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Ocean Island Railway

The Ocean Island Railway (later Banaba Island Railway) was a -long phosphate mining railway on Ocean Island (later renamed Banaba Island). It had an initial gauge of . After 1937, the gauge was widened to and, finally, to .

Route

The track ran along the coast from the northern guano mining areas, through the European Settlement (English:Tabwewa, French: Tapiwa) and the Native Labour Quarters (Tabiang, Tapiang) to the depot and Boat Harbour (Uma, Ooma).

Operation

Initially, steam locomotives manufactured by Orenstein & Koppel (O&K), and a saddle tank locomotive manufactured by Bagnall, were used. One O&K locomotive was named Florence, one had the number 7 (O&K works number 12678 of 1935) and another one the number 11 (O&K works number 9880 of 1922).

Later, diesel locomotives were used. European passengers were transported in a canopy car and native labourers in an open wagon.

Locomotives

References