Non-steam Narrow Gauge Railways round the World

This is a relatively recent page (May 2011) and is very much an embryonic offering, it is just a brief introduction and it will only serve its purpose if readers send me reports of their travels or ideas for inclusions. Originally I planned to concentrate on industrial operations but there seems no reason to exclude common carrier railways although I would expect to put very little emphasis on purely tourist operations. I would particular welcome current information from surviving Indian narrow gauge lines.

I have been a narrow gauge steam freak for over 30 years, back then, many countries boasted working narrow gauge steam - by which I mean (by and large) railways with a gauge of less than one metre, but which are not 'miniature' again it is an arbitrary decision on my part. Now those countries with real narrow gauge steam can be counted on the fingers of one hand and nowhere is it remotely plentiful. 

Many steam enthusiasts have naturally stepped sideways to visit and record non-steam narrow gauge railways which are in similar decline. While living in China, I had access to all kinds of such railways, human powered as well as those using internal combustion, battery and overhead electric locomotives. Personally, I am not yet ready to mount dedicated expeditions but I have spent increasing time looking at such systems when I happen to be in an area for steam activity. As always, updates, additions and corrections will be very welcome, but please send European information to Steve Thomason (see link below).

The following sites also provide useful information:

• Narrow Gauge Steam Railways round the World - my own contribution
• Narrow Gauge Steam Railways in Europe - my own contribution
• Steve Thomason's site on European Industrial narrow gauge railways - http://www.ingr.co.uk/index.html.
• The Narrow Gauge Railway Society - http://www.ngrs.org/.

I don't include gratuitous advertisements to commercial products, but I am happy to make exceptions for

Narrow Gauge World, a bi-monthly UK publication with a significant international slant

Voie Etroite a bi-monthly French publication with a significant international slant

Latest additions are Wilson Lythgoe's Suileng and Xinglongzhen visits in April 2013 (17th May 2013), extra links in the Russian list (13th May 2013) and Robin Gibbon's Nanjing visit (2nd May 2013).

China

Wilson Lythgoe's visits in April 2013 (17th May 2013)

• Suileng Forestry Railway
• Xinglongzhen Forestry Railway

An April 2013 visit to some narrow gauge lines in Central China (2nd May 2013)

• Nanjing narrow gauge by Robin Gibbons

These reports are of Wilson Lythgoe's visit in November 2012 (added 28th November 2012):

• The Jianghe Coal Railway (Jianghe, Chongching)
• The Yongchuan Railway (Yongchuan, Chongching) - includes DIY information

John Raby has been to the following lines in Sichuan (added 4th May 2012)

• Jianghe (again), Yongchuan, Guangshunchang and Mojiang

These reports are of Wilson Lythgoe's visit in March and April 2011:

• The Mojiang Coal Railway (Shawan, Sichuan)
• The Yudan Railway (Xuchang, Henan)

These reports are of John Raby's visit in August 2009:

• Tongliao Sand Railways 
• Pikou Salt Railway
• Fuzhouwan Salt Railway (including Wudao)
• Yingkou Salt Railway
• Jincheng Reed Railway

A minor Classic from John Raby's 2001 Bash

• Jianghe Coal Railway

Over my many visits to Shibanxi I have added brief reports on short coal mine railways in the area.

• Long March to Ma Miao (2009)
• Huangdan Coal Mine (2009)
• Waterside Collieries (2009)
• The backside of Yuejin Coal Mine (2007)

Egypt

• Egyptian Sugar Mills (2009) - Lok Repoirt's article on this has now vanished.

Fiji

Despite threats of closure, there is still a significant amount of rail borne cane traffic. John Browning has posted a blog of his September 2012 visit - http://trainrover.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/tuesday-august-28-2012-bula-welcome-to.html (added 19th October 2012).

India

Many lines have closed or been converted to broad gauge.

Wilson Lythgoe has produced a 2012 survey of the known survivors (16th April 2012)

There are trip reports on the IRFCA site, if you read this one - Upper Class to Sheopur Kalan http://irfca.org/apps/trip_reports/show/402 - you'll probably want to get on a plane and go and experience it for yourself.

Indonesia

There's not just steam narrow gauge in Java::

• Diesels in the sugar mills of Java

This page has links which show samples of Java sugar 'critters':

• http://members.fortunecity.com/elteecee/critter/critter_page.html  (Link is dead by May 2012)

Here's a little something out of the ordinary:

• Gold Mine Railways in Sumatra (4th July 2009)

Russia

Alex Malianov has supplied a survey of surviving narrow gauge railways of Russia - an extraordinary list with many of them at death's door (updated 13th May 2013 with many extra links). For a visual summary of the motive power and rolling stock, see this YouTube clip which is a collection of stills from narrow.parovoz.com - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm-CdqlFaBc (added 1st August 2012).

Thomas Kautzor has posted a report of his own visit to one:

• Asheronsk Forestry Railway (2009)

USA

I was amazed to hear from Trevor Heath that a number of steelworks operate 3ft gauge systems, also

• US Gypsum operation in far south central California about 30 miles west of El Centro which is 3ft gauge and uses two Alco Diesels built around 1980 from the same build group as the White Pass and Yukon 114. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Gypsum#Active_narrow_gauge_railroad. 

• Palmetto Brickworks has a 3ft gauge system which has worked in recent years when demand is sufficient, http://www.tarheelpress.com/ngc/zpalmetto.html . 

Other countries where I believe there are 'real' narrow gauge railways still at work, suitable links would be welcome.

Australia

The Queensland sugar mills still have extensive 610mm (2ft) gauge systems.