Narrow gauge in the tropics : the railways of the Dutch East Indies, 1864-1942

Author(s)

    • Veenendaal, Augustus J., Jr. (Augustus Johannes)

Bibliographic Information

Narrow gauge in the tropics : the railways of the Dutch East Indies, 1864-1942

Augustus J. Veenendaal, Jr

(Railroads past and present)

Indiana University Press, 2022

  • : hdbk

Available at  / 2 libraries

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. 295-300) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Narrow Gauge in the Tropics is the first comprehensive history of railways and tramways in the Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia) from breaking ground in 1864 to the invasion of the Japanese during World War II. During the mid-19th century under colonial rule, the Dutch East Indies experienced enormous increases in production of sugar, coffee, and other commodities, resulting in a great dilemma: How were these goods to be moved to port when wagons hauled by animals was the only available form of transportation? The solution was to build a railway network through some of the most challenging terrain on the planet. Lavishly illustrated, Narrow Gauge in the Tropics explores technical aspects of the construction of the railways over difficult terrain, the origin of the technicians who made the seemingly impossible happen, and the social impact of the railways on the indigenous population.

Table of Contents

Preface Acknowledgements 1. The Dutch or Netherlands East Indies 2. The First Railway on Java 3. The Choice of the Most Suitable Railway Gauge for the East Indies 4. State or Private Railways? 5. The Early State Railways 6. Slowing Down and Reorganization 7. Railways of Sumatra 8. Sumatra's Other Railways 9. The Coming of the Steam Tram 10. Toward a New Prosperity 11. The Private Companies until 1914 12. World War One and Its Golden Aftermath 13. Travel in the Tropics-Electrification 14. The Non-Public Railways 15. Worldwide Depression and Slow Recovery 16. Epilogue Maps Gazetteer Abbreviations Sources and Suggestions for Further Reading Index

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