rogerfarnworth Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 My wife and I are in Uganda at the moment (9th May 2018), I have been here a number of times before. The national railway system is metre-gauge. I hope this first post is of interest to members of this forum. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/09/uganda-railways-part-1 Other posts about the trip, but not railway related, can be found on this link: https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/category/uganda 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted May 10, 2018 Author Share Posted May 10, 2018 (edited) This second post provides some more information about the history of what is often called 'The Lunatic Line'. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/11/uganda-railways-part-2 Edited May 11, 2018 by rogerfarnworth 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
E3109 Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 I spy some BR Mk2 derivatives. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 Yes, built at Derby in the late '70s. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted May 15, 2018 Author Share Posted May 15, 2018 This third post in the series starts the journey along the 'Lunatic Line'. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/14/uganda-railways-part-3 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted May 19, 2018 Author Share Posted May 19, 2018 The 4th post in a series about Uganda Railways. This post covers the journey along the original Uganda Railway from Mazeras to Voi. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/17/uganda-railways-part-4-mazeras-to-voi 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 Some of the Derby built Mk.II based coachs shown in this picture. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
E3109 Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 Some of the Derby built Mk.II based coachs shown in this picture. Lovely sir. Where did it all go wrong, we used to export kit around the world. You may wish to google 'EMU100' if you're not aware, basically BREL sorted Taiwan's railway out via these fine mk2 based units. They weren't without their teething troubles (like most things) but these units are highly revered within the Taiwan rail community and at least one set does occasional runs from time to time. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 I have just returned from a trip to Africa, staying in south-western Uganda. This is the 5th part of my story of the Uganda Railway. It covers the length from Voi to Ulu in Kenya. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/21/uganda-railways-part-5-voi-to-ulu 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted May 23, 2018 Author Share Posted May 23, 2018 Our journey along the 'Uganda Railway' continues. In this post we travel from Ulu into Nairobi and notice two branch-lines on the way. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/22/uganda-railways-part-6-ulu-to-nairobi 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted May 23, 2018 Author Share Posted May 23, 2018 This next post focusses on the station at Nairobi and its immediate environment. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/22/uganda-railways-part-7-nairobi-railway-station-good-yard-mpd-and-railway-museum 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted May 25, 2018 Author Share Posted May 25, 2018 (edited) We are gradually getting closer to the eastern border of Uganda! This is the next post in the series and covers the stretch of the line from Nairobi to Lake Naivasha ..... https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/uganda-railways-part-8-west-of-nairobi-nairobi-to-naivasha Edited May 27, 2018 by rogerfarnworth 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted May 25, 2018 Author Share Posted May 25, 2018 Another leg of the journey on the Uganda Railway. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/25/naivasha_to_nakuru 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted May 26, 2018 Author Share Posted May 26, 2018 The next two posts cover the length of the old Uganda Railway to Kisumu and Butere. Originally, this line was of significant strategic importance. Trains along the line provided access to Lake Victoria and the inland steamers that then provided access to the Great Lakes region and to Kampala via Port Bell. The construction of the line from Nakuru to Kampala and beyond changed thing significantly and the old main line became a branch-line and has seen little traffic over recent years. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/25/uganda-railways-part-10-west-of-nakuru-the-line-to-kisumu 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted May 26, 2018 Author Share Posted May 26, 2018 Before we return to Nakuru to follow the main line towards Kampala, one further post about the Kisumu line. There was a short branch which left the Kisumu to Nakuru line within the confines of Kisumu city. This post focusses on that line. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/25/uganda-railways-part-11-the-branch-from-kisumu-to-butere 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohmisterporter Posted May 26, 2018 Share Posted May 26, 2018 Thanks for posting these Roger. Fascinating railway history in a somewhat neglected part of the world as far as modelling goes. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted May 27, 2018 Author Share Posted May 27, 2018 Thank you Geoff. Here is the next post in the series .... Back at Nakuru, we prepare ourselves to travel on to Kampala. This post takes us to Eldoret. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/27/uganda-railways-part-12-nakuru-to-eldoret 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted May 28, 2018 Author Share Posted May 28, 2018 Eldoret is a junction station. The branch-line service to Kitale set off from Eldoret. We follow its route. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/28/uganda-railways-part-13-eldoret-to-kitale 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted May 29, 2018 Author Share Posted May 29, 2018 (edited) We really are now almost in Uganda! The is the last post focussing on the Uganda Railway in Kenya. It takes us from Eldoret to the border with Uganda at Malaba. Sadly, in this post there is little evidence of locomotives. The line has seen little use over the years . I was very fortunate to be able to travel 1st Class all the way from Mombasa to Kampala in 1994. I had no idea at the time how fragile that service was. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/28/uganda-railways-part-14-eldoret-to-malaba Edited May 29, 2018 by rogerfarnworth 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted June 1, 2018 Author Share Posted June 1, 2018 With this post we have crossed the border between Kenya and Uganda. Just across the border in Tororo the mainline divides to give a Kampala/Kasese route via Jinja, and a Pakwach and Aria route via Soroti. The more northerly route through Soroti was perceived as the branch but it has been the route which has been refurbished first (in 2013). We will follow the branch first. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/uganda-railways-part-15-malaba-to-soroti. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohmisterporter Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Fascinating post as usual Roger. I had some drawings from Continental Modeller many years ago for Tribal classes 29, 30, and 31 but have put them somewhere "safe". Blowed if I can find them now! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 Thank you, Geoff. The next post in the series is the penultimate on the branch-line..... https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/06/03/uganda-railways-part-16-soroti-to-gulu 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 The second covers the length to the end of the branch-line. https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/06/03/uganda-railways-part-17-gulu-to-arua 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted June 5, 2018 Author Share Posted June 5, 2018 We have now returned to the mainline at Tororo and are heading on toward Kampala. The story continues .... "We leave Tororo is a north-westerly direction following the contours on the north side of the Nagongera Road as far as Achilet (about 5 kilometres outside of Tororo). For the next 10 kilometres the railway stays north of the road until reaching Nagongera, or Nagongora, .............." https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/06/05/uganda-railways-part-18-tororo-to-jinja Of interest is the number of railway lines on the map between Tororo and Jinja. There is by far the greatest density of lines in Uganda. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerfarnworth Posted June 7, 2018 Author Share Posted June 7, 2018 The journey continues from Jinja to Kampala ....... “The Nile River Bridge at Jinja was built in the late 1920s. It is perhaps the iconic structure for the whole of the metre-gauge railway system from Mombasa to Kasese. The first railway in Uganda ran from Jinja to Namasagali on the Victoria Nile where a steamer service ran on to Masindi Port. From there passengers travelled by road through Masindi to Butiaba on Lake Albert. From there they could travel on by steamer to the Belgian Congo or north to Juba in the Sudan. Train passengers from Kenya reached Uganda by steamer from the railhead at Kisumu and across Lake Victoria to Entebbe or Port Bell. In the mid 1920s the main line in Kenya was extended from Nakuru through Eldoret, and Tororo to Mbulamuti where it met up with the original Jinja to Namasagali line. The new line to Kampala then crossed the Nile at Jinja by a bridge carrying both the railway and a roadway underneath.” https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/06/07/uganda-railways-part-19-jinja-to-kampala The last part of my own journey to Kampala by train in 1994 commenced once a derailed freight train had been rerailed ahead of us and the passenger train was ‘given the road'. We had waited for over 6 hours at Jinja Railway Station. Travelling by rail was unreliable but really enjoyable!! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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