International Railroad Discussion > Kaiser Bauxite Jamaica

In June 1970 I found myself at Discovery Bay,  Jamaica.  This was the base of Kaiser Bauxite mine railroad.  I found x-SP BLH AS-616 #5250 and their two new SD38s.  The latter were involved in a head-on crash shortly thereafter,  and were rebuilt and were operarting at least into 2002

1-2.   KB 5106,  x-SP 5250 acquired in 1961.  They had a second former SP AS616 which was at the mine.
3.      SD38 5102.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/24 19:19 by masterphots.

---

---

---

4.   SD38 5101 with empties heading back to the mine
5.   Discovery Bay shops

---

---

I never knew this operation existed.   Thanks for shraing the photos.

Does this rail operation still exist and if so can someone comment on what their current power is or share some recent photos?
 

Assuming the mine is still productive I'd guess it is still in operation.  In 2001-2002 John Benson was there and shot the same three units (the SDs were repaired) as well as an SW1001 #1003 with modified cab.  All red and lettered Kaiser Bauxite.  However, in 2007 NRE Silvis delivered SD40U #5110 in red and black. It was lettered St Ann Jamaica Bauxite Partners.  Since it's in the 5100 number series and red/black I'd guess this is the successor to Kaiser.

There's also an  Alcoa operation in Jamaica,  or was in 2002.   NRE delivered a GP40 to Jamaica Alcoa #1015.  

Finally, also in 2002,  NRE Dixmoor delivered an Alco RS8U #121 to West Indies Alumina Co.

It appears that bauxite mining is alive and well in Jamaica, with at least three operations.  Any updates would be appreciated.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/24 10:50 by masterphots.

Great thread! Brazil also had AS616 and SD38. In fact, the SD38 still operating here and an AS616 was donated to preservation, but never restored.

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

On Google Earth you can see a bauxite mining operation still in existence near Discovery Bay with several strings of hopper cars and a few locomotives attached, looking like a still-active railroad.   It's labeled "Noranda Bauxite Ltd" on Google Maps.   Hard to tell how far the tracks extend inland, though. 

Thanks for the update.  Looks like the Canadians now own the operation.

Discovery Bay is just a rail to ship transload. Tracks extend a good ways inland till they reach the mine load out at  18°18'37.56"N  77°22'49.60"W
Straight line is 10 miles but it is about 20 miles of track with the twisty route it takes
dwatry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> On Google Earth you can see a bauxite mining
> operation still in existence near Discovery Bay
> with several strings of hopper cars and a few
> locomotives attached, looking like a still-active
> railroad.   It's labeled "Noranda Bauxite Ltd"
> on Google Maps.   Hard to tell how far the
> tracks extend inland, though. 

Lots of photos on the company webpage. but none of any rail ops or even unused tracks. Photos tho of conveyer systems.
RB

Great post!  I was in Jamaica in 1963 for about three or four days visiting a friend of a friend.  'Arrived on a cargo ship, but not where the bauxite was loaded from.  I never realized that there was railroad there at the time.  Lovely place (...in 1963).

Here's a copy & paste  link to a video of the bauxite operation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ1iy4x1olk

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/24 19:31 by E25.

E25 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great post!  I was in Jamaica in 1963 for about
> three or four days visiting a friend of a
> friend.  'Arrived on a cargo ship, but not where
> the bauxite was loaded from.  I never realized
> that there was railroad there at the time. 
> Lovely place (...in 1963).
>
> Here's a copy & paste  link to a video of the
> bauxite operation:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ1iy4x1olk

In 1963 the common carrier Jamaica Railway Corporation was operating over 200 miles of track. That ceased in 1992, today there's pressure to revive the JRC, although heaven knows whether anything will come of it.

Big bauxite exporter in 2022

https://www.mining-technology.com/data-insights/bauxite-in-jamaica/?cf-view

Posted from Android