History and Tour of The Oahu Railway by Jim Chiddix

[@howellwong11]

T think that I am one of the few remaining people who remember the OR&L first hand. I was born on Dillingham Blvd next to the railroad spur that went to the city slaughter house in 1932. Nearby was the first railroad bridge crossing the Kalihi Stream. In 1939, my family moved to Kalihi Kai, again next to the railroad tracks and two houses from Puuhale Road. My bedroom was about 20 feet from the tracks. I remember the train passing my house at 4 PM, returning the Pearl Harbor workers' from work. Then there were trains that hauled the pineapples to the canneries. We used to try to steal pineapples off the train with whatever means that we could think of. At 8 AM on December 7, 1941, I looked down the railroad tracks to see the black smoke rising from Pearl Harbor My whole life in Hawaii was spent next to the railroad tracks. I left Hawaii in 1953.

[@nathandeal9703]

Wow! Great job on showing off your little slice of the islands! Ill be sure to pick up a copy of one of your books next chance I get! Also, when I visited Oahu last year, I was actually fortunate enough to be given a tour of Mr. Billingham's pullman. Needed a little bit of work but still looked amazing on the inside! And as for what you said at the end of the video about younger folks not being into trains, I wouldn't worry too much, I've been into trains since I was just a kid and being only 28 years old and with several friends who are just as carzy about trains, I'd say the Hobby's still got a long life ahead of it!

[@jimchiddix5361]

Please feel free to share this video with folks interested in model trains, Hawaiian history, etc.!

[@ericoxner8333]

As you were showing your book.I saw a picture that I have seen before.I am a o gauger and on the forum.I asked why hawii didn't have any railroads and I got an answer.And a picture of your book turned up.I am from N.C. we do have a narrow gauge train called well.Its name is the East Tennessee and North Carolina railroad.Trains have always been in my blood.My have something to with living to were I could hear the train whistle.And my school was right beside the Seaboard coast line railroad. All I had to do is look out the window and watch the trains zoom by.My teachers did not like that at all.

[@jimchiddix5361]

@@ericoxner8333 Thanks, Eric, glad to hear of your interest. - Jim

[@soulphisto79]

Fantastic Layout! Looking forward to seeing the progress, and hope you'll post updates. I love your book, and added it to my library a few years ago. I do plan on modeling some of the locomotives and rolling stock if I ever have the time, the Mikados are obviously easiest to poach a K-28 for. 3d Printing technology will make it a bit easier I think. As for the kids not getting into trains, that's thankfully not the case. Covid really spurred a movement back into the hobby for many of the younger generation, which I witnessed moonlighting in a train store local to me.

[@prt2v]

Thank you for sharing. Wonderful layout and many great photographs.

[@kpadmirer]

Born in Honolulu two months before the OR&L ceased passenger operations. I remember seeing the trains down in the dock area when I worked summers at Dole Pineapple. Left the Islands in 1968 but still have an interest in the railroads there.

[@threerailfan6671]

Hi Jim, I was delighted to find this video. I can’t believe it took KZbin a year to suggest it to me. I purchased your book probably 15 years ago when I showed up at the Hawaiian Railway Society on a day it turned out to be closed. A volunteer working in the machine shop noticed me poking around and spent the next hour showing me around. On the way out he showed me your book and I bought it in the spot. I’ve often wondered what came of all that research and now I know. I’ve subscribed to your channel so I won’t need to wait a year to see your next issue. Keep up the good work! Neal (threerailfan)

[@jimchiddix5361]

Thanks, Neal, glad you liked the book. I've made a lot of progress on thee website and am considering doing an updated video and adding more photos tot he website. Aloha, Jim

[@threerailfan6671]

Looking forward to the video. Hana Hou!@@jimchiddix5361

[@andythomas7931]

Thank you Jim very much indeed. I hope this finds you well. I will share this video. Aloha

[@howellwong11]

Diagonally across King St, from Aala Park was passenger train station. I took a train ride from there to Nanakuli and back again. It was in 1944. Five times a week, the train transported Pearl Harbor workers to and from Aala Park. I used to used the afternoon train as a clock. At 4 PM the workers' train would pass by my house like clockwork and wherever I am, it's time for me to run home and cook the rice.

[@DoubleMrE]

Aloha from Kailua Jim! Born 4 weeks before statehood on Oahu. I remember seeing the old tracks all along the Waianae shore. I really like your setup! I only wish it were here on Oahu so I could see it in person. 😊 But much mahalos for this video! 🤙🤙🤙

[@jimchiddix5361]

Thanks, that means a lot to me. My years in Waianae and Honolulu were precious and I recapture some of that feeling when I go down to my basement in Colorado. The Plumeria-scented candles help too… Aloha, Jim

[@howellwong11]

I live next to the railroad tracks just as it leaves the Honolulu confines and heads down to Pearl Harbor. My bedroom was 10 yards away, but I still slept through the noise and trembles of the steam engines. Circa 1940's.

[@sevenblessed2543]

Wow nice

[@NMranchhand]

Well, that was just fascinating to me, both a train guy and an Hawai’iphile (if that’s a word). Thank you so much.

[@eileenryan2546]

Hi Jim, I really enjoyed watching the video and I love how you always pursue your passion and interests. I hope to see your Oahu train village soon!

[@TheHawaiianEngine]

Hey, very nice job! this is very intriguing, especially since im from Oahu myself. Steam engines have always been my passion and I was very intrigued to find out when I was 6 years old, not only do we have a surviving Railway but that the whole entire Island was nearly an entire functional steam railway itself. Now I am more intrigued than ever to find out how the entire history of the O.R&.L I have been doing my research but this is also been a great help to me as well. Big thanks to you! By the way, I've actually read your book before and its Outstanding!

[@jimchiddix5361]

Tardy response, but glad that you liked the video and the book! Jim

[@howellwong11]

Some older boys could tell the number of the steam engines just by listening to the noise.

[@TheHawaiianEngine]

Fair. Every engine has its own distinctive features and sounds.

[@JonahK82]

Is this On3?

[@jimchiddix5361]

Yes, On3. My website is

[@bbuck1003]

How did you make the pineapple crates and the racks on the flat cars? I’ve recently started Scratchbuilding a 200 series OR&L pineapple flat with simplified racks in Fn3; what’s been a challenge is finding the dimensions on the pineapple boxes and how to mass produce them for a loaded car. Any guidance on how you’ve tackled that problem- most beautifully, I might add- is most welcome. A book order is in store- yours is one of the few I don’t have on the Hawaiian railway scene in my library.

[@jimchiddix5361]

The crates, racks, etc., on the pineapple cars are laser-cut. The pineapples are 3D printed. Glad you liked them.

[@jimchiddix5361]

Tardy response, but delighted that you're modeling pineapple flat cars. I used a friend's laser cutter to fabricate the crates and racks for the pineapple flat cars. Two layers, an inner one for the crates and an outer one for the cribbing to hold the crates in place. Then a criss-cross egg-crate arrangement for the top layer, to hold the 3D printed pineapples and big spacer to fill the empty space beneath. If you attend the Narrow Gauge convention in Denver next summer, I'll have a booth selling the Oahu railway book and displaying the pineapple cars. I'll also be on the layout tour. Thanks! - Jim

[@jasoneliasvoorhees1956]

What scale is the Tracks

[@jimchiddix5361]

Scale is On3 (1:48, three-foot narrow-gauge). My website is