by george matthews
rogerfarnworth wrote:I hope that there will come electrification to all the mainlines in East Africa. As electricity mostly is derived from falling water and from wind and solar, it would not add to the climate problem - largely kicked off by the enormous use of coal for steam engines, and later by the inefficient use of oil. For these reasons I do not admire the obsessive insistence on coal and oil powered steam. I am glad they are being replaced by electrification.george matthews wrote:Thank you George.rogerfarnworth wrote:Before we return to Nakuru to follow the main line towards Kampala, one further post about the Kisumu line. There was a short branch which left the Kisumu to Nakuru line within the confines of Kisumu city. This post focusses on that line.I suspect that the Butere line was originally intended to lead to Uganda. It used to have a third class only train and was of use to local people. But the failure to connect with Uganda rendered it less than useful. Probably the intention of going further was abandoned when the mainline was continued via Eldoret and connected to Uganda that way. I assume that at least in colonial days the line was busy enough to keep going, even though the intention of going to Uganda was abandoned.
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BTW all your pictures show the steam engines. All these were withdrawn a long time ago and replaced with modern diesels.
Yes I have seen some maps with a dotted line on them suggesting a possible route north from Butere.
You are right about the diesels as well. I think there are a few shown within the images I have found. Perhaps I should have been a little more balanced in my selection of pictures!