Jamaica 1845-1975 page 13, Veront M Satchell & Cezley Sampson, The Journal of Transport History, March 2003.
5. ^ Directory of Cities, Towns, and Regions in Jamaica: May Pen, Falling Rain Genomics.
6. ^ ^{a b c d e} UK Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1:50,000 map of Jamaica Sheets G & H, 1973.
7. ^ Directory of Cities, Towns, and Regions in Jamaica: Frankfield, Falling Rain Genomics.
8. ^ ^{a b} Annual Transport Statistics Report: Jamaica in Figures 2003-2004, Ministry of Transport and Works, July 2005.
9. ^ ^{a b} Google satellite image resolution is at present insufficient to show this station/bridge.
10. ^ Bridge lengths were obtained using Wikimapia's GeoTools.

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