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RailroadTreasures offers the following item: Two Foot Gauge Enigma Beira Railway 1890-1900 by Anthony Baxter Two Foot Gauge Enigma Beira Railway 1890-1900 by Anthony Baxter Soft Cover 64 pages Copyright 1998 CONTENTS Foreword by David Shepherd v Introduction and Acknowledgements vi 1 Prologue 1 2 Dramatic Construction7 3 Development21 4 Operations 27 5 Locomotives 37 6 Rolling Stock46 7 Epilogue 49 Appendix I60 Appendix II 61 Appendix III 62 Appendix IV63 Appendix V & References 64 ON THE BACK COVER The Beira Railway, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 1998, was one of the most ambitious 2ft gauge railways in Africa ... indeed the whole world. At its fullest extent it connected the port of Beira, on the Mozambique coast, with Umtali, Rhodesia, and provided the British colony with a vital lifeline to the ocean. The choice of 2ft gauge for a railway 222 miles long is remarkable - and the clouded history of the line earns it the sobriquet of 'the two foot gauge enigma'. Driven through unexplored bush and unhealthy swamps in the short space of six years, the railway extracted a terrible toll in human life. Sixty percent of the white staff perished from fever, and it was said that one Indian or Chinese labourer died for every sleeper laid. As well as a hostile climate, the pioneers had to cope with the depredations of lions, elephants and crocodiles. Despite this, the line reached the Rhodesia border in October 1897, and full opening to Umtali took place on February 4th 1898. Freight was the line's staple traffic, but passenger trains also ran - taking two days for the journey. Motive power was provided by classic "Colonial" style 4-4-0's and 0-6-0's from Falcon Engineering and the Glasgow Engineering Company. The rapid development of southern Africa soon overwhelmed the capacity of the 2ft gauge, and in 1900 the line was relaid to the 'Cape' gauge of 3ft bin. The 2ft gauge locomotives were scrapped or dispersed to other public railways or sugar plantations in Africa, where some enjoyed a further half-century of useful service. Tony Baxter has researched the full story of the Beira Railway largely from 'primary' sources. An ex Rhodesia Railways officer, he has obtained unrivalled access to 'official' archives and has amassed numerous, previously unpublished, photographs of the line in its 2ft gauge days. So read this book and marvel at the untold saga that drove Governments and men to quarrel, and thousands of men to die, as the ten years of the 'two foot gauge enigma' at last find their true place of honour in railway history. All pictures are of the actual item. There may be reflection from the lights in some photos. We try to take photos of any damage. If this is a railroad item, this material is obsolete and no longer in use by the railroad. Please email with questions. Publishers of Train Shed Cyclopedias and Stephans Railroad Directories. Large inventory of railroad books and magazines. Thank you for buying from us. Shipping charges US Shipments: Ebay will add $1.25 each additional items, there are a few exceptions. Ebay Global shipping charges are shown. These items are shipped to Kentucky and forwarded to you. Ebay collects the shipping and customs / import fees. Refunds may be issued if you add multiple items to your cart and pay with one payment. For direct postage rates to these countries, send me an email. Shipping varies by weight. Payment options Payment must be received within 7 days. Paypal is accepted. Terms and conditions All sales are final. Returns accepted if item is not as described. Contact us first. No warranty is stated or implied. Please e-mail us with any questions before bidding. Thanks for looking at our items.