Kauai Railway

The Kauai Railway is a former narrow gauge railway company in Hawaii, United States. It was created 1906 and operated a 30-kilometre (19 mi) long railroad line with 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge track from Port Allen, to Kōloa and Kalāheo on the south coast of the island of Kauaʻi. It did not have a connection to the other common carrier railway on the island, the Ahukini Terminal and Railway, although both were built to the same track gauge. Almost all railway trackage on Kauai was connected together due to an agreement with the U.S. Government to interconnect the common carriers and sugarcane plantation railways. The government imposed this as a condition before they would agree to improve the port of Nāwiliwili for oceangoing ships. The line was opened 1907. In 1936 the company name was changed to the Kauai Terminal Company. The last train ran 1947, with rail operations replaced by trucks. The company continues to exist as the present-day Kauai Commercial Company.

Kauai Railway Company's terminal located at Port Allen in 1919 Sanborn fire insurance map.

Kauai Railway Track remnant

References

• Drury, George H. (2007) "Hawaiian Railroads", in: William D. Middleton, George M. Smerk, Roberta L. Diehl (eds.): Encyclopedia of North American Railroads. Indiana University Press, Bloomington IN/Indianapolis IN. ISBN 978-0-253-34916-3
• Walker, Mike. 1998 Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America. Pacific Northwest.
• Conde, Jesse C. 1973 Sugar Trains. Big Trees Press.