Johore Wooden Railway
Encyclopedia
The Johore Wooden Railway (JWR) was an early railroad
in the Johore Sultanate
, Malaya
(present day Peninsular Malaysia
), which was intended to link New Johore
(Johor Bahru
) to an unspecified location "18 miles in the direction of Gunong Pulai". The line, which began construction in 1869 and was partially operational as of 1875, utillised wooden tracks, and preceeded the first modern railway line operated by Perak Railway between Taiping
and Port Weld
by at least 10 years. By 1889, the JWR was in disuse.
, following a visit to England
in 1866 where he witnessed some of the England's early railways. The new railway was to connect New Johore
, the capital of the Johore Sultanate, to Gunong Pulai 20 miles (32.2 km) away, where a sanatorium
and hill resort was planned to be built to capitalise on the location's cooler temperatures. While the line was to later pass estates and plantations, there were no reports of additional stations to be built besides the terminating two in New Johore and Gunong Pulai. A decision was made to use wood for every component of the railway tracks, as such construction had proven to be feasible in the past and abundant sources of quality wood were available close to the site of the railway.
In a July 24, 1869 Singapore Daily Times article, the railway was reported to have been inaugurated by the Maharaja of Johore "in the presence of a small gathering of Europeans and Natives", and a low-powered Chaplin's contractor's locomotive was utillised in track building. In the years that followed, significant progress was made on track building. By the middle of 1873, 6 miles (9.7 km) of track was completed and a further 2 miles (3.2 km) of track was nearly completed. In 1875, another article indicated 10 miles (16.1 km) of track and sidings were completed with part of the line in use, passing estates and plantations. The deepest cutting was 42 feet (12.8 m).
The 1875 report was to be the last piece of news on the railway until an article publish in 1889 reported the line was no longer in use for an unspecified time, following an train accident when the railway's locomotive plunged into a hole, as well as damage on the tracks by termite
s.
s, sleeper
s, and wedges used to fasten the rails and sleepers. Although unspecified, Johore teak
was suggested to be used in the production of tracks components. An estimated 90 tons of timber was used for each mile of track.
The rails were planned to be fabricated from 10 feet scantlings with a cross-section of 6 inches by 4 inches wide and would be attached to round sleepers measuring 6⅜ feet in length, with slots the size of the rails' cross-section set on edge and keyed in by two wooden wedges driven against the rails and the sleepers. To facilitate the wheels of a locomotive, the rails projected two inches above the sleepers.
Originally assumed to adopt a 3 feet gauge, a 3 feet 3⅜ inch metre gauge was later clarified to be favoured, standardising the railway line's gauge with those of light railways in India slated for construction beginning 1872. The railway also lacked ballast
s as the Johore government was unable to afford them. Instead, the sleepers were embedded into the ground.
, double bogie
locomotive "successfully used on the Ffestiniog Railway
in Wales
" and adapted to negotiate steep gradients and sharp curves, but a lack of evidence suggests no such locomotive was delivered to Malaya. In 1875, the Maharaja of Johore purchased a second-hand Indian
steam locomotive
, an Indian State Railway Class B 0-4-4T number B27 (number 89 on the Rajputana State Railway
) manufactured by Dübs
(742/1874), suggesting, while unverified, its use in the JWR. The locomotive would later change hands to serve for the Selangor State Railway to be named Lady Clarke and aid in the construction of a railway line between Klang
and Kuala Lumpur
, and was inherited by the Federated Malay States Railway to be used as a shunter before its scrapping in 1912.
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
in the Johore Sultanate
Johor Sultanate
The Sultanate of Johor was founded by Malaccan Sultan Mahmud Shah's son, Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah II in 1528. Johor was part of the Malaccan Sultanate before the Portuguese conquered Malacca's capital in 1511...
, Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
(present day Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
), which was intended to link New Johore
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...
(Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...
) to an unspecified location "18 miles in the direction of Gunong Pulai". The line, which began construction in 1869 and was partially operational as of 1875, utillised wooden tracks, and preceeded the first modern railway line operated by Perak Railway between Taiping
Taiping
-Places:*Taiping Island , or Itu Aba Island, the largest of the Spratly Islands controlled by the Republic of China *Taiping, Perak, a town in the state of Perak, Malaysia*Taiping District...
and Port Weld
Kuala Sepetang
Kuala Sepetang is a coastal town located in Perak, Malaysia. The town was formerly known as Port Weld after a former Governor, Frederick Weld. It is a thriving fishing village, and the main jumping-off point to the river mouth community of Kuala Sangga, which is a Chinese fishing community at the...
by at least 10 years. By 1889, the JWR was in disuse.
