Narrow gauge in the tropics : the railways of the Dutch East Indies, 1864-1942 / Augustus J. Veenendaal, Jr.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Veenendaal, Augustus J., Jr. (Augustus Johannes), 1940- author.

Contributor:

Rosengarten Family Fund.

Series:

Railroads past and present

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Railroads--Indonesia--History--19th century.

Railroads.

Railroads--Indonesia--History--20th century.

Railroads--Social aspects--Indonesia.

Railroads--Economic aspects--Indonesia.

Railroads--Economic aspects.

Railroads--Social aspects.

Indonesia.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xii, 309 pages : illustrations, maps ; 27 cm.

Place of Publication:

Bloomington, Indiana : Indiana University Press, [2022]

Summary:

"Narrow Gauge in the Tropics is the first comprehensive history of railways and tramways in the Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia) from breaking ground in 1864 to the invasion of the Japanese during World War II. During the mid-19th century under colonial rule, the Dutch East Indies experienced enormous increases in production of sugar, coffee, and other commodities, resulting in a great dilemma: How were these goods to be moved to port when wagons hauled by animals was the only available form of transportation? The solution was to build a railway network through some of the most challenging terrain on the planet. Lavishly illustrated, Narrow Gauge in the Tropics explores technical aspects of the construction of the railways over difficult terrain, the origin of the technicians who made the seemingly impossible happen, and the social impact of the railways on the indigenous population"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: 1. The Dutch or Netherlands East Indies

2. The First Railway on Java

3. The Choice of the Most Suitable Railway Gauge for the East Indies

4. State or Private Railways?

5. The Early State Railways

6. Slowing Down and Reorganization

7. Railways of Sumatra

8. Sumatra's Other Railways

9. The Coming of the Steam Tram

10. Toward a New Prosperity

11. The Private Companies until 1914

12. World War I and Its Golden Aftermath

13. Travel in the Tropics

-Electrification

14. The Nonpublic Railways

15. Worldwide Depression and Slow Recovery

16. Epilogue.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Rosengarten Family Fund.

Other Format:

Online version: Veenendaal, Augustus J., Jr. (Augustus Johannes), 1940- Narrow gauge in the tropics.

ISBN:

9780253060297

025306029X

OCLC:

1242910859