Samarang–Joana Stoomtram Maatschappij



The Samarang–Joana Stoomtram Maatschappij, N.V. (SJS, Dutch for Steam Tram Company Samarang–Joana) was from 1879 to 1959 a private tram company on the Dutch East Indies (now Central Java), providing passenger and freight trains on a 417 km long network with a gauge of 3 ft.

History


The steam tram company was founded on 18 March 1881 by JF Dijkman, W Walker and GH Clifford and put into operation on 28 September 1881. It aimed to connect Semarang with Kudus and Pati via a railway line, as defined in the permit concessions of the Colonial Government of the Dutch East Indies of 1 December 1879.

The first director of the company was Baron Henri Maarten Anton van der Goes van Dirxland (born 30 November 1841 in The Hague; died 29 January 1890), who has also been Director of the Oost-Java Stoomtram Maatschappij since 7 June 1888. He was assisted by a Council Secretary named CLJ Martens. The most important station was the Jurnatan Station, which was also called Semarang-Centraal or Djoernatan. It was expanded in 1913 from a small tram stop to a large train station. It was not included in the list of listed railway stations in Indonesia in 1950 and taken out of service in 1974.

Lines
The lines and its sections including their inauguration dates are listed in following table:

Semarang–Joana Stoomtram Maatschappij ; Overkapping Station Joana.png|Roof of Station Joana Semarang–Joana Stoomtram Maatschappij ; Ingraving bij Tjabak, Lij Blora-Cepu.png|Cutting at Tjabak, Lij Blora–Cepu Semarang–Joana Stoomtram Maatschappij ; Brug over de Joana river, lijn Joana-Lasem.png
 * Semarang–Joana Stoomtram Maatschappij ; Central Station Semarang.png|Central Station Semarang

Semarang–Joana Stoomtram Maatschappij ; Brug over de Loesie river, Lijn Blora-Tjepoe.png|Bridge over the Loesie River, Blora–Tjepoe Semarang–Joana Stoomtram Maatschappij ; Trein in beweging op den overstroomden weg nabij Joana.png|Operation during a flood Grasveld (aloon-aloon) in Semarang met een treinstel van de SJS en op de achtergrond een moskee, RP-F-F01104-B.jpg|SJS steam tram, in Semarang 

Harbour spurs
Following spurs were built to improve the access to the harbours for import and export of goods and natural produce

Nationalization and decommissioning
Due to the 1959 Government Decree No. 40 of the Republic of Indonesia issued under President Sukarno, all steam and tram lines operated by Dutch companies were nationalized and handed over to Djawatan Kereta Api (DKA).

The SJS railway continued to operate under the DKA and PNKA until the golden age of PJKA in the 1970s. In 1975, the lines Kudus–Bakalan and Juwana–Tayu were shut down. The decommissioning of the route Cepu Kota–Rembang took place in 1984. In 1986, the lines Kemijen–Rembang and Purwodadi–Ngemplak were shut down. The route Rembang–Jatirogo was decommissioned in 1992. The last SJS routes, Blora–Demak and Wirosari–Kradenan were decommissioned in 1996. Although most tracks have not yet been dismantled, there are no concrete plans for reactivation.

Locomotives
All locomotive of the SJS were steam locomotives. Until the 1960s, no diesel locomotives were used on the SJS. For the maintenance of locomotives and trains southeast of the Semarang Tawang Station a central railway depot, whose building was demolished in the mid-1990s. The SJS steam locomotives are listed in the following table: