Rail transport in Nauru
![](../I/m/Nauru-phosphatetrain.jpg)
![](../I/m/Railway_phosphate_mine_Nauru.jpg)
Rail transport in Nauru is used for moving phosphate from the island's interior to the cantilever jetties on the island's western coast, in Aiwo District. For this purpose, a 3.9 km long, 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway was built by the Pacific Phosphate Company in 1907.
Overview
The gauge was upgraded to 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge by the British Phosphate Commission in 1920. In the past, steam engines were used to power the trains,[1] but the railway is nowadays worked by diesel engines, though occasionally, a tractor is used.
With Nauru's phosphate deposits almost depleted, the future of the railway is uncertain. The trains were still running as of 2008.[2][3]
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).
The trains of Nauru have been depicted on commemorative Nauruan postage stamps.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ Iamge on pbase.com
- ↑ "Things to Do in Nauru". VirtualTourist.com. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
- ↑ Images on Flickr
- ↑ Infos on janeresture.com
External links
Media related to Rail transport in Nauru at Wikimedia Commons
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