Zbc 3ournal 
OF 
Zbc IRo^al aQricultural anb Commercial 
Socict? of tBritisb (Buiana. 
♦♦ 
The Possibilities of Railway Development 
in British Guiana. 
By L. M. HILL, M. Inst C. E., President, B,A. Sc C. S. 
At the outset of my paper on the Possibilities of 
Railway Development in British Guiana, I may be 
excusec" for expressing regret at the unfortunate 
circumstances that have given us three different gauges 
on the three short railways that the colony boasts of 
at the present time : the standard gauge of 4 ft. SI- ins. 
on the East Coast line, 3 ft. 6 ins. on the West Coast, 
and the metre gauge of 3 ft. S-^ ins. on the Demerara- 
Essequebo Railway. Indeed I believe our colony holds 
the unique position of possessing a Railway company 
working two different gauges, with the many attendant 
<lrawbacks and inconveniences in the way of inter- 
change of rolling stock and other appliances. I have 
beard it said — untruly and wickedly no doubt — that 
the gauge of the West Coast line was adopted simply to 
suit some second-hand condemned locomotives and 
rolling stock from Barbados ! It is true the Great 
Western Railway Coy. of England at one time ran two 
gauges, but tliat was only during the period that the 
Company was converting its system from the broad to 
A 
