GOLCONDA LEVEL CROSSING, SOUTH TRINIDAD 1990, CARONI LOCOMOTIVE D6 RUNS OVER THE CIPERO ROAD AS I CAPTURE THE ACTION FROM THE STEPS OF THE FORMER SIGNAL BOX

In the late 1980s I spent many happy days filming and photographing the cane haulage operations of the railway at Usine Ste Madeleine. 

The railwaymen soon came to know me and I was always made to feel very welcome while taking photograph of recording video. 

I must have over two hours of video recorded in 1990, just before I left for England. This Locomotive is No D6 built in 1956 by the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds, England.

I first posted many of my Caroni railway images over a decade ago in my album “Images of a Lost Railway, Trinidad W.I.” however, since the images have been lifted and re posted by others without credit of context, I decided to remove the album and re post each with appropriate watermarks and updated information. Over the years I have been able to learn much more about the railways of Trinidad so thought that it was a good time to update the information for those who appreciate such detail.

This is a still image taken from one of my video recordings, hence the poor quality. Here we see locomotive D6 (Hunslet# 5131 of 1956) running “light engine” (railway term for engine only, no train behind) towards the “Valley Line” over the level crossing at Golconda. 

The loco is beginning to pick up speed as it is about to climb up “Cutting Hill” which got its name because it quite simply a cutting at the top of a hill. I also have a few photographs taken of trains at the summit.

This shot was taken from the ex-Trinidad Government Railway (TGR) signal box at Golconda where I spent many happy times watching trains running to and from Sainte Madeleine. The box contained a large wheel built by Messrs Tyer and Co of London & Carlisle who supplied the TGR with all signalling equipment. This wheel controlled the raising and lowering of the crossing gates. The signal Box at Golconda contained a 12-lever frame which at one time operated signalling and point work in this area. Golconda was once a very important junction between Siparia bound trains and Ste. Madeleine bound trains.

It should be noted that all trains to Ste Madeleine ran “bonnet first” or “boiler first” (if steam) with full wagon loads of cane towards the factory and “Cab First” with empty stock back towards the fields.

In my book, ‘The Railways of Trinidad’, there is a photograph on the top of page 60 showing locomotive No.8 ‘KITCHENER’ pulling away, “boiler first”, from Golconda signal box in the early 50s.  In this photo one can appreciate the original timber crossing gates and magnificent bracket signals which once graces this junction where the Trinidad Government Railway (TGR) was once joined by the Ste Madeleine estate railway network.

In this scene, D6 is running “light engine” to Monkey Town sidings where it will meet a heavy train bringing 20 fully loaded wagons up from Barrackpore. At Monkey town, at a place known as “The Cutting” the load will be split into two trains of ten wagons each in order to negotiate the heavy gradients just south of Golconda. The 204 hp Hunslet locomotives were ideal for hauling these loads in this heavily graded section of railway. In TGR days, the larger 21 Class locomotives were used to carry heavy passenger trains over this section and on to Siparia and Penal. It must have been a fine sight indeed, that of these locomotives working hard over the gradients. What a sound it must have been to hear the heavy TGR trains as they began to charge the gradient. 

Goldonda was a very important signal box back in the day and was one of seven new boxes built south of San Fernando when the Cipero Tramway was taken over by the Government on 1913.

The level crossing at Golconda, the signal box and the railway activity there are now a part of the Trinidad we once Knew.

Glen Beadon 20 January 2023