Balaclava railway station, Jamaica

Balaclava
Coordinates	18°10′28″N 77°38′30″W / 18.17433°N 77.641770°W / 18.17433; -77.641770Coordinates: 18°10′28″N 77°38′30″W / 18.17433°N 77.641770°W / 18.17433; -77.641770
Owned by	Jamaica Railway Corporation
Line(s)	Kingston to Montego Bay main line
Platforms	Single
Tracks	One
History
Opened	1892
Closed	October 1992[1]
Location
Balaclava

Balaclava railway station opened in 1892 and closed in 1992.^[1] It served the small town of Balaclava on the Kingston to Montego Bay line and was 70.5 miles (113.5 km) from the Kingston terminus.^[2]

It was built of timber in the Jamaican Georgian architectural style.^[3] The upper of the two stories has a gable end roof; an adjoining hip roof has a downward fishtail fretwork on its eaves.^[3] The building has sash windows and recessed panel timber doors.^[3]

In 2003 it was reported as being in "deplorable condition" and "in need of major repairs".^[4]

It is on the list of designated National Heritage Sites in Jamaica.

Opening

From the Daily Gleaner of March 24, 1892:^[5]

The good people of this busy little ... village had donned their holiday attire on Tuesday last [1892-03-15], ... on the occasion of the arrival of the first passenger train, from Kingston, and although the passengers could have been numbered upon the fingers of one hand, they positively beamed upon them, as if extending a hearty, though silent welcome.

There is nothing imposing about the station itself, - it is merely a stucco and wood building, that could be run up in a very short space of time, - but at the first glance it is noticed that it has been constructed with a view to facilitating goods traffic, rather than for the accommodation of passengers.

The better part of the concrete platform is raised on a level with the flooring of the cars, so that as little trouble as possible will be experienced in loading and unloading the goods-vans with merchandise &c. There is a commodious goods repository running parallel with the track, at this point, whilst the part of the platform reserved for passengers is on a level with the rails, necessitating a certain amount of climbing before taking one's seat in the train.

The descent, of some three feet or so, from the goods portion of the platform to the lower level, is not made by steps, but by a somewhat abruptly sloping incline...

If, day after day, the same punctuality be observed in the arrival of the train as took place on the initial trip, no one, however fastidious and exacting, will have any cause for complaint...

After its long and winding course through the parish of Manchester, the railway at this point enters St, Elizabeth, and Balaclava, though but a couple of miles from the imaginary line of demarcation, is an important trade centre in the latter parish...

Fares

In 1910 the third class fare from Balaclava to Kingston was 5/6 (five shillings and sixpence); first class was about double.^[6]

Accident

A serious derailment occurred at this station on July 30, 1938 killing 32 and injuring 70.^[7]

Current use

Since 1992 the station buildings have been leased to a small, local woodwork shop.^[8]

See also

• Railway stations in Jamaica
• Balaclava, Jamaica

External links

• Aerial view.
• Photos: Balaclava station (excellent), Balaclava station (small), Accident memorial, Inscription on accident memorial.
• Examples of the station's postmark.

References

1. 1 2 "The rise and fall of railways in Jamaica, 1845-1975". Journal of Transport History: 18. March 2003. 
2. ↑ Table 3.5 Mileage for JRC Stations, Halts & Sidings in relation to the Kingston Railway Terminus, Annual Transport Statistics Report: Jamaica in Figures 2003-2004, Ministry of Transport and Works, July 2005.
3. 1 2 3 Balaclava Railway Station, Jamaica National Heritage Trust.
4. ↑ Table 3.4 Location and Condition of Railway Stations, Annual Transport Statistics Report: Jamaica in Figures 2003-2004, Ministry of Transport and Works, July 2005.
5. ↑ Balaclava in 1892, thephangsisters.moonfruit.com.
6. ↑ 1910 Directory, Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library, 2006.
7. ↑ Jamaica Gleaner, Pieces of the Past, Tragedy at Kendal - 1957, bullet point 6 under the subheading "Jamaica's Railway History"
8. ↑ Hall, Arthur (2010-12-13). "Former train station hums with hope". Jamaica Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica: Gleaner Company Ltd). Retrieved 13 December 2010. 

Railways of Jamaica Passenger lines Kingston to Montego Bay Spanish Town to Ewarton Bog Walk to Port Antonio Linstead to New Works May Pen to Frankfield Stations List of railway stations in Jamaica Ailford's halt Albany Anchovy Angels halt Annotto Bay Appleton Appleton Tourist halt Balaclava Baughs halt Belfield halt Bog Walk Breadnut Walk halt Bryan's Hill Buff Bay Bushy Park halt Cambridge Catadupa Chapelton Clarendon Park Comfort Hall halt Crawle halt Crescent halt Crooked River Cross Roads/Ivy Store Darling Spring halt Duck Pond halt Esher Ewarton Fort George halt Fort Stewart halt Four Paths Frankfield Gordon’s halt Grange Lane Grays Inn halt Greenvale Greenwich Town halt Gregory Park Grove Place halt Harewood halt Hartlands halt Highgate Hope Bay Horizon Park halt Hunts Bay halt Ipswich Jacob’s Hut Kendal Kingston Linstead Longville halt Maggotty Marcus Garvey Drive halt May Pen Michleton halt Montego Bay Montpelier Morgans New Works Norwich halt Old Harbour Orange Bay Oxford halt Passley Gardens halt Port Antonio Porus Richmond Riversdale Robertson's halt Rock halt Saint Margaret's Bay Scott’s Pass halt Siloah halt Snow Hill halt Spanish Town Spring Garden halt St. John’s Road halt Sterling Castle halt Stonehenge Suttons Taja halt Troja Trout Hall Williamsfield Windsor Castle halt Other infrastructure List of railway tunnels in Jamaica Bauxite lines Alcan Bodies to Port Esquiville (Alcan) Woodside mines to Rocky Point Port (Alcoa) Nain to Port Kaiser (Alpart) Upper Saint Ann to Discovery Bay (Kaiser) (Reynolds) Estate lines Appleton (sugar) Bowden (bananas) Military lines Logans Junction to Fort Simmonds Notable personnel H R Fox David Smith (railway promoter) William Smith (railway promoter) Notable incidents Balaclava rail disaster Kendal rail disaster