Nouméa-Païta railway
| Nouméa-Païta railway | |
|---|---|
 Former station platform of Païta | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Suppressed |
| Locale |  New Caledonia |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 8 |
| History | |
| Opened | 1904 |
| Closed | 1940 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 29 km (18 mi) |
| Number of tracks | Single track |
| Track gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
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 Locomotive Marguerite | |
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The Nouméa-Païta railway was the only railway line serving the New Caledonia. It was opened in December 1914 between Nouméa, the capital, and Païta. The 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge tracks of the railway traveled the 29 kilometers (18 mi) between the two cities in one hour and fifteen minutes.
History
The idea of a railway connecting Nouméa to Bourail was first approved[by whom?] in 1884 with Nouméa linked to Dumbéa in 1904.[1]
The Nouméa-Païta railway closed on 1 January 1940 due to its low ridership.
In April 1942 the American 790th Railway Transportation Company reopened the line to operate railways for the Allied presence on New Caledonia.[2][3][4]
Subsequently[when?] the line was abandoned and demolished. The remains of the former railway station of Païta remain in the north of the town. The loading platform and the ramp are well-preserved and the foundations of various buildings are still visible. A small locomotive, nicknamed Marguerite, is preserved on the former railway ground. The locomotive was used until 1940.[5] The gauge, however, was dismantled and the former railway track is no longer visible.
Route
The line counted 8 stations within 3 municipalities of the Southern Province. It started in Nouméa city centre and counted a secondary station in the ward (Grand Quartier) of Riviére Salée.[6] It crossed the villages of Auteuil and Col de Tonghoué before to enter in Dumbéa. After, the line crossed the village of Nondoué and Mount Mou, referred to the nearby mountain,[7] few km before the last station, Païta. It counted a pair of tunnels (Tunnel de Tonghoué and Tunnel de l'Erambéré) and 3 bridges over the rivers La Ouanéoué, La Dumbéa[8] and Karikouié.
Gallery
-
Locomotive Marguerite -
Former station of Païta
References
- ^ Infos on newcaledonia.co.nz
- ^ "Military railway of New Caledonia" (Google Books)
- ^ Infos on angelfire.com
- ^ "The Transportation Corps" (Google Books)
- ^ Pierre Grundmann: Nouvelle Calédonie, p. 110. Paris 2012
- ^ Template:Fr icon See also: fr:Quartiers de Nouméa
- ^ Mont Mou on peakery.com
- ^ Template:Panoramio
External links
Media related to Rail transport in New Caledonia at Wikimedia Commons
History of rail transport in Oceania | ||
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