Railways - Indonesia: books - history and rolling stock

De spoorwegen in Nederlands-Indië 1864-1942 - Op smalspoor door tropische Nederland

While dozens of studies have been written about the railways in the Netherlands, covering almost every aspect of the railway world, there is no such thing about the railways and tramways in the former Dutch East Indies.
There are a few serious studies in which certain parts, such as the stations or the steam locomotives, of the railways in the 'belt of emerald' are described and documented. However, a general overview of the origin and manner of exploitation of those railways related to the political and economic circumstances of Insulinde does not yet exist.

Why did the railways arrive there so late, why not earlier? And why a line from A to B and not from C to D? And why construction and exploitation by the State and not by private entrepreneurs?
This book attempts to provide answers to these questions. The beautiful railway networks on Java and Sumatra built by Dutch engineers and Indonesian workers in the 'colonial' period deserve that attention.

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