History
The idea of a railway line in Malaya was conceived by then Maharaja of Johore, Sultan Abu BakarSultan Abu Bakar of Johor
Sultan Sir Abu Bakar ibni Daing Ibrahim was the 21st Sultan of Johor. He was also informally known as "The Father of Modern Johor", as many historians accredited Johor's development in the 19th century to Abu Bakar's leadership...
, following a visit to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1866 where he witnessed some of the England's early railways. The new railway was to connect New Johore
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...
, the capital of the Johore Sultanate, to Gunong Pulai 20 miles (32.2 km) away, where a sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
and hill resort was planned to be built to capitalise on the location's cooler temperatures. While the line was to later pass estates and plantations, there were no reports of additional stations to be built besides the terminating two in New Johore and Gunong Pulai. A decision was made to use wood for every component of the railway tracks, as such construction had proven to be feasible in the past and abundant sources of quality wood were available close to the site of the railway.
In a July 24, 1869 Singapore Daily Times article, the railway was reported to have been inaugurated by the Maharaja of Johore "in the presence of a small gathering of Europeans and Natives", and a low-powered Chaplin's contractor's locomotive was utillised in track building. In the years that followed, significant progress was made on track building. By the middle of 1873, 6 miles (9.7 km) of track was completed and a further 2 miles (3.2 km) of track was nearly completed. In 1875, another article indicated 10 miles (16.1 km) of track and sidings were completed with part of the line in use, passing estates and plantations. The deepest cutting was 42 feet (12.8 m).
The 1875 report was to be the last piece of news on the railway until an article publish in 1889 reported the line was no longer in use for an unspecified time, following an train accident when the railway's locomotive plunged into a hole, as well as damage on the tracks by termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
s.
Railway track
The Johore Wooden Railway was distinctive in Malaysia's railway history as its track were entirely made of wood, including the railRail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
s, sleeper
Railroad tie
A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...
s, and wedges used to fasten the rails and sleepers. Although unspecified, Johore teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
was suggested to be used in the production of tracks components. An estimated 90 tons of timber was used for each mile of track.
The rails were planned to be fabricated from 10 feet scantlings with a cross-section of 6 inches by 4 inches wide and would be attached to round sleepers measuring 6⅜ feet in length, with slots the size of the rails' cross-section set on edge and keyed in by two wooden wedges driven against the rails and the sleepers. To facilitate the wheels of a locomotive, the rails projected two inches above the sleepers.
Originally assumed to adopt a 3 feet gauge, a 3 feet 3⅜ inch metre gauge was later clarified to be favoured, standardising the railway line's gauge with those of light railways in India slated for construction beginning 1872. The railway also lacked ballast
Track ballast
Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers or railroad ties are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to facilitate drainage of water, to distribute the load from the railroad ties, and also to keep down vegetation that might interfere with the track...
s as the Johore government was unable to afford them. Instead, the sleepers were embedded into the ground.
Rolling stock
The size and description of Johore Wooden Railway's rolling stock is uncertain. An early proposal involved the use of a FairlieFairlie
A Fairlie is a type of articulated steam locomotive that has the driving wheels on bogies. The locomotive may be double-ended or single ended...
, double bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
locomotive "successfully used on the Ffestiniog Railway
Ffestiniog Railway
The Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
" and adapted to negotiate steep gradients and sharp curves, but a lack of evidence suggests no such locomotive was delivered to Malaya. In 1875, the Maharaja of Johore purchased a second-hand Indian
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A 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...
, an Indian State Railway Class B 0-4-4T number B27 (number 89 on the Rajputana State Railway
Rajputana-Malwa Railway
The Rajputana-Malwa Railway was a railway line which ran from Delhi to Indore and to Ahmedabad....
) manufactured by Dübs
Dûbs and Company
Dübs & Co. was a locomotive works in Glasgow, Scotland, founded by Henry Dübs in 1863 and based at the Queens Park Works in Polmadie. In 1903 it became part of the North British Locomotive Company.-Preserved locomotives:...
(742/1874), suggesting, while unverified, its use in the JWR. The locomotive would later change hands to serve for the Selangor State Railway to be named Lady Clarke and aid in the construction of a railway line between Klang
Klang
Klang , formerly known as Kelang, is the royal city and former capital of the state of Selangor, Malaysia. It is located within the Klang District in Klang Valley. It is located about 32 km to the west of Kuala Lumpur and 6 km east of Port Klang...
and Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, and was inherited by the Federated Malay States Railway to be used as a shunter before its scrapping in 1912.