Balaclava railway station opened in 1892 and closed in 1992. It served the small town of Balaclava on the Kingston to Montego Bay line and was from the Kingston terminus.Table 3.5 Mileage for JRC Stations, Halts & Sidings in relation to the Kingston Railway Terminus
, Annual Transport Statistics Report: Jamaica in Figures 2003-2004, Ministry of Transport and Works, July 2005. It was built of timber in the Jamaican Georgian architectural style.Balaclava Railway Station
Jamaica National Heritage Trust. The upper of the two stories has a

gable end A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

roof; an adjoining

hip roof A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope (although a tented roof by definition is a hipped roof with steeply pitched slopes rising to a peak). Thus, ...

has a downward fishtail

fretwork Fretwork is an interlaced decorative design that is either carved in low relief on a solid background, or cut out with a fretsaw, coping saw, jigsaw or scroll saw. Most fretwork patterns are geometric in design. The materials most commonly used ...

on its eaves. The building has

sash windows A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels, or "sashes". The individual sashes are traditionally paned windows, but can now contain an individual sheet (or sheets, in the case of double glazing) of glass. History T ...

and recessed panel timber doors. In 2003 it was reported as being in "deplorable condition" and "in need of major repairs".Table 3.4 Location and Condition of Railway Stations
, Annual Transport Statistics Report: Jamaica in Figures 2003-2004, Ministry of Transport and Works, July 2005. It is on the list of designated National Heritage Sites in Jamaica.

Opening

From the Daily Gleaner of March 24, 1892:

Fares

In 1910 the third class fare from Balaclava to Kingston was 5/6 (five

shillings The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence or ...

and sixpence); first class was about double.

Accident

A serious

derailment In rail transport, a derailment occurs when a rail vehicle such as a train comes off its rails. Although many derailments are minor, all result in temporary disruption of the proper operation of the railway system and they are a potentially ...

occurred at this station on July 30, 1938 killing 32 and injuring 70.Jamaica Gleaner, Pieces of the Past, Tragedy at Kendal - 1957
bullet point 6 under the subheading "Jamaica's Railway History"

Current use

Since 1992 the station buildings have been leased to a small, local woodwork shop.

External links

Aerial view
*Photos
Balaclava station (excellent)Balaclava station (small)Accident memorialInscription on accident memorial

References