Rail transport in Haiti
Encyclopedia
The history of rail transport in Haiti began in 1876, with the opening of a horse drawn street tramway. Rural railways were constructed later. Haiti has never had any rail connections with the neighbouring Dominican Republic
. All rail transport in Haiti had ceased operating by about the 1970s.
was awarded to a group of New York City
financiers. They founded the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer de Port-au-Prince (CCFPP). Six open cars were ordered from J. G. Brill and Company of Philadelphia in 1877 and a tramway service connecting Croix des Bossales with Champ de Mars began in 1878. The venture was initially successful but was hit by competition from buses from 1880. The CCFPP went bankrupt in 1885 and the last tram ran in 1888.
Locomotives
Rolling stock
, based on automobile
parts, was introduced. The tramway closed in 1932.
Following the US occupation of Haiti in 1915 the CCFPCS was taken over by the Haitian American Sugar Company
(Hasco) and re-named Chemin de Fer Central. Hasco used the following locomotives:
These might possibly be the three locomotives from Ateliers de Tubize (see above) or they might be new locomotives. The 0-4-0 carries the note "Cie.H.Duw. 2" but whether this is the name of the maker, or of a previous owner, is unclear.
(100 km). The track was later extended another 30 km east to Verrettes
. There was also a line from Cap-Haïtien
to Bahon
but it is unclear whether this connected with the Saint-Marc line and whether they were of the same gauge.
s serving coffee
and sugar
plantation
s.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. All rail transport in Haiti had ceased operating by about the 1970s.
Horse tramways
In 1876, a franchise for the construction of a street railway in Port-au-PrincePort-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
was awarded to a group of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
financiers. They founded the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer de Port-au-Prince (CCFPP). Six open cars were ordered from J. G. Brill and Company of Philadelphia in 1877 and a tramway service connecting Croix des Bossales with Champ de Mars began in 1878. The venture was initially successful but was hit by competition from buses from 1880. The CCFPP went bankrupt in 1885 and the last tram ran in 1888.
Steam railways
In 1896, the Comite des Negociants d'Haiti began to restore the closed tramway system and to build two new rural lines. A new company, Societe des Tramways de Port-au-Prince, ordered the following equipment:Locomotives
- one 8-ton steam locomotiveSteam locomotiveA steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
from H. K. PorterH. K. Porter, IncH. K. Porter, Inc. manufactured light-duty railroad locomotives in the USA, starting in 1866. The company became the largest producer of industrial locomotives, and built almost eight thousand of them...
, USA (named President SamTirésias Simon SamTirésias Antoine Auguste Simon Sam was the President of Haiti from 31 March 1896 to 12 May 1902. He resigned the presidency just before completing his six-year term. A likeness of Simon Sam has been featured on several Haitian postage stamps...
) - five 12-ton steam locomotives from KraussGeorge KraussGeorge, Baron von Krauss was a German industrialist and the founder of the Krauss Locomotive Works in Munich, Germany and Linz, Upper Austria...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... - three steam locomotives from Ateliers de Tubize, BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Rolling stock
- ten open passenger cars from the Jackson and Sharp CompanyJackson and Sharp CompanyJackson and Sharp Company was an American railroad car manufacturer and shipbuilder in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company was founded in 1863 by Job H. Jackson , a tinsmith and retail merchant, and Jacob F. Sharp Jackson and Sharp Company was an American railroad car manufacturer...
, USA
Port-au-Prince
Steam-hauled tram services in Port-au-Prince began in April 1897. Between 1912 and 1918 there were plans to electrify the system but these did not come to fruition. Instead, a small railcarRailcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
, based on automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
parts, was introduced. The tramway closed in 1932.
Rural lines
The rural lines were operated by a separate company, Compagnie des Chemins de Fer de la Plaine du Cul-de-Sac (CCFPCS) but the two companies shared their rolling stock. The track gauge, in both cases, was 30 inches (762 mm). There were two routes:- Port-au-Prince to LéogâneLéoganeLéogâne is a seaside town in Ouest Department, Haïti. It is located in the eponymous arrondissement, the Léogâne Arrondissement. The port town is located about West of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. The town was at the epicenter of the 12 January 2010 earthquake, and was catastrophically...
(36 km) - Port-au-Prince to Manneville (43 km)
Following the US occupation of Haiti in 1915 the CCFPCS was taken over by the Haitian American Sugar Company
Haitian American Sugar Company
Haitian American Sugar Company, S.A. was an American business venture which sought to produce and sell sugar and other goods in Haiti and the United States. The company was registered with a capital of five million dollars on 5 August 1912 in Wilmington, Delaware, by Charles Steinheim, John A...
(Hasco) and re-named Chemin de Fer Central. Hasco used the following locomotives:
- one 32 ton 2-6-02-6-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul...
- one 36 ton 2-6-0
- one 15 ton 0-4-00-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
These might possibly be the three locomotives from Ateliers de Tubize (see above) or they might be new locomotives. The 0-4-0 carries the note "Cie.H.Duw. 2" but whether this is the name of the maker, or of a previous owner, is unclear.
Saint-Marc line
In 1905, a new company, Compagnie Nationale, built a 42 inch (1067 mm) gauge steam railway from Port-au-Prince to Saint-MarcSaint-Marc
Saint-Marc is a coastal port town in western Haiti in the Artibonite Department. Its geographic coordinates are . At the 2003 Census the municipality had 160,181 inhabitants....
(100 km). The track was later extended another 30 km east to Verrettes
Verrettes
Verrettes is a municipality in the Saint-Marc Arrondissement, in the Artibonite Department of Haiti. It is located approximately 58 km north of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and has 48,724 inhabitants.- History :...
. There was also a line from Cap-Haïtien
Cap-Haïtien
Cap-Haïtien is a city of about 190,000 people on the north coast of Haiti and capital of the Department of Nord...
to Bahon
Bahon, Haiti
Bahon is a town in Grande-Rivière-du-Nord Arrondissement, Nord Department, Haiti. It is located on the Grand Rivière du Nord . It was formerly located on the railroad south from Cap-Haïtien....
but it is unclear whether this connected with the Saint-Marc line and whether they were of the same gauge.
Industrial railways
As well as the passenger-carrying railways, there were also industrial railwayIndustrial railway
An industrial railway is a type of railway that is not available for public transportation and is used exclusively to serve a particular industrial, logistics or military site...
s serving coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
and sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s.