Stann-Creek-Railways-1905

The Stann Creek Railway,

A Government enterprise, was constructed in 1905 and extends for a distance of twenty-five miles from the Railway Pier at Commerce Bight to Middlesex, traversing and tapping the rich alluvial soil of the Stann Creek Valley.

The Railway was built from Loans raised in England for the purpose and was completed at a total cost of $846,140.

The track is a three-foot gauge and all waterways and other depressions crossing the line, are spanned by steel bridges with steel girders and braces embedded in concrete bases.

About seven miles north of the Pier head and about a mile and a half south of Stann Creek Town, are the Station, Buildings, consisting of quarters, engine houses, offices, storerooms and a limited number of wooden dwellings for employees all in good state of repair.

Owing to the blight in the form of "Panama Disease" which has fallen upon the banana and completely crippled a promising industry. The activities of the railway have been greatly reduced and stringent economies have been effected in order to keep the expenditure on maintenance within limits of t he depleted revenue.

There were two trains per week one on Monday and another on Thursday. The Monday or "work train" leaves the station at 6.30 a.m. distributing goods and work gangs along the route and proceeding to the furthest point where it is desired to convey gangs of laborers. The Thursday or " fruit train" leaves the station at the same hour and proceeds to the furthest points where fruit may be available. All fruit and other local produce collected are held for shipment to United States of America by the United Fruit Company’s steamers which call at the Railway Pier at Commerce Bight the next day to discharge merchandise consigned to the local merchant at Stann Creek. The tariff of charges for conveyance of cargo and passengers may be had on application to the Superintendent of Railway.

An agreement was been concluded between the Government and the Tidewater Lumber Company, an American Corporation, for extensive use of the railway for the purpose of conveying timber from Middlesex to Pier for shipment to the United States of America.

The failure of the Stann Creek Railway Owing to the spread of the Panama banana disease, has been strikingly reflected on the town, which has greatly declined in prosperity in the early 1920’s. Many of the inhabitants had left for the Republics and other parts of the Colony.

Railroad in Dangriga 1908

October 17th 1908 ...The first section (to Hope Creek,