THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS Known colloquially as The Lunatic Express, the Uganda Railways is a historical railway network linking the interiors of Uganda to her East African neighbours, Kenya to the Indian Ocean at port city of Mombasa in Kenya.

Built by the British Government under the supervision of chief engineer George Whitehouse at the start of the period when Britain maintained colonial control of the region as British East Africa, Whitehouse wanted to put to an end to the era of donkeys, sluggish carts, walks, and other ineffective modes of transport that caused delays but were relatively common to many East Africans.

Construction of the famous line commenced at Mombasa in on May 30, 1896 and reached Kisumu, on the eastern shore of Lake Victoria, in 1901. However, the ride was not easy as challenges were encountered, one after another.

From insufficient budgets to man-eating lions in the Tsavo, hostile communities, massive floods washed away the lines, termites feasted on the sleepers, sleeping sickness, a great number of workers fell ill mainly with malaria, amoebic dysentery, jungle sores and pneumonia.

In Tsavo in particular, the Colonel in charge at Tsavo, J.H. Patterson, who shot the man-eaters (and later wrote the book The Man-Eaters of Tsavo) was told by the Indians minutes before they jumped on a train and ran away, "We will remain at Tsavo no longer for anything or anybody. We have come from India on an agreement to work for the Government, not to supply food for either lions or devils!" And although far removed from the European theatre of war during the First World War in 1914, further rail construction and improvement work ceased in the region, as British and German troops fought occasion set battles.

The railway was a major target and the British military authorities had been given orders that all locomotives operating between Nakuru and Kisumu be concentrated in Nakuru, while those between Nairobi and Mombasa should remain in Nairobi.

The German troops marshalled hit-and-run raids on the exposed parts of the Uganda Railways, planting mines and blowing up bridges. Had it not been for the large amount of military traffic, the railways would have suffered disastrous losses during the war years. However, this and many other challenges that were to be encountered by the engineers did not discourage them and they always sought for solutions.

By the 1920s the railway could hardly sustain the high demands placed on it.

Again, a solution was still found as the authorities decided to lay heavier rails on the main line.

By 1931 it was extended to Uganda’s capital, Kampala. The original purpose of constructing the railway line was to provide a modern transportation link to carry raw materials out of the Uganda colony and to carry manufactured British goods back in.

Page 1 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS The engineers – together with his Sikh labourers brought in from British India - never knew that with every drop of blood, sweat and tears that was going into the construction, the railway they were hammering into the east of Africa would soon become a reliable masterpiece and a first-rate engineering feat of the region.

The railways literally opened the East African region to the rest of the world, just like the Amazon opened up South America, or the Mississippi provided a way into the American west.

It also presented opportunities that even saw many of the Sikh workers remain in Africa to create substantial Indian minority communities in Kenya and Uganda.

The name, Lunatic Express emerged during the discussion of the project's proposal in England. A Member of Parliament stood up and referred to it as "The Lunatic Express," saying the idea was extravagant and ridiculous.

However, despite this dubbing, the railway turned out to be a huge logistical achievement and became strategically and economically vital for both Uganda and Kenya.

It has proved one of the most essential and durable railway systems in the world. It was useful in the suppression of slavery by removing the need for humans in the transport of goods, allowed heavy equipment to be transported far inland with relative ease, coffee and tea to be exported and encouraged settlements and other types of trade. Although a century later the Lunatic line that crossed the equator in the dawn of the 20th century and transformed the lives of many has been thrust into the background, it still retains its unique sense of romance and continues to serve many people living and traversing across the equator.

Winston Churchill, an early traveller, said of the railway, “The British art of ‘muddling through,’ was here seen in one of its finest expositions. Through everything – through the forests, through the ravines, through troops of marauding lions, through famine, through war, through five years of excoriating Parliamentary debate, muddled and marched the railway.”

Page 2 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

KENYA - Visitors invited for the laying of the first rail of the Uganda railway on 30th May 1896.

Page 3 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS KENYA - One of the early 'N-class locomotives which first worked the new line hauling an inspection train at Limuru near the edge of the Great Rift Valley.

KENYA - The first passenger train to leave Mombasa in January 1898, hauled by 'UR 35' an early British built engine of a type also then in use in India.

Some of these F-Class locomotives remained in service until the 1930s.

