Lunatic Line - Kenya Railway Museum



In 1896 work started on building a railway in East Africa. It would link Mombasa, Kenya with Uganda. People who disagreed with the building of the East African railway called it the ‘Lunatic Line.’ To know the story better I met James who works for Kenya Railways.

We met at the Railway Museum. James explained that the museum is in two parts. A museum building where there are photographs, paintings, furniture, equipment and models telling the story of the railway. Outside is the railway siding where locomotives and the rolling stock are kept.

James guided me around the museum exhibits. He showed me a photograph taken in May 1896 at Mombasa where the Uganda Railway Company started building their railway. It took 3 years for the railway to reach a place called Nyrobi. This town grew to be Nairobi the capital city of Kenya.

James showed me a date line of facts about the railway company. An important date was December 19th 1901 because at last the railway finally reached Kisumu. This is a city on the Kenyan side of Lake Victoria.

We went outside to the Museum’s collection of steam locomotives. I was amazed at the size of them and excited that I was able to climb into the engine cabs. This was fun and I enjoyed seeing the controls. James pointed out a steam locomotive, which was painted yellow; he said it was the biggest in the world. I felt very proud when I saw a plaque on its side, which said it was build by the “Vulcan” Engineering Company, Manchester, England.

James had saved a most horrific story until the end of the visit. He took me over to a collection of passenger carriages used on the railway in 1900. He let me go into coach number 12. Inside he invited me to sit down. I found that the leather-backed seat was as comfortable now as it was then. Above me, James showed me a fold away bed for night travel.