Railways of Jamaica: Spanish Town to Ewarton

v · d · e Spanish Town to Ewarton

Legend 0.0 Spanish Town Station Parochial motorable road (gated) Junction Mainline from Kingston continues to Montego Bay A2 road (gated) 100' contour Unclassified road (gated) Unclassified road (gated) 1.2 St. John’s Road Halt Irrigation Canal ~?m 4.8 Angels Halt Parochial motorable road (gated) Angels #1 ~100m 9.5 Crescent Halt Viaduct ~70m #2 ~160m #3 ~110m #4 ~665m Thomas River ~15m Unclassified road (gated) 14.1 Bog Walk Station Rio Cobre ~40m 14.5 Junction Port Antonio branch 250' contour Parochial motorable road (ungated) Parochial motorable road (ungated) A1 road (gated) 16.5 Michleton Halt Viaduct over Parochial motorable road Parochial motorable road (ungated) 19.3 Linstead Station Rio Magno Gully ~85m Junction New Works branch B13 road A1 road A1 road Byndloss Gully ~20m 22.1 Sterling Castle Halt Parochial motorable road Unnamed Gully ~40m 500' contour 23.7 Junction Ewarton Works branch 750' contour 27.8 Ewarton Terminus

The Spanish Town to Ewarton line was built to serve the citrus growing regions in the interior of Saint Catherine, particularly those around the towns of Bog Walk, Linstead and Ewarton.^[1]

All external links below are to WikiMapia.

Construction, operation and closure

The 14 miles of standard gauge track from Spanish Town to Ewarton were completed in 1885 at a cost of approximately £93,000.^[1]

The section from Linstead to Ewarton was closed in 1947.^[2] It was later reopened as far as the Bauxite processing plant just east of Ewarton.

The rest of the line closed to passengers in 1992 but it remains open for Bauxite traffic.^[3]

Gradients

The line climbs 700 feet in 14 miles (average gradient 1 in 106) from Spanish Town station (just under 100 feet^[4]) to its summit at Ewarton (800 feet^[5]).

Stations and Halts

There were 4 stations and 5 halts on the line^[3][4]:

• Spanish Town Station (Branch Terminus)
• St. John’s Road Halt
• Angels Halt
• Crescent Halt
• Bog Walk Station
• Michleton Halt
• Linstead Station
• Sterling Castle Halt
• Ewarton Station (Terminus)^[6]

Tunnels

There are 4 tunnels,^[4] from south to north:

• Number 1 ~100m
• Number 2 ~160m
• Number 3 ~110m
• Number 4 ~665m

Bridges

There are 7 significant bridges on the line:

• Viaduct ~70m
• Thomas River ~15m
• Rio Cobre ~40m
• Viaduct (not visible in satellite imagery)
• Rio Magno Gully ~85m
• Byndloss Gully ~20m
• Unnamed Gully ~40m

Notes and references

1. ^ ^{a b} The Jamaica Railway 1845-1945 by H R Fox, General Manager, Jamaica Government Railway in The Railway Magazine of November & December 1945.
2. ^ The rise and fall of railways in Jamaica, 1845-1975 - Pg11 Journal of Transport History - March 2003
3. ^ ^{a b} 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.
4. ^ ^{a b c} UK Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1:50,000 map of Jamaica Sheet L (1966).
5. ^ UK Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1:50,000 map of Jamaica Sheet G (1973).
6. ^ Location unknown.

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