Page 4 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

KENYA - Both Winston Churchill (1907) and ex-us President Theodore Roosevelt (1909) rode the Lunatic express in adventurous fashion, at the front row seated above the cow catcher. Roosevelt, on right, brought a large retinue with him , and killed vast numbers of Wildlife including more than a dozen rhinos.

Page 5 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS KENYA - Track laying gangs, primarily composed of Indian labourers, were ferried daily from their camps usually 16 to 25 kilometres ahead. Many of the track layers were attacked and killed by ferocious lions dubbed The Man Eaters of Tsavo.

KENYA - Preston overcame the barrier of the Rifts steep wall by improvising a temporary cable car to lower locomotives and wagons directly down the slope while work continued on the gradual descent of the main line to the valley floor. This saved valuable months as platelayers could move up the Rift Valley with the track.

Page 6 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

KENYA - A 'Tribal Class' steam engine carrying track layers from their camps usually 16 to 25 kilometres ahead. Many of the track layers were attacked and killed by ferocious lions dubbed The Man Eaters of Tsavo.

KENYA - A train moves across a newly laid bridge. The Lunatic express covered 930 kilometres and was constructed from 1896 to 1901.

Page 7 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

KENYA - One of the '60 class light articulated locomotives nearing the end of its working life taking on water at Thika on the Nanyuki Branch line. In its latter days, the East Africa Railway and Harbour system relied heavily on its three classes of Garratts for most of the heavy work until the diesel engines took over in 1980.

Page 8 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS KENYA - Articulated Garratt locomotive from Beyer-Peacock of Manchester, UK, went into service in 1940 as 'Karamoja'. Now in retirement at Nairobi Railway Museum with the original Kenya - Uganda Railway (KUR) livery.

KENYA - Soul survivor of 27 wood, coal or oil burning shunting tank engines acquired by the Kenya Uganda Railway, in its original livery at the Nairobi Railway Museum.

Page 9 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

KENYA - A sad relic of the steam age, a tribal class engine named after one of East Africa's colourful ethnic groups, lies rusting in Nairobi Marshalling yards.

Page 10 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

KENYA - The 'Down Express' to Mombasa crosses the Athi Plains at the start of its 12 (or more) hour journey from Nairobi.

KENYA - The M.V Victoria at Mwanza, lake Victoria, with a '26 class' steam loco of the Central line in foreground. This Northern spur of the main Tanganyika system did not reach Mwanza until 1928 because of the 1914-18 war.

Page 11 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

KENYA - A old East African Railways and Harbour Crest that was in use until 1977 when the East Africa Community broke up. The Red lion represented Kenya, The crane, Uganda and the Giraffe, Tanzania.

Page 12 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

KENYA - Uganda Railways passenger train crosses the White Nile where the river leaves Lake Victoria, Jinja.

Page 13 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

KENYA - Canadian-built '92 Class diesel locomotive in the original green and yellow livery of the old E.A.R&H system emerging from Limuru tunnel before the start of the long drop into the Great Rift Valley.

Page 14 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

KENYA - Scene from the past. Veteran '30 class loco from the North British works in the United Kingdom hauling a train of oil tankers.

Page 15 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

KENYA - Foundry man casting new brake shoes to replace those worn down on constant curves and gradients.

Page 16 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

ENYA - Nairobi rail workshops formed the first major engineering complex in East Africa and became the forerunner of Kenya's modern industrial base.

Page 17 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

KENYA - A man cleans the manual signalling equipment at Mwanatibu, on the main Nairobi-Mombasa line, Tsavo National Park has done good service over many years.

KENYA - Exhibits in the Nairobi Railway Museum, where a wealth of history about railway development in East Africa can be found.

Page 18 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

KENYA - Nairobi Railway Station in the early 1900's soon after the Railway was completed.

KENYA - Silhouetted against the equatorial sky high above a mountain river at Maragua, a diesel hauled goods train heads for Nanyuki.

Page 19 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

KENYA - The evening sun catches gleaming paint work on the Mount Gelai train as it begins its long haul to Nairobi. The Mount Gelai was a mountain class Garratt which was manned and maintained, in immaculate order, by the same foot-plate crew for more than a decade.

Page 20 of 21

THE LUNATIC EXPRESS

KENYA - One of the few orthodox steam locos working in East Africa as the steam age drew to a close was 'Tsoto', a 'Tribal class' engine with a 2-8-4 wheel arrangement here nearing Dagoretti on the outskirts of Nairobi.

Page 21 of 21