Untitled Document
here now
Narrow Gauge in the Tropics
The Railways of the Dutch East Indies, 1864–1942
By by Augustus J. Veenendaal Jr.
352 Pages, 7.00x10.00", 125 b&w illus., 20 maps. Due April 2022.
"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."
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
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 One and Its Golden Aftermath
13. Travel in the Tropics—Electrification
14. The Non-Public Railways
15. Worldwide Depression and Slow Recovery
16. Epilogue
Maps
Gazetteer
Abbreviations
Sources and Suggestions for Further Reading
Index
