Sierra Leone Government Railways
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:''This article is part of the
history of rail transport by country The history of rail transport began in the BCE times. It can be divided into several discrete periods defined by the principal means of track material and motive power used. Ancient systems The Post Track, a prehistoric causeway in the va ...
series'' The Sierra Leone Government Railway operated in
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...
from 1897 to 1974. It was unusual in that it formed a national railway system constructed solely to a Narrow gauge railway, narrow gauge, whereas in other countries, gauge of such a narrow width was usually confined to feeder railways.


History


Beginnings

A number of early proposals for a railway in the British colony of Sierra Leone date from 1872, including a proposal for a trans-Sahara railway, all of which came to naught. Finally in 1893, a proposal financed by the
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ad ...
was adopted, and surveying commenced. Survey parties confronted many difficulties, especially disease, which delayed completion of the survey.


Opening

Construction commenced from
Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and p ...
in 1896, and the first section of railway was opened to
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
(7 miles) by March 1897. Subsequent openings were: :*
Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, a battle on 18 June 1815 in which Napoleon met his final defeat * Waterloo, Belgium, where the battle took place. Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Antarctica *King George Island (S ...
, April 1898 :* Songo (32 miles/51.5 km) 1899 :*
Rotifunk Rotifunk is a town in Moyamba District, in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone. The Sherbro people, Sherbro make up the largest ethnic group in the town. Rotifunk is the birthplace of Sierra Leonean politician, John Karefa-Smart, and writer ...
(56 miles/90.1 km) 1900 :* Bo (103 miles/165.8 km) 1903 :*
Baiima Baiima is a small town in Bo District in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Gu ...
(220 miles/354 km) 1905 :* Pendembu, Sierra Leone, Pendembu (227.5 miles/366 km) 1907


Branches

Other lines were also constructed. A short branch of length was built in 1903 from Freetown to Hill Station, at 748 feet (228 m) above sea level. The line allowed Europeans to live in the healthier hills area above Freetown, but with competition from motor cars, it was closed in 1929. A more substantial branch was built from Bauya Junction to Makeni (84 miles/135.2 km) in 1914. It was later extended to Kambai (104 miles/167.4 km), but subsequently cut back to Makeni in 1930. At this time, total route length was .


1926 strike

In 1926, workers on the railway went on strike, protesting against discriminatory requirements applied to black clerks seeking pay raises. The strike lasted six weeks, but was a failure despite support from the black elite, with the strikers forced to take lowered pay and extra hours as punishment.


World War II

The railways assumed increased importance in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Apart from moving mineral resources from the interior to the coast, the railway was also important in supporting fighting in
North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
. Fighter aircraft were shipped to the end of the line, where they were assembled and flown on to
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
.


Renewal

The equipment of the railway was renewed in the 1950s with the introduction of diesel locomotives and the purchase of some 155 new freight wagons. Both freight and passenger traffic increased during this decade. Independence came to Sierra Leone in 1961, and as an independence gift, the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
gave 45 new passenger coaches.


Closure

Increased road traffic and changes in government policy in the 1960s led to a decline in traffic, and various proposals for its future. They included a new branch to serve a
bauxite Bauxite is a sedimentary rock with a relatively high aluminium content. It is the world's main source of aluminium and gallium. Bauxite consists mostly of the aluminium minerals gibbsite (Al(OH)3), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)) and diaspore (α-AlO(O ...
mine Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging * Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun ...
, and conversion to a wider
gauge Gauge ( or ) may refer to: Measurement * Gauge (instrument), any of a variety of measuring instruments * Gauge (firearms) * Wire gauge, a measure of the size of a wire ** American wire gauge, a common measure of nonferrous wire diameter, es ...
. A report of the
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, though, which recommended closure, was adopted. The Makeni branch was closed in 1968, followed by the Kenema-Pendembu section in 1971. Further closures as far as Bo occurred in 1973, and the railway finally closed completely in 1974.


Stations


Locomotives


Steam

The first locomotives supplied to the railway were two 0-6-0T built by the Hunslet Engine Company and supplied in 1897. These were quickly followed by a
2-6-2T T, or t, is the twentieth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is deri ...
design from Hunslet, which proved very successful and enduring; a large number were built between 1898 and 1920. Further locomotives of this design continued to be supplied throughout the steam era, the last two being built in 1954. Elements of this design were used in the construction of a locomotive for the
Welsh Highland Railway The Welsh Highland Railway (WHR) or Rheilffordd Eryri is a long, restored narrow gauge heritage railway in the Welsh county of Gwynedd, operating from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, and passing through a number of popular tourist destinations in ...
known as ''
Russell Russell may refer to: People * Russell (given name) * Russell (surname) * Lady Russell (disambiguation) * Lord Russell (disambiguation) Places Australia *Russell, Australian Capital Territory *Russell Island, Queensland (disambiguation) **Ru ...
''. Five 2-8-2T from Hunslet were supplied in 1906, to be followed by two
4-8-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, usually in a leading truck or bogie, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and no traili ...
tender v from Nasmyth, Wilson and Company in 1910. Further 4-8-0 locomotives were built by
North British Locomotive Company The North British Locomotive Company (NBL, NB Loco or North British) was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp, Stewart and Company (Atlas Works), Neilson, Reid and Company (Hyde Park Wor ...
and
Hawthorn Leslie & Company R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Limited, usually referred to as Hawthorn Leslie, was a shipbuilder and locomotive manufacturer. The company was founded on Tyneside in 1886 and ceased building ships in 1982. History The company was forme ...
, bringing the total to 17 by 1921. The 1926 introduction of 2-6-2+2-6-2
Garratt A Garratt (often referred to as a Beyer Garratt) is a type of steam locomotive invented by British engineer Herbert William Garratt that is articulated into three parts. Its boiler, firebox, and cab are mounted on a centre frame or "bridge ...
s from
Beyer, Peacock & Company Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Openshaw, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer, Richard Peacock and Henry Robertson, it traded from 1854 until 1966. The company exported locomotives, ...
, eliminated double heading of a 2-6-2T with a 4-8-0. The 2-8-2T had proved unsuitable, and all were withdrawn by the mid-1920s.
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
placed great demands on the railway, and its importance was demonstrated by the railway being supplied with a number of new locomotives. Six new Garratts were supplied in 1942, and 20 4-8-0s were built by WG Bagnall and
Andrew Barclay Sons & Co Andrew Barclay Sons & Co., currently operating as Brodie Engineering, is a builder of steam and later fireless and diesel locomotives. The company's history dates to foundation of an engineering workshop in 1840 in Kilmarnock, Scotland. After ...
. Additionally, six
2-8-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels. ...
locomotives that had been built in
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
were brought in from the South India Railways. To further increase capacity, five of the earlier 2-6-2+2-6-2 Garratts were converted to a 2-8-0+0-8-2 wheel arrangement so as to increase
adhesion Adhesion is the tendency of dissimilar particles or surfaces to cling to one another ( cohesion refers to the tendency of similar or identical particles/surfaces to cling to one another). The forces that cause adhesion and cohesion can be ...
. Experience with these modified Garratts influenced the final steam class purchased by the railway. In 1956, 14 modern 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratts were purchased from Beyer, Peacock & Company.
Railways Africa ''Railways Africa'' is a publication covering railways in Africa. It is published 6 times per year in print and weekly online. See also * List of railroad-related periodicals A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also re ...
September 2009, p14
These locomotives increased the maximum load over 1:50 grades from 200 tons (203
tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000  kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United State ...
s) to 270 tons (274 tonnes).


