rogerfarnworth

A number of different articles are under preparation, this is the next completed article: Part 9 – Narrow-Gauge Industrial Lines The featured image for this article shows a train on the Kihuhui Bridge on the Sigi Railway in Tanganyika. Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania) possessed a dense network of industrial narrow-gauge railways, primarily developed during the German colonial era (German East Africa) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to support plantation agriculture and forestry. While the main lines (Central Line and Usambara Railway) were built to 1,000 mm (metre) gauge, industrial, plantation, and forestry lines often used 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) or 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) gauge. Following World War I, the British administration deemed many of the 600 mm “light railways” to be economically inefficient compared to the, at the time, more efficient 1,000 mm metre-gauge lines, leading to a shift away from developing these smaller lines. Early Industrial Narrow Gauge lines included: the Sigi Railway; and the Sisal Plantation Railways. Later industrial lines included: the Southern Province Railway, the Port of Bujumbura Railway, and Narrow Gauge Railways near Moshi. Roger FarnworthRailways of Tanzania – Part 9 – Narrow-Gauge Industrial L...The featured image for this article shows a train on the Kihuhui Bridge on the Sigi Railway in Tanganyika. [3] Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania) possessed a dense network of industrial narrow-gauge…

Part 3 - The Railway Line from Voi to Kahe The majority of this line was in Kenya, built to support the war effort in the First World War. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/04/09/railways-of-tanzania-part-3-voi-kenya-to-kahe-and-moshi-tanzania

Railways of Tanzania – Part 4 – Moshi to Arusha The featured image in the linked post is a photograph of East African Railways (EAR) 29 class steam locomotive no. 2904 at Moshi depot, Tanzania, © Basil Roberts and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 4.0). The Moshi-Arusha railway line is a 86 km extension of the Usambara Railway (Usambarabahn) in northern Tanzania, It was initially built between 1911 and 1929 and rehabilitated in 2018–2019, the metre-gauge line connects the Northern zone to the port of Tanga, and mainly serves as a freight corridor for agriculture and industrial goods. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/04/15/railways-of-tanzania-part-4-moshi-to-arusha/

Part 2 - The Route of the Usambarabahn The Route of the Usambara Railway – Tanga to Moshi In 2018, the Government of Tanzania invested 5.7 billion Tanzanian shillings to rehabilitate the line. As of July 2019, diesel powered cargo trains were leaving Tanga Railway Station again. Passenger transport between Tanga and Arusha was planned to start in September 2019, but has not been commenced as yet. [6] The line has its terminus in the Port of Tanga. It leaves the Port of Tanga (Hafen von Tanga) to run towards Tanga station and from there on to Moshi. Roger FarnworthRailways of Tanzania – Part 2 – The Route of the Usambara...NB: Given the way in which some of the images in this article have been displayed, this article is best read/viewed on a laptop or desktop computer rather than a mobile phone. If you need to read i…

This thread is meant to cover all the railways of Tanzania, starting with the old metre-gauge lines. [Quote]Over recent years, I have reported events relating to the railways of Kenya and Uganda but have singularly failed to do so in relation to the railway network in Tanzania. This has probably been because of an abiding interest in the railways associated with what is now referred to as the Northern Corridor (when referring to the Standard Gauge Railway network). It is time to rectify this situation. … [/Quote] First, a look at the history of the various lines in Tanzania. The linked article focusses on the history of the Usambara Railway (Usambarabahn) in the north of Tanzania. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/03/16/railways-of-tanzania/

The featured image in the linked article shows a horse-drawn/mule-drawn tram in Zanzibar before the turn of the 20th century. Zanzibar hosted two early rail systems, with a mule-drawn tramway operating from 1879 to 1888 between Stone Town and Chukwani, which later used a steam locomotive. A second, more notable 7-mile line known as the Bububu Railway ran from 1905 to 1930, connecting Stone Town to Bububu, featuring passenger service and, briefly, electric street lighting. [Quote] "The First Line (1879–1888): Built by Sultan Barghash bin Said, this, one of the first, tracks in sub-Saharan Africa. The 2ft-gauge line ran from the Sultan’s palace at Stone Town to Chukwani. Initially the two coaches were hauled by mules but in 1881 the Sultan ordered an 0-4-0T locomotive from the English locomotive builders Bagnall, this was named ‘Sultanee’. The railway saw service until the Sultan died in 1888 when the track and locomotive were scrapped."[/Quote] Roger FarnworthThe Tramways of ZanzibarThe featured image shows a horse-drawn/mule-drawn tram in Zanzibar before the turn of the 20th century. [1] Zanzibar hosted two early rail systems, with a mule-drawn tramway operating from 1879 to …

