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New Narrow Guage in Kauai

December 10, 2005 04:57PM
The Garden Island News of Kauai, Hawaii reports that work is moving along on a new 2.3 mile 36' gauge excursion line on The Kilohana Plantation Estate. The paper reports that four ex-WP&Y flats are on hand to be rebuilt into excursion cars. Tracklaying will start in February with a hoped for completion date in May.
The initial motive power will be a 1939 Whitcomb diesel. The the backers of the new line also own a pair of steam locomotives. The Baldwins are veterans of plantation work on Oahu. In 1947, they were sold to a plantation on the Phillipine Island of Negros and later repatriated to the USA. The report says the two steamers are being rebuilt at Brooks Locomotive Works in Sacramento, CA. No word on a completion date.
The route of the proposed railroad will traverse cane and coffee plantations that once were served by internal railroad networks. It will have its own depot at the Grove Farm Plantation.
In addition to network of plantation lines, Kauai once had two 30' gauge common-carriers. The Ahukini Terminal and Railway Co. was built in 1920 and operated for 12 years before becoming a private carrier for the Lihue Plantation. Lihue used rail service in cane harvests until the 1959 season. The other common carrier was the Kauai Railway, which operated a 15-mile line into the late 1930's. Toward the end of its operations, the Kauai Railway acquired a pair of 10-ton Whitcombs. The article doesn't mention if the Whitcomb that will be used on the new tourist operation is an original unit.
Subject Author Posted

New Narrow Guage in Kauai

Eugene H. Blabey December 10, 2005 04:57PM

Re: New Narrow Guage in Kauai

Les Clark December 12, 2005 04:45PM



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