May Pen to Frankfield railway

The May Pen to Frankfield railway was a railway in Jamaica built to serve the fast developing citrus industry in the upper Clarendon regions of Chapelton and Frankfield.[1]

May Pen to Frankfield railway
km Main line to Kingston May Pen 0.0 Main line to Montego Bay 0.2 A2 road A2 road 1.2 250' contour 1.9 331 ft 100.9 m spot height B3 road spur 250' contour 250' contour 7.2 Longville Halt 500' contour to North Hall 16.1 Suttons 750' contour B3 road 18.5 Ivy Store Halt 750' contour 20.9 Chapelton B3 road Thomas River 40 m 44 yd Rio Minho 70 m 77 yd Orange River 30 m 33 yd 25.8 Morgans Pass 611 ft 186.2 m spot height Stony River 20 m 22 yd Orange River 40 m 44 yd 750' contour Bryans Hill Ballards River 80 m 87 yd 889 ft 271 m spot height Crooked River 40 m 44 yd 29.8 Crooked River Crooked River 35 m 38 yd Dawkins River 15 m 16 yd B3 road 750' contour 32.6 Trout Hall 738 ft 224.9 m spot height B3 road B3 road 15 m 16 yd Rio Minho 25 m 27 yd Franks River 30 m 33 yd 750' contour unnamed tributary of the Rio Minho 50 m 55 yd 36.6 Frankfield Terminus km
Railroad Crossings Gated│Ungated A and B roads Parochial motorable road Unclassified road Track

Inception

During the 1911 general election railway extension was a prominent issue, and in March the Colonial Secretary introduced into the Legislature a resolution authorising the expenditure of £90,000 on the construction of a branch line from May Pen to Danks, beyond Chapelton in upper Clarendon.[2] "After an animated discussion the resolution was carried by 19 votes to 5. The new line will open up the fertile valley of the Rio Minho... It is hoped that ultimately the line will be driven forward to the still more fertile district of Ulster Spring in Upper Trelawny and then on to Falmouth, the seaport on the north side of the island, whose former prosperity would thereby be restored."[2] Due to the Great War and the economic situation in the Twenties this long-term aim was never accomplished.[3]

Construction, operation and closure

The 13 miles (21 km) of standard gauge track from May Pen to Chapelton were laid between 1911 and 1913 at a cost of £86,000.[1]

The 9¼ mile extension to Frankfield was added in 1925.[1] It required the bridging of twelve rivers, which must have been a significant contribution to the twelve year construction hiatus.

The line closed in 1974.[4]

Gradients

The line climbed 650 feet in 18½ miles (average gradient 1 in 150) from May Pen (239 feet[5]) to its summit at Crooked River (889 feet[6]) then continued for 3¾ miles more or less on the level to Frankfield (908 feet[7]).

Stations and Halts

There were 10 stations and halts on the line c1973.[6] More recent references[8] mention only nine:

• May Pen Station
• Longville Halt[9]
• Suttons Station
• Cross Roads/Ivy Store Station
• Chapelton Station
• Danks Station, closed c1921.[3]
• Morgans Station
• Bryan's Hill Station, extant 1973;[6] unmentioned 2005.[8]
• Crooked River Station
• Trout Hall Station
• Frankfield Station (Terminus)

Bridges

There were 13 significant bridges on the line, all but the first being on the Chapelton to Frankfield extension.[6] Approximate bridge lengths[10] are shown in the route diagram (right):

• Track leading to Sevens sugar estate[9]
• Thomas River
• Rio Minho
• Orange River
• Stony River
• Orange River
• Ballards River
• Crooked River
• Crooked River
• Dawkins River & track
• Rio Minho & B3 road
• Franks River
• Tributary of Rio Minho

See also

• Railways of Jamaica

Notes and references

1. The rise and fall of railways in Jamaica 1845-1975 page 7, Veront M Satchell & Cezley Sampson, The Journal of Transport History, March 2003.
2. Official handbook on the BWI, 1912.
3. B097 Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, BWISC Bulletin 1978-06, Jamaica Railway Markings, Major T W Jefferson.
4. The rise and fall of railways in Jamaica 1845-1975 page 13, Veront M Satchell & Cezley Sampson, The Journal of Transport History, March 2003.
5. Directory of Cities, Towns, and Regions in Jamaica: May Pen, Falling Rain Genomics.
6. UK Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1:50,000 map of Jamaica Sheets G & H, 1973.
7. Directory of Cities, Towns, and Regions in Jamaica: Frankfield, Falling Rain Genomics.
8. Annual Transport Statistics Report: Jamaica in Figures 2003-2004 Archived 2013-03-15 at the Wayback Machine, Ministry of Transport and Works, July 2005.
9. Google satellite image resolution is at present insufficient to show this station/bridge.
10. Bridge lengths were obtained using Wikimapia's GeoTools.