February 2026 – Kenya and Uganda Railways – Latest News I spent 3 weeks in Uganda in February 2026. This short article picks up on local news reports about developments relating to railways in East Africa early in 2026. …. This article follows on from one published early in December 2025. The featured image at the head of the linked article shows one of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) locomotives and its passenger train on the existing network in Kenya. NilePost reported on 19th February 2026 that Uganda is fast-tracking final financing for the Malaba–Kampala Standard Gauge Railway, with talks underway with the Islamic Development Bank to unlock 13 trillion UgX. The project promises faster, cheaper cargo transport and stronger regional trade links! http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/02/21/february-2026-kenya-and-uganda-railways-latest-news

Shoeburyness History, Standard-Gauge Military Tramway, and other Narrow-Gauge Tramways Shoeburyness was once a fortified place guarding the Northern flank of the Thames Estuary. It appears in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of 894 CE, and it was assumed for many years to have been built as a ‘Danish Camp’ by the Viking leader Haesten as those chronicles say that while King Alfred headed West towards Exeter, Danish marauding parties, “gathered at Shobury in Essex, and there built a fortress.” [1][2: p60] Much later developments are our primary interest in this article. The development of the site from 1849 onwards and the construction and extension of a military tramway and railways associated with the Ordnance depot and other military sites along the coast close to Shoeburyness. "Shoeburyness changed rapidly from a hamlet to a bustling military establishment. And by 1873, and the completion of the construction of the site, “the original portion of the Shoeburyness Military Tramway had been built as an integral part of it. The line was linked to three piers to facilitate unloading and transport by river from Woolwich and elsewhere, of stores, equipment and guns, brought and destined for various parts of the garrison'.” Roger FarnworthShoeburyness History, Standard-Gauge Military Tramway, an...Shoeburyness was once a fortified place guarding the Northern flank of the Thames Estuary. It appears in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of 894 CE, and it was assumed for many years to have been built as…

Barrow-in-Furness Steam Tramway The Barrow-in-Furness Tramways Company operated a steam-powered tram service from 11th July 1885 until electrification in 1904. Using a 4 ft (1.219 m) gauge, the tramway reached Ramsden Dock by 1886 and continued expanding through the electric era to locations such as Bigger Bank. Ultimately, on 5th April 1932 the tramway network was closed in favour of buses. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/02/17/barrow-in-furness-steam-tramway/

Barrow was featured in The Railway Magazine in March 1959. The rebuilding of the old Central Station at Barrow-in-Furness which was virtually destroyed in the air-raids of 1941 was completed in the late 1950s. The replacement buildings marked another link broken with Barrow’s past. [Quote]Originally known as Barrow Central Station and the headquarters of the Furness Railway, it was, by the end of the rebuilding renamed Barrow-in-Furness. Early in the 20th century, the borough boasted ten stations. It had grown from a hamlet of a few farms with a population of around 100 to “a seething steel-town of 60,000 in under forty years.” [/Quote] http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/02/16/the-railways-of-barrow-in-furness/

The featured image for the linked article is a photograph of Saint Felicien Railway Station in 1959. In the North of Québec, some 300 miles from Montreal, there is an area of extensive mining – deposits of copper, zinc, gold and cobalt wee being mined in the mid-20th century. In the first half of the 21st century, Northern Quebec's mining sector is a significant part of the province's economy, focusing on gold, nickel, lithium, graphite, iron, and copper, focusing on gold, nickel, lithium, graphite, iron, and copper, with major operations like Glencore's Raglan (nickel) and Agnico Eagle's Canadian Malartic (gold) leading the way, alongside emerging lithium projects in the James Bay region, leveraging Quebec's hydropower for cleaner operations and creating jobs in remote areas like Nunavik, despite logistical and environmental challenges. Roger FarnworthThe 1950s – Some Railways in QuebecThe featured image above is a photograph of Saint Felicien Railway Station in 1959. [9] In the North of Québec, some 300 miles from Montreal, there is an area of extensive mining – deposits o…

