Thursday 20 March 2008

Cypriot Railways


After finding a Cyprus Government Railway Troodos 2-6-0 body kit on the Locomotives International Online Shop I decided to do some research into this railway. The kit was made by Roxey who also make two other CGR locos. The CGR was a 76 mile 2'6" gauge railway network which operated from 1905 to 1951. Like many ambitious narrow gauge railways it was never a financial success. Extending the network was recommended to increase revenue but didn't help and cutbacks started in 1931. Most of the locomotives were scrapped though No 1 is on a plinth outside the site of Famagusta Station. Evrykhou station is being restored and will house a Cyprus Government Railway museum.

On New Railway Modellers "Curious Orange" is building a GCR 2-6-0 for his Moel Eilio layout. It is first mentioned here. I'd quite like a large tender locomotive to pull steam tourist trains in my modern narrow gauge scheme, however after seeing how large these locos look are compared with 2" gauge stock I think I'll probably go for something with a smaller loading gauge. I also like the CGR Wickham railbus so maybe I'll say that in my alternative reality the Snowdonian narrow gauge lines had something similar which got preserved.


Originally uploaded by pat & nige
Cyprus Mines Corporation also operated 2'6" gauge railways in Cyprus. These railways have lain abandoned since the CMC pulled out of Cyprus after the Turkish invasion of 1974. Many of the locomotives and wagons are still where they were left when the railway closed. The pink steam locomotive (right) at Guzelyurt is the CMC number 3.

There was also a narrow gauge line which ran from a mine at Kalavasos to a harbour four miles away at Zygi on the south coast. It ran diesels and closed in 1976.

3 comments:

stephen said...

I'd really like one of the Famagusta 2-6-2 tanks, but to do it justice I think it would need a rewheeled or scratchbuilt chassis as it looks "funny" on the Minitrix one - the body sits too high up and the wheels are too small.

Tom said...

Think i've seen one on a bachmann 0-6-0 chassis which looked better by it being a bit more chunky in appearance.

John Davies said...

R E Tustin wrote a narrow gauge article, which included scale drawings of locomotives and stock, in the Model Railway News of April 1947. One of the drawings is of a Baldwin 2-8-2 tank identical to the 'pink' engine in your photos.

The location was not named, the article having apparently been written some time earlier during the war and he simply said "Whilst in the Middle East I have been able to visit a 2 ft 6 in gauge line used for carry ore from some copper mines to a nearby port.....'

Later he says, regarding some rolling stock,he talked of ' three typical freight wagons in use on a 2ft 5 1/2 inch gauge Government light railway in the Middle East.'

I'd often wondered where this might be; from your photo is seems like it may well have been Cyprus.

There was also a drawing of a Baldwin 0-6-2 saddleback, also operated by the copper mine as a yard switcher, the two bigger locos being used as main line engines. In 1944 or whenever it was, Tustin noted they were painted medium green, with white cab roofs and, he commented, had been clearly bought 'off the peg'.

I'm hoping to model the 2-8-2 shortly, using an old Tillig Br 84 mechanism. OK, so it's slightly wide to gauge, but, as he said, Baldwin sold these engines off the peg, to whatever gauge the buyer needed. Unfortunately the little Tillig class 81 mech won't fit the 0-6-2 tank; its just too chunky.

John