The Tobacco Industries revolution took place in the 1880's and 1890's.
The British Chartered Company began to open up lands for Tobacco
Plantations in the interior of North Borneo. Owing to the difficulties
of transporting this produce, a solution had to be found.
In 1894, William Clarke Cowie was appointed the Managing Director
of the British North Borneo Company and he was given the responsibility
to solve this problem. Inspired by the railway's success in Peninsular
Malaya, Cowie proposed that to resolve this matter, a railway
line should be built.
As a result, the construction of the railway, which stretched
from Beaufort to Weston begun in 1896.
To implement this project, an English Civil Engineer, Arthur
J. West was appointed to carry out this task. This first track,
from Weston to Beaufort, 32 Km long started in 1896 at Bukau.
In 1903, he extended another 48 Km from Beaufort to Tenom which
was finished in 1905. In 1906, a further 16 Km of track from Tenom
to Melalap was completed.
In the meantime, George Pauling's company completed the Beaufort
- Jesselton line (Kota Kinabalu City) in 1902.
The railway service was managed by the North Borneo Railway
headed by a General Manager and it ran smoothly until the beginning
of the Second World War and the Japanese Occupation.
During the Japanese Occupation between 1944 and 1945, the railway
transportation system was almost totally destroyed. This was due
to damages caused to the tracks, bridges and stations resulting
from the war.
North Borneo Railway initiated its own rehabilitation programme
on the tracks and services in 1949 and 1960.
The Beaufort - Weston
line was closed in 1963 and Tenom - Melalap in 1970 because of
high cost of operation and competition from newly built roads.
Jesselton - Tanjung Aru lines was also closed four years later.
Ever since its beginning from
1896 until now, several types of locomotives have been used to
pull the passenger coaches and goods wagons. The early locomotives
were steam powered and were used till the 1970's.
Among the locomotives used were:
Gaya No. 6 and Sir H. Ralph
Hone, built by Hunslet Engine Company Ltd., England, and they
were brought in 1912. Both locomotives ceased their operation
in 1968.
Sentinel No. 13 which was made
by Sentinel Wagon Works Ltd. England was delivered in 1927.
Its services stopped in 1964.
In 1971, steam engines were replaced by diesel
driven locomotives which were cheaper, speedier and easy to operate,
these diesel locomotive are the Japanese Kawasaki, Hitachi and
Sharyo.
From the administrative aspect, the story of
the railway was initiated by Cowie and through his supervision,
the North Borneo Railway was established in 1914 and became fully
operational in 1924.
To operate the services of the North Borneo
Railway, its management was placed in the charge of the General
Manager who was responsible for its operations including the maintenance
of its tracks, stations and rolling stocks.
From 1963 onwards, the railway service was administered
by the Sabah State Railway Department with its headquarters at
its main station at Tanjung Aru in the City of Kota Kinabalu.
In 2000, at the turn of the millennium, a joint
venture took place between Sabah State Railway Department and
Sutera Harbour Travel Sdn Bhd to provide a service for tourists
using the Vulcan Engines. This service is aimed at steam locomotive
enthusiasts over the world. The rehabilitated Vulcan Steam Locomotives
are used to draw coaches. These coaches were renovated to create
the ambiance of the colonial era.
Management History
The list of past General Managers, up to the formation of Malaysia
are as follows:-
History