Ocean Island Railway

The Ocean Island Railway (later Banaba Island Railway) was a 3 kilometres (2 mi) long guano mining railway with a gauge of initially 2 ft (610 mm), and after 1937 of 3 ft (914 mm) and finally 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) on Ocean Island (later renamed Banaba Island).[1]

Ocean Island Railway
The first Orenstein & Koppel locomotive, 1906


Special train for Irish dinner guests

Route of track on the south coast
Technical
Line length3 kilometres (1.864 mi)
Track gauge2 ft (610 mm), 3 ft (914 mm) and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Route map
 km (mi)
3 (5) northern guano area
 European Settlement
(Tabwewa, Tapiwa)
 Native Labour Quarters
(Tabiang, Tapiang)
 0 (0) Loading piers
(Uma, Ooma)
 Boat Harbour

Route

The track ran from the northern guano mining areas along the coast through the European Settlement (English:Tabwewa, French: Tapiwa) and the Native Labour Quarters (Tabiang, Tapiang) to the depot and Boat Harbour (Uma, Ooma).[2]

Operation

Initially steam locomotives of Orenstein & Koppel (O&K) and a saddle tank locomotive of Bagnall were used. One O&K locomotive was named Florence, one had the number 7 (O&K works number 12678 of 1935)[3] and another one the number 11 (O&K works number 9880 of 1922).[1]

Later diesel locomotives were used. Passenger transport was done with a canopee car for the Europeans and an open wagon for the native labourers.[3]

Locomotives
ManufacturerTypeWorks NoYearGaugeRemarks
Bagnall0-4-0T610 mmSaddle tank locomotive
O&K0-4-0T98801922610mmNo 11
O&K0-4-0T111741926610mmLocation unknown, possibly on another island
O&K0-4-0T112911926610mmLocation unknown, possibly on another island
O&K0-4-0T115851928610mm
O&K0-4-0T115861928610mm
O&K0-4-0T126781935610mmNo 7
O&K0-4-0T128871937914mm
O&K0-4-0T128881937914mm
O&KB-t128891937914mm
O&K0-4-0T128901937914mm
O&K0-4-0T128911937914mm
O&K0-4-0T33001909600mm40 PS, delivered to Marrison, James & Co., Australia for Nauru, from 1920 as No 12 on Ocean Island (Replacement boiler 13108 of 1955)[1]

References
  1. Thomas Kautzor: Feldbahnen in Ozeanien (Nauru). 18 January 2015.
  2. "Image: ocean_island.jpg, (638 × 571 px)". legacy.lib.utexas.edu. 2005-04-20. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
  3. Vidar Skilnand: Guano Railway.

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