Sierra Leone Government Railway

It was unusual in that it formed a national railway system constructed solely to a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge, whereas in other countries, gauge of such a narrow width was usually confined to feeder railways.The Sierra Leone railway tracks terminated at Pendembu and not Daru.

A short branch of 5.5 miles (8.9 km) length was built in 1903 from Freetown to Hill Station, at 748 feet (228 m) above sea level.

[1] The line allowed Europeans to live in the healthier hills area above Freetown, but with competition from motor cars, it was closed in 1929.

In 1926, workers on the railway went on strike, protesting against discriminatory requirements applied to black clerks seeking pay raises.

The strike lasted six weeks, but was a failure despite support from the black elite, with the strikers forced to take lowered pay and extra hours as punishment.

Apart from moving mineral resources from the interior to the coast, the railway was also important in supporting fighting in North Africa.

The equipment of the railway was renewed in the 1950s with the introduction of diesel locomotives and the purchase of some 155 new freight wagons.

To increase axle loadings and the speed limit above 20 mph (32.2 km/h), some sections of the line were rebuilt with 40 lb rail in the 1950s.

In 2011, the locomotive went on display at the National Railway Museum, Shildon, before return to Llanfair Caereinion by way of a nationwide tour in 2017.

With the W&LLR preferring to operate balcony-ended carriages, the Sierra Leone vehicles fell out of favour in the late 1990s; however, two of them were refurbished in 2007-2008 and have since appeared on occasional special workings.

In Sierra Leone, a collection of rolling stock was retained at the former railway workshops to form a museum.

Following the initiative of a British Army officer, Colonel Steve Davies, restoration of the equipment commenced in 2004.