Diesel

In the meantime, the railway had turned to diesel traction. The first were purchased in 1954, being three 145 HP, 20 ton
0-8-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and no trailing wheels. Locomotives of this type are also referre ...
s built by
Hudswell Clarke Hudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. History The company was founded as Hudswell and Clarke in 1860. In 1870 the name was changed to Hu ...
primarily for shunting duties, followed by five more in 1960. A class of larger diesels was supplied by the same maker between 1958 and 1961. The class consisted of 24 225 HP 29 ton
2-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and two trailing wheel ...
s for mainline use. These locomotives were a limited success, speeding up operations and reducing costs, but were not without their problems. Batteries supplied on them were not large enough to start the engines, and a van with additional batteries had to accompany them as a tender. Overall, the railway had difficulties in maintaining the diesel locomotives, and steam locomotives continued to operate. At closure, the railway possessed five operating steam and four diesel locomotives.


Engineering

The railway was built with 30 lb rail, limiting axle load to 5 tons. Some of the extensions were built as "tramways", with rail weight reduced to 20 and even 15 lb. To increase axle loadings and the speed limit above 20 mph (32.2 km/h), some sections of the line were rebuilt with 40 lb rail in the 1950s. Most of the line was built with a 1 to 50 gradient, but some sections were as steep as 1 to 39. The Hill Station line had a gradient of 1 to 22. Some 139 bridges had a span over 20 feet (6.1 m) on the line, the longest being of six spans and 716 feet (218.24 m) across.


Preservation


In Wales

Following the railway’s closure, in 1975, the last of the 2-6-2T Hunslet locomotives to be built for the railway, No. 85, and four of the carriages built by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company, in 1961, were purchased by the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (W&LLR) and shipped to
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, arriving in August that year. After overhauls, two of the carriages entered service on the W&LLR in 1977 followed by the locomotive in 1978. After a further overhaul, the locomotive commenced a new tour of duty in 1992. Significant firebox repairs were carried out in 2000, and then it ran again until 2010, when it was withdrawn, being in need of a new boiler. In 2011, the locomotive went on display at the National Railway Museum, Shildon, before return to Llanfair Caereinion by way of a nationwide tour in 2017. With the W&LLR preferring to operate balcony-ended carriages, the Sierra Leone vehicles fell out of favour in the late 1990s; however, two of them were refurbished in 2007-2008 and have since appeared on occasional special workings.


In Sierra Leone

In Sierra Leone, a collection of rolling stock was retained at the former railway workshops to form a museum. Locomotives included one of the 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratts, a Hunslet tank, and two of the diesel locomotives. Several coaches were also kept, including the
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
's coach, and a coach specially prepared for the visit of
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
in 1961. Through the years of civil strife and war, this collection disappeared from sight and it was feared it had been destroyed, but the collection survived despite the workshops being used as a centre for displaced persons. Following the initiative of a
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
officer, Colonel Steve Davies, restoration of the equipment commenced in 2004. The former president of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, visited the workshops site and indicated his support for restoring the museum and preserving the railway heritage of Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone National Railway Museum is open in Cline Town, Freetown. As of 2016, the museum has seen ongoing improvements by a dedicated team of supporters, which includes Colonel Davies.


See also

* Rail transport in Sierra Leone * Transport in Sierra Leone


References


Notes


Bibliography

* * * * * Rowe, D. Trever ''The Sierra Leone Government Railway'' in '' Locomotives International'' No. 41 Dec 1997-Jan 1998. * Thorne, G. 1996 ''Scrapbook of Narrow Gauge Drawings'', 7mm Narrow Gauge Association.


External links


National Railway Museum of Sierra Leone
- official website

* ttp://www.pearcedale.com/c&b/SZ.html#sier World-wide 30" Gauge Railways {{Africa in topic, History of rail transport in 2 ft 6 in gauge railways in Sierra Leone Rail transport in Sierra Leone History of Sierra Leone 1897 establishments in Sierra Leone