Friends of the Rail Forum

Travelling to my wife's family home in western Kenya for Christmas we took a new short cut along the C35 Londiani to Muhoroni road, newly tarmacked. it proved to be a fortuitous decision not only because it is a beautiful road with virtually no traffic on it, but also because it brought us alongside four railway bridges. I have seen photos of the spectacular curved viaduct, but never seen it in real life before.

Yesterday, on the way home, we stopped to photograph three of them. For various reasons my wife had to stay on an extra couple of days with her sister, so my brother-in-law (who is a keen photographer albeit not specifically of railways) and I drove home together and had a free hand to stop, explore and take photos. The fourth bridge, which we didn't photograph, is similar to the first.

We also found a "TUNNEL" sign (penultimate photo). We drove off the road and followed the tracks for a while to try and find the tunnel, but I think it is no longer there. it appears that when the new road was built the tunnel (and whatever hill it tunnelled through) were removed and replaced with a road bridge. I could be wrong, but if so then the tunnel must be a hell of a long way from the sign!

Semaphore signals are still in evidence, although the operating wires have been removed (last photo).

We didn't take GPS readings, but you can't miss them if you drive along that road. From Londiani they are on the right hand side.

Photos by John Ashworth, 27th December 2014

Spectacular bridges, John, but a bit light weight it seems to me.

Yes. That's how colonial-era narrow gauge lines were built.

John- just wondering about the semaphore stop signal with no wires attached. Do all the trains facing it have to stop?

I haven't got my Kenya rule book with me, but I know in South Africa a signal which is not working has to be treated as if it is at its most restrictive aspect, so yes, at any home signal which is not working the train has to stop. The driver would then need to get authority to pass a signal at danger.

John Ashworth wrote:I haven't got my Kenya rule book with me, but I know in South Africa a signal which is not working has to be treated as if it is at its most restrictive aspect, so yes, at any home signal which is not working the train has to stop. The driver would then need to get authority to pass a signal at danger.

A common sense rule, the same over here.

E-mail comment from Stuart Tait:

Stuart wrote:I've long been an admirer of these graceful structures, first saw them at the other end of the line on the Elburgon Molo section back in the 50's as I travelled to and from Turi school. There is a good example just outside the school. Light weight - yes, but very robust, double headed 57/58 were permitted so someone must have had confidence in their fitness for purpose! Sadly all unused these days.

Ha, you're not wrong about the tunnel!! It's gone, and Google Earth appears to bear you out. Well well! (Does KR know?!). The old sign looks well weathered, still in EAR maroon by the looks of it. Perhaps we should save it for the museum as a historic bit of lineside furnitiure, along with the Whistle board.