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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, November 23, 2003

Oahu Railway stories, pictures sought

Advertiser Staff

The Oahu Railway train was a key transportation link between O'ahu's six plantations and Honolulu.

Hawaii State Archives

On Nov. 16, 1889 — 114 years ago — the first Oahu Railway steam locomotive chugged out of the 'Iwilei station and headed west, beginning an era of scheduled rail transportation that endured until Dec. 31, 1947, when the final passenger train pulled into Honolulu and the last freight followed a few hours later.

Now a book about the era, "All Aboard for Honolulu: The Story of O'ahu Railway," is in production. The creation of engineer

and rail fan Jim Chiddix, and author and historian MacKinnon Simpson, "All Aboard for Honolulu" tells of the famous narrow-gauge line that trundled millions of bags of sugar from the six plantations along its route down to the harbor, and innumerable pineapples from the fields to the Honolulu canneries. Other cargo included rice, bananas, sisal, guano, inventory for plantation company stores and Arakawa's, mail and garbage.

The company also created Hawai'i's first planned community, Pearl City. And for almost 60 years, passenger trains carried rural residents into Honolulu to shop and tourists out to the railroad's fabled Haleiwa Hotel.

During World War II, the railway ferried soldiers, sailors and civilian war workers as well as tanks, artillery pieces and ammunition to and from bases and training areas.

"The Story of O'ahu Railway" includes technical details about powerful steam locomotives and sophisticated automatic switching systems, but it is more a story of people who worked on the line and those who remember riding it.

The authors are looking for memories of Oahu Railway, as well as pictures and artifacts to photograph for the book. Please reach Simpson at 737-5894 or simpsonm001@hawaii.rr.com.