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The Hedjaz Railway was built at the beginning of the 20th Century and initially ran from Damascus (Syria) south to Amman (Jordan) and on to Mecca (Saudi Arabia) with branches running east-west to the Mediterranean coast across the Great Rift Valley below sea level. Initially sponsored by the Ottoman Empire, the railway assumed huge strategic significance and was the subject of Lawrence of Arabia’s attentions during the 1914-18 war.

Although much of the railway has fallen into decay, when these pictures were taken in 2003 the most northerly section was still operational and had a number of working steam locomotives of diverse origin.

Click on any gallery name below to open a ‘thumbnail’ page then on any image to open a full page version.

Jordan: Locomotives are generally of post-1945 construction including examples of British and Japanese manufacture.

Syria: Locomotives tend to be older and some date from before 1914 having escaped Lawrence’s attentions.