Rail transport in Nauru
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File:Railway phosphate mine Nauru.jpg
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In Nauru, rail transport is used for moving calcium pyrophosphate from the island's interior to the cantilever jetties on the island's western coast. For this purpose, a {{Cvt|3.9|km|}} long, {{Track gauge|610 mm|lk=on|allk=on}} gauge was built by the Pacific Phosphate Company in 1907. The line passes through the districts of Aiwo, Buada, Denigomodu, Nibok, Uaboe and Anibare.
History
The railway at Aiwo jetty was electrified in 1912, but replaced by a conveyor belt between the storage bins and the jetty head.{{cite magazine|magazine=The Railway Magazine |date=November–December 1948|page=411|issue=578|volume=94|location=Westminster|publisher=Railway Publishing Co|title=Railways in Nauru and Ocean Island}}
The gauge was upgraded to {{Track gauge|914mm|lk=on|allk=on}} by the British Phosphate Commission in 1920. In the past, steam engines were used to power the trains, later worked by diesel engines, though occasionally, a tractor is used.{{cn|date=July 2023}}
With Nauru's phosphate deposits almost depleted, the future of the railway is uncertain. The trains were still running as of 2008, although operations are believed to have ceased after 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Australia_and_Oceania/Nauru/Things_To_Do-Nauru-BR-1.html|title=Things to Do in Nauru|publisher=VirtualTourist.com|accessdate=14 July 2010}}{{Cite web |title=Railways in Nauru |url=https://www.sinfin.net/railways/world/nauru.html |access-date=2023-12-06 |website=www.sinfin.net}}
Nauru's phosphate train features on several Nauru stamps, including a series from 1980 (Yvert no. 211-213) and another one from 1985 (Yvert no. 306, Scott no. 308).
See also
External links
- David Jehan: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7XlDJADHOE Tramways, Coconuts and Phosphate: A History of the Tramways of Ocean Island and Nauru.] Light Railway Research Society of Australia Inc.
References
{{Commonscat|Rail transport in Nauru}}
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{{History of rail transport in Oceania}}
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