Developments in Freight Transport – The Railway Magazine – January 1959 A, then, recent exhibition at Battersea Wharf Goods Depot of British Railways and British Road Services freight vehicles and handling equipment prompted a review in The Railway Magazine of January 1959, of developments in the handling of freight. The emphasis of the exhibition was on the improvement of door-to-door services. It was part of the broader Modernisation and Re-Equipment of the British Railways plan launched in 1954, which sought to modernize and improve freight services in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Freight Transport Exhibition at Battersea Wharf Goods Depot in London was held from 28th–30th October 1958. It was a major showcase organized by the British Transport Commission. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/03/20/developments-in-freight-transport-the-railway-magazine-january-1959/

Part 9 – The Short Golden Age I am writing this article having just returned to Menton where we were staying in November 2025. We travelled to and from Tende which is the terminus of Zest Bus Ligne 25. There was little action to observe at the railway station. The line from Nice to Tende via Breil-sur-Roya was closed until the beginning of 2026. The alternative route from Ventimiglia was still active but we did not see a train during the two hours we spent at Tende. This is the ninth article in a series relating to the railway between Cuneo, Nice and Ventimiglia. In earlier articles about the line from Cuneo to the sea we covered the length of the line from Cuneo to Breil-sur-Roya and then to Ventimiglia, before looking at the line between Breil-sur-Roya and Nice. As we looked at the two routes we also looked at the history of the line over the period before it's opening in 1928. This article covers the period from 1928 to 1939. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/02/06/the-railway-between-nice-tende-and-cuneo-part-9-the-short-golden-age/

The featured image shows a passenger train on the Edaville Railroad, made up of coaches from other narrow gauge lines, running on a shallow embankment over a cranberry bog, © Public Domain. [1: p555] Originally known as ‘The Cranberry and Small Fry Line’, the Edaville Railroad is a 2ft-gauge narrow gauge line in Massachusetts. [1: p555] It featured in a short article in the August 1952 issue of The Railway Magazine. This is the next article in a series looking at lines featured in early issues of The Railway Magazine. [Quote]Writing in 1952, Edwards comments: “Although never exceptionally numerous, lines of this type assisted materially in the development of many areas. As early as 1877, a 2-ft. gauge line, eight miles long, was inaugurated to link the Massachusetts towns of Bedford and Billerica, but the track and plant were removed to the State of Maine two years later, and used for the Sandy River Railroad. This line proved of great service to many previously isolated communities; its development was rapid, and extensions and branches soon brought its mileage up to 120. Other similar projects followed, mostly in Maine, and a sixty-year period of success resulted. In recent years, however, the usefulness of such small lines has declined. The present economic situation has proved an adverse factor … and nearly all of them have been closed.” [1: p555][/Quote] Roger FarnworthThe Edaville Railroad, South Carver, MassachusettsThe featured image shows a passenger train on the Edaville Railroad, made up of coaches from other narrow gauge lines, running on a shallow embankment over a cranberry bog, © Public Domain. [1: p55…

Just a snap shot of the things appearing in the March 1959 issue of The Railway Magazine. [1] 1. There were adverts on the inside of the front cover – 5 of them. …. (Page ii of the March 1959 Railway Magazine.) The 34th Model Railway Club Model Railway Exhibition was due to take place in Easter Week. It would run from Tuesday March 31st to Saturday April 4th at Central Hall Westminster. On Tuesday provision appears to have been made for the final setting up of layouts, with the exhibition not opening until 12 noon, but the show was to be open until 9.00 pm each evening with an opening time of 10.30am for the remainder of the week. I wonder what today’s exhibitors and exhibition managers would feel about a show that was 5 days long and a total of 52 hours of operating time? Much of the work setting up for the exhibition must have taken place on the Bank Holiday Monday and dismantling may well have taken place on the Sunday. There must have been quite a few people who gave up a full week’s leave for the sake of the show! Think too of the logistics of providing refreshments for a week-long show! http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/01/03/the-railway-magazine-march-1959/