The West of Minas Railway (Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas) had an
extensive 76 cm (2 ft 6 in) and metre gauge railway system in the west
of Minas Gerais state in Brazil, together with a steamer service on the
Rio Grande and two small metre gauge street tramways.
This book is the history of the West of Minass earliest lines.
These, built between 1880 and the 1920s, were 76 cm gauge and together
with the river navigation were effectively a separate system from the
metre gauge. The 76 cm gauge eventually reached a maximum extent of 748 km, with a main line 601 km long. After 1960, the narrow gauge was
progressively cut back by abandonments and conversion to metre gauge
until there is only a short section left as a tourist line between São
João del Rei and Tiradentes.
Extensive maps researched and reconstructed by Edwin Lambert
from material collected by Dr Waters show the full route of the narrow
gauge and its branches and the Rio Grande Navigation. Appendices give a
full station list, locomotive list, locomotive diagrams, timetables etc. 80 pages A4, sb.