Jordan 24.9.2008: The cabside plates carried by 4-6-2 No. 85 (Nippon 1953), specially made for the Aqaba – Wadi Rum service. Sadly that train ran – very rarely – for only a couple of years, for two reasons. (1) Visitors to Aqaba primarily want sun, sea and sand, and not a steam train ride to Wadi Rum that took hours, compared to the much shorter time by air-conditioned road vehicles. (2) The Aqaba – Wadi Rum line was built in 1975 to move huge quantities of potash to Aqaba docks. As such it is heavily trafficked and because it is CTC-signalled, any steam specials ran for enthusiasts could not do what enthusiasts want – frequent stops, reverses and run-bys on what is a very dramatic and hilly railway. The result was little patronage and an operational headache for the potash railway’s management – hence the steam service’s withdrawal.
Roger Griffiths; roger.griffiths@hotmail.com