Benin-Togo Steam locomotives

Benin

Tourist Railway Project

using

Former Indian Railways YP class 4-6-2 Locomotives

Numbers 2257 and 2684

currently stored in Lome, Togo

West Africa

The above images were taken in July 2007 by Guy Catherine of Grand Popo, Benin

These two locomotives are owned by Henry Posner of the Railroad Development Corporation in the USA.

They were overhauled in India after being taken out of service in the late 1990's .

Shipped to Lome, Togo in late 2000, they have been stored in operational condition since that time.

Mr. Posner has agreed to their use in Benin under certain conditions which are very achievable.

A YP at rest in the 1990's note the four person crew. Driver, two fireman and a coal mover.

Brian Hollingsworth image

A YP on a typical train in India in 1997

Berndt Seiler image

A YP at speed

Stuart Keen Image

If the decision is made to burn locally grown eucalyptus wood as opposed to using coal from Nigeria. A frame would be built on the top of the tender to increase capacity as in this example from the C.F.B. in Angola.

OCBN

The Railway of Benin and Niger

Images taken in the late 1990's

COTONOU STATION
Cotonou Main Station as seen from the access road Alle Photos: P. Romen
	Cotonou station platform
Staff of the Cotonou-Parakou day train. Right: The central tower of Cotonou station
	Parakou bound train leaving Cotonou station and yard.
COTONOU YARD
Diesel locomotive AA 82 shunting freight cars in Cotonou's station yard.
Diesel locomotives on Cotonou depot.

	Old and derelict rolling-stock located around Cotonou depot
COTONOU TO PARAKOU
En route the view from a northbound train. All coaches are built by Soulé of France. Below: Tchatchou station not far from Parakou
Right: Two day trains crossing each other at a wayside station
Parakou-bound train
PARAKOU STATION
	Parakou suburbs
Parakou station is the northern end of the line. Freight to and from Niger is switched between rail and road at this location.
Track Maintenance

History

"Though it had two separate railways, Benin (Dahomey) has the least well documented of the French-built lines in West Africa. Both railways were slow to be built. The Central Dahoméy railway which started out from the coast at Cotonou in 1908 took 12 years to reach Savé, some 250km inland, though the terrain presented few problems for the builders.

The line was eventually extended to Parakou, about half way up-country in 1935.

The East Dahoméy line started from the separate harbour at Porto Novo and stretched only to Pobe. Although this terminus was close to Idago on the Nigerian line, the difference in gauge ruled out any link between the two.

The two Dahoméy systems were joined in 1930 when the railways came under Government control. The 19 steam locomotives of the central line were then pooled with the 8 of the eastern line."

It is not clear when steam ended in the country. As shown above, the Central Railway now known as the OCBN remains in place and operational today.

These 1914 built German passenger coaches are also stored in Lome. There are three of them in similar condition belonging to the Togo Railway not RDC.

It is possible they could be acquired to supplement or replace the three small passenger coaches currently in use in Benin on the existing tourist train.

The former Benin Presidential coach is also under restoration.

Graham Roberts image

The tourist train in Benin is a project of

www.hotels-benin.com

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