:Sousse–Kairouan Decauville railway
{{Short description|Rail line in Tunisia}}
{{Infobox rail line
|name = Sousse–Kairouan Decauville railway
|logo = Sousse - La Gare du Decauville de Kairouan (cropped).jpg
|logo_width =
|logo_alt = Decauville station in Sousse
|linelength = {{convert|64|km|mi}}
|gauge = {{track gauge|600 mm}}
|minradius =
|signalling =
|map = {{routemap|inline=1|map=
~~km (mi)~~
exKBHFa~~0 (0)~~Sousse
exKBHFe~~64 (40)~~Kairouan
}}}}
The Sousse–Kairouan Decauville railway was a {{convert|64|km|abbr=on}} long {{track gauge|600 mm}} gauge Decauville military railway from Sousse to Kairouan in Tunisia. It operated from 1882 to 1896, before it was re-gauged to {{track gauge|1000 mm}}.
History
The French army occupied Kairouan in 1881. Pioneers then built the narrow gauge railway from Sousse on the coast to the former capital Kairouan within 3½ months.Rudolf Barth: [https://exkursion.schienen-tage.de/tunesien/strecken/l_11.html Strecke im Wartestand: (Henchir Souatir –) Kasserine – Sbeitla – Kalaa Sghira (– Sousse).]Victor Cambon (1852-1927): [https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6223012c/texteBrut De Bone à Tunis, Sousse et Kairouan.] 2nd edition, 1885 and [https://books.google.com/books?id=F506DwAAQBAJ&dq=decauville+sousse+Kairouan&pg=PT112 Collection XIX], 2016. It ran mainly on an old Roman road.Michael Greenhalgh: [https://books.google.com/books?id=5pCfAwAAQBAJ&dq=decauville+sousse+Kairouan&pg=PA207-IA67 The Military and Colonial Destruction of the Roman Landscape of North Africa, 1830-1900.] Brill, 2014. Page 201.
The open-sided carriages arrived before 1 January 1882 in Sousse.François Gressin, Liliane Sekula and Daniel Wurmser: [http://marc-andre-dubout.org/amd/bulletin/0026-27/0026.htm Paul Decauville on a Type 67 waggon, which was subsequently delivered before 1 January 1882 to Sousse.] In: [http://marc-andre-dubout.org/amd/bulletin/0026-27/0026.htm Bulletin des Amis du Musée Decauville, No 26/27, March 2003.] Page 24. The first train transported wounded soldieres on 3 February 1882 from Kairouan to Sousse. The waggons were initially drawn by horses and later by steam locomotives. The railway was regauged from {{track gauge|600 mm}} to {{track gauge|1000 mm}} gauge in 1896.
External links
- [http://www.sousse1881-1956.com/villeuro/garedec.htm La gare des Decauville]
References
{{Decauville}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sousse-Kairouan Decauville railway}}
Category:Narrow-gauge railways in Tunisia
Category:600 mm gauge railways