The Christmas Island Phosphate Co.'s Railway was a 19.7 km (12¼ miles) long industrial railway between Flying Fish Cove and South Point on

Christmas Island Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. It is located in the Indian Ocean, around south of Java and Sumatra and around north-west of the ...

. The remains of the South Point station are now heritage-listed.

Tracks

The standard gauge track was laid in stages between 1914 and 1920. It was primarily used for transporting phosphate from the mines, but it also transported passengers, such as the miners' children to school.Christmas Island ''

Light Railways ''Light Railways'' is a magazine produced by the Light Railway Research Society of Australia (LRRSA). The subtitle is "Australia's Magazine of Industrial and Narrow Gauge Railways". History The LRRSA started in the 1961 to foster interest in ...

'' issue 29 Spring 1969 pages 4-7 When phosphate mining ceased, the railway was taken out of use in 1987. The tracks have been lifted and scrapped by now. Various remains including a GE 44-ton switcher diesel engine are still on the island. It ran from Drumsite to South Point Settlement. It was extended from Drumsite to Phosphate Works in 1958 and to Phosphate Hill 1961. In addition, the company operated a narrow gauge railway with gauge on the island.David Jehan
Shays, Crabs and Phosphate. A History of the Railways of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean

Rolling stock

Locomotives

Forty steam and internal-combustion locomotives were used on the island. These were imported from Australia, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and the USA including three 70 ton geared Shay locomotives, a type of locomotive predominantly used within the USA. According to the time table, the Shay locomotives needed 2 hours per trip, requiring 20–30 minutes on each journey for refuelling with wood and water. They hauled normally 16 steel hopper wagons of 15 tons tare and 22 tons load each, i.e. an average load of approximately 600 tons behind the tender.Christmas Island Phosphate Co.'s Railway New 0-8-0 Locomotive.
Originally published in '' Locomotive, Railway Carriage & Wagon Review'' on 15 May 1931. On the standard gauge lines were seven steam locomotives, from

Lima Locomotive Works Lima Locomotive Works was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. The company took the most distinctive part of its name from its main shop's location in Lima, Ohio. The shops were located between ...

Peckett and Sons Peckett and Sons was a locomotive manufacturer at the Atlas Locomotive Works on Deep Pit Road between Fishponds and St. George, Bristol, England. Fox, Walker and Company The company began trading in 1864 at the Atlas Engine Works, St. George, ...

and

Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Ltd (RSH) was a locomotive builder with works in North East England. History The company was formed in September 1937 when Robert Stephenson and Company, which was based in Darlington, took over the locomotive ...

in use. Additionally ten standard gauge internal combustion locomotives from Orenstein and Koppel, Whitcomb, Canadian Locomotive Company and

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...

were used. On the narrow gauge railway, there were twenty-three 2 ft gauge internal-combustion locomotives from Orenstein & Koppel, Robert Hudson,

Baguley Baguley ( ) is an electoral ward of the city of Manchester in Wythenshawe, England. The population at the 2011 census was 14,794. Baguley is derived from the Old English words Bagca, badger, and Leah, clearing or meadow. Historically in Cheshi ...

and

Hunslet Engine Company The Hunslet Engine Company is a locomotive-building company, founded in 1864 in Hunslet, England. It manufactured steam locomotives for over 100 years and currently manufactures diesel shunting locomotives. The company is part of Ed Murray & So ...

, with the oldest dating from around 1912.

Passenger vehicles

For passenger transport a Drewry railcar and three Wickham railcars with five trailers were used. The key objective of the Wickham railcars was to provide rolling stock for the ''School Train''. A few flat wagons were also modified for transporting passengers. These were for instance used for the ''Picture Train'', to transport passengers to and from the island’s cinema. There were also two unusual rail vehicles for carrying passengers on an incline.

References

External links

Christmas Island Tourism Association: The Old Railway – Self-Guided Trail

Photographs of the remains of the track and a corroding locomotive
Defunct railway companies of Australia 2 ft gauge railways Standard gauge railways in Australia Transport in Christmas Island 20th century in Christmas Island