Bermuda Railway Pages

Front Street, Hamilton on opening day, October 31, 1931, with the first train waiting to leave on the western division to Somerset. It would be December before the the eastern division to St. George's opened.

The front of the first train, waiting to leave for Somerset with a load of assorted dignitaries.

In the '30s, Bermuda's docks could still see cargo schooners moored alongside luxury liners, while traditional carriages and bicycles had to share Front Street with that newcomer, the train.

Here we are looking west towards Queen Street; the track is clearly visible.

Looking in the other direction, a train visible in the distance.

Motor coach number 12, seen alongside number 1 shed.

A classic postcard of the Bermuda Railway train running along Front Street.

Bermuda's transportation: another classic postcard.

In the early 1930s the Bermuda Railway coaches were canary yellow. Later they would be repainted maroon.

Is it the same schooner?

In this postcard the motor coach seems neither yellow nor maroon!

A row of toast rack coaches full of cadets.

A motor coach pulling a single toast rack coach. The dark paint job tells us it is the late '30s or the '40s.

A single motor coach. The sailors tell us this is probably during WWII.

Number 30, seen here, was was one of two original motor freight vans, with a large freight compartment instead of passenger seats. They were often seen pulling a single passenger coach.

Bicycles and carriages! Clearly the train did not move very quickly through Hamilton.

Cyclists were not always pleased with the train either. The Royal Gazette newspaper often reported on cyclists catching a wheel in the tracks and being thrown, especially in the early years.