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April 6th 2003 - Hawaiian Railroads on O'ahu.
Three stamps, a mini-sheet and a stamp booklet were issued on April 6th 2003 which depict Hawaiian Railroads on O'ahu. This is Part One in a series. Part Two will be issued in 2004.
When Hawai'i Post's staff first researched this issue, we were amazed by the massive scope of railroads in Hawai'i. We had no idea that, at one time, there were 54 different carriers on all the major islands. 47 of these carriers were Sugar Trains which operated on the Sugar Plantations. There were 7 common carriers.
The first railroad track in Hawai'i was laid in in 1857 next to the Honolulu Harbor. But the growth of railroads really took off when sugar cultivation began in earnest with the passing of the 1876 Reciprocity Treaty between the Kingdom of Hawai'i and the U.S.A. Cut sugar cane has to reach the Sugar Mill quickly for processing and the speediest method was by using narrow gauge railroad trains on portable tracks. As each field was harvested, the track was moved. Early in 1880, the Wai'anae Sugar Company was the first plantation to use a train which was a 0-4-2T Ipswich Class locomotive built by Ransomes & Rapier in England. The other O'ahu sugar plantations quicky followed by laying tracks and importing their own trains.
O'ahu Railway & Land Company was the main common carrier on O'ahu with it's central depot in Honolulu (shown on the cachet) and ran around the island on 3 sides with a terminus at Kahuku, and also a branch to Wahiawa in the center of O'ahu. The O'ahu Railway & Land Company was started by Benjamin Dillingham who first landed in Hawai'i in 1865 from Massachusetts. He started out as a hardware merchant, bought land in west O'ahu and then wanted to develop it for agriculture but transportation was a problem - roads were rough and unpaved in rural O'ahu. He decided to build a railroad connecting his land with Honolulu. His railroad was first known as "Dillingham's Folly", but he proved everyone wrong because, from 1899 onwards, the company never missed an annual dividend to its shareholders.
The only operational railroad on O'ahu today is the Hawaiian Railway which runs every Sunday for enthusiasts using an ex-U.S. military 1944 Whitcomb 300 horse-power diesel-electric locomotive out of Ewa Railroad Station west to Kahe Point and return. It uses what is left of the original O.R. & L. Co. railroad tracks. The track from Ewa to Nanakuli are on the State and National Historic Registers. However, the track from Kahe Point to Nanakuli is not in use due to improvements that are needed before the line can be extended.
The $2 stamp (above top left) prepays additional postage, such as extra weight. It shows a 1899 0-6-2T Baldwin Locomotive Works #16438 built for the Honolulu Plantation Company and named "Halawa".
The $5 stamp (above top right) prepays the Overnight rate. It shows a an ex-U.S. military 1944 Whitcomb 300hp diesel-electric locomotive, O'ahu Railway #302 about to leave the Ewa Railroad Station in 2003.
The $8 stamp (above lower) prepays the Same Day rate. The unusually long stamp shows Waialua Agriculture Company's locomotive #3 (1900 Baldwin Locomotive Works #17385) and locomotive #5 (1900 Baldwin Locomotive Works #18701) in tandem (both 0-6-2T) hauling a large load of freshly cut sugar cane to the Waialua Sugar Mill on the North Shore of O'ahu in the early 1900's.
The $8 minisheet (above) prepays the Same Day rate. It shows a map of O'ahu with the railroad tracks and stations of the common carriers - the O'ahu Railway & Land Company and the Ko'olau Railway Company. Also, the location of the 8 Sugar Plantations which used railroads, plus tracks operated by railroad enthusiasts.
A Booklet consisting of 3 panes containing 2 x $2, 2 x $5 and 2 x $8 stamps was also issued. Each pane consists of 2 stamps and has a white margin all around. "© 2003 Hawai'i Post" is printed vertically on the lower right side margin & Hawai'i Security Printers, Honolulu, Hawai'i. is printed on the bottom margin of each pane.
The booklet is stapled twice at the left side. The front cover depicts a black-and-white photo of Ewa Plantation Company's locomotive #6 (1905 BLW #25710, 0-6-2T) hauling freshly cut sugar cane to Ewa Sugar Mill. The back cover has a list of the postage rates of Hawai'i Post.
WE ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS ON ALL ORDERS
Technical details of the stamps and mini-sheet:
Colors: $2, $5, and $8 stamps and $8 mini-sheet - Multicolored
Size: 48mm x 32mm ($2 & $5 stamps), 100mm x 25mm ($8 stamp), 84mm x 70mm (mini-sheet)
Stamps sheet size: $2 & $5 - 30 (5 across, 6 down), $8 - 12 (2 across, 6 down),
Perforation: 12. Mini-sheet - imperforate.
Stamps & Mini-sheet design: Enelani.
Layout & Pre-press: Enelani.
Printer: Hawai'i Security Printers, Honolulu, Hawai'i.
Printing Method: 4-color (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) printing process.
Sheet margin markings: HAWAI'I POST (top middle), "Traffic Light" showing 4 colors used in printing (lower left side), © 2003 Hawai'i Post (lower right side, upper left side on $8 stamp sheet) & Hawai'i Security Printers, Honolulu, Hawai'i. (bottom middle)
Paper: GPA coated white stock with water-activated gum on the back.
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