The Railways of Jamaica

The Railways of Jamaica PDF

Author: James Horsford

Publisher: Mainline & Maritime

Published: 2010-11

Total Pages: 167

ISBN-13: 9781900340205

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The Jamaica Railway Company opened in 1845 with British finance and locomotives and expanded to open up the interior of the island, transporting bananas, sugar, rum, and other produce to the ports. American steam started to appear in the years prior to WW1, however, Englishman P.C. Dewhurst was the CME during the early 20th Century. The Jamaica Government Railway owned the system from 1900 and in 1960 this became the state-owned but independent Jamaica Railway Corporation. Dieselisation with British-built locos and railcars developed from the mid-1950s, indeed the JRC even bought some ex-LMS Stanier coaches from BR in 1964. Other diesels came from Canada, and France. The history is described fully and the routes are followed in detail with track diagrams and photos showing many key locations and the traffic operating. Steam & diesel locomotives, railcars and rolling stock all have their own chapters to give comprehensive coverage.

Blood, Iron, and Gold

Blood, Iron, and Gold PDF

Author: Christian Wolmar

Publisher: PublicAffairs

Published: 2010-03-02

Total Pages: 432

ISBN-13: 1586488511

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The opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830 marked the beginning of a transport revolution that would forever transform the way we live. Blood, Iron, and Gold takes us on a journey encompassing jungle, mountain, and desert, revealing the huge impact of the railroads as they spread rapidly across entire countries, and linked cities that hitherto had little reach beyond their immediate environs. The rise of the train triggered daring engineering feats, great architectural innovation, and the rapid movement of people and goods across the globe. Cultures were both enriched and destroyed by the unrelenting construction of the railroads, and the new technology quickly took on a vital role in civil conflicts and two world wars. In this beautifully illustrated book, renowned transportation journalist Christian Wolmar celebrates the vision and determination of the ambitious pioneers who developed the railways that would dominate the globe.

Tracks Across Continents, Paths Through History

Tracks Across Continents, Paths Through History PDF

Author: Douglas J. Puffert

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2009-04

Total Pages: 375

ISBN-13: 0226685098

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A standard track gauge—the distance between the two rails—enables connecting railway lines to exchange traffic. But despite the benefits of standardization, early North American railways used six different gauges extensively, and even today breaks of gauge at national borders and within such countries as India and Australia are expensive burdens on commerce. In Tracks across Continents, Paths through History, Douglas J. Puffert offers a global history of railway track gauge, examining early choices and the dynamic process of diversity and standardization that resulted. Drawing on the economic theory of path dependence, and grounded in economic, technical, and institutional realities, this innovative volume traces how early historical events, and even idiosyncratic personalities, have affected choices of gauge ever since, despite changing technology and understandings of what gauge is optimal. Puffert also uses this history to develop new insights in the theory of path dependence. Tracks across Continents, Paths through History will be essential reading for anyone interested in how history and economics inform each other.