Virtual Railfan Tour of St. Kitts 1991 - finale
On my last visit in 1991 the railway seemed to be operating normally. This is a favorite view of the crossing from my hotel.
Interesting sign "DO NOT PASS UNDER WHILE TRAINS ARE ON THE BRIDGE" I wonder if this was because pieces of sugar cane are likely to fall down or whether a train is likely to fall down
THe 1934 Armstrong Whitworth was still operating on the Harbor branch
No. 19 was a fairly recent import from Antigua where it was No. 5
However, the number of derelict locomotives had increased and this was an indication of the closure of the railway to sugar cane movements. No. 8 came from Antigua
No 20 also came from Antigua (No. 3)
The celebrity "Churchill" had also been abandoned
The two Motor Rail World War I veterans were still in existence
The Plymouth
The last remaining steam locomotive
The last sugar cane train ran on 31 July 2005. One of the reasons that it lasted so long was that the railway was built at the same time as the factory so it was possible to run a fully coordinated operation with the railway operating as an extension of the factory. Sugar has now been replaced by tourism and light industry.
However, the railway still exists in the form of the St. Kitts Scenic Railway.
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