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 kilometres (259 mi) long network with a gauge of 3 feet 6 inches (1,067 mm).

Samarang–Joana Stoomtram Maatschappij

Samarang–Joana Stoomtram Maatschappij, N.V.

Overview
Headquarters	Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Hindia Belanda
Dates of operation	1879–1959
Successor	Kereta Api Indonesia
Technical
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Length	417 kilometres (259 mi)

History

SJS stock exchange certificate, 1899

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:

Line	Section	Inauguration	(km)
Jurnatan–Jomblang on-street running	Jurnatan–Jomblang	1 December 1882	4.4
Jurnatan–Bulu–Banjir Kanal on-street running	Jurnatan–Bulu	12 March 1883	3
	Bulu–Banjir Kanal	4 November 1899	0,8
Cabang Jurnatan–Samarang NIS	Jurnatan–Samarang	12 March 1883	1
Jurnatan–Demak	Jurnatan–Genuk	2 July 1883	6.1
	Genuk–Demak	27 September 1883	19.7
Demak–Kudus	Demak–Kudus	15 March 1884	26.4
	Demak-Kudus	1919	26
Kudus–Juwana	Kudus–Pati	19 April 1884	21.2
	Kudus–Pati	1919	23.2
	Pati–Juwana	19 April 1884	13.8
Juwana–Rembang	Juwana–Rembang	1 May 1900	23
Juwana–Tayu	Juwana–Trangkil	20 May 1899	8.2
	Trangkil–Bulumanis	15 August 1899	7.5
	Bulumanis–Tayu	1 May 1900	8.8
Kudus–Mayong–Pecangaan	Kudus-Mayong	6 September 1887	11.5
	Kudus-Mayong	1919	14
	Mayong–Pecangaan	5 May 1895	10.3
Mayong–Welahan	Mayong–Welahan	10 November 1900	5.5
Demak–Purwodadi	Demak–Godong	15 November 1888	20.8
	Godong–Purwodadi	1 April 1889	18
Purwodadi–Wirosari–Blora	Purwodadi–Wirosari	1 October 1889	21.4
	Wirosari-Kunduran	16 September 1893	18.3
	Kunduran–Ngawen	22 March 1894	10.3
	Ngawen–Blora	13 September 1894	15.3
Purwodadi–Gundih	Purwodadi–Gundih	1884	17.3
	Purwodadi–Ngrombo	1 January 1892	9
Wirosari–Kradenan	Wirosari–Kradenan	1 November 1898	8.2
Rembang–Blora	Rembang–Blora	15 June 1902	36.8
Blora–Cepu	Rembang-Cepu	1 November 1901	33.4
	Cepu Kota (SJS)–Cepu (NIS):	1 February 1903	1.8
Rembang–Bojonegoro	Rembang-Lasem	1 May 1900	14
	Lasem-Pamotan	1 June 1914	10
	Pamotan-Jatirogo	20 February 1919	24

• 
  Central Station Semarang
• 
  Roof of Station Joana
• 
  Cutting at Tjabak, Lij Blora–Cepu
• 
• 
  Bridge over the Loesie River, Blora–Tjepoe
• 
  Operation during a flood
• 
  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

Pelabuhan	Panjang
Tanjung Emas	1,5
Juwana	1,9
Rembang	0,5

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:

Class	Inauguration	Manufacturer	Amount	Photo	Remarks
B11	1883	Beyer, Peacock & Company	4 locomotives, subsequently used by Nederlandsch-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij
B12	1881	Werkspoor	46 locomotives, some of which were subsequently used by Oost-Java Stoomtram Maatschappij		Plinthed in front of Stasiun Surabaya Pasarturi
B20	1882	Beyer, Peacock & Company dan Werkspoor	19 locomotives		Exhibited at Museum KA Ambarawa
B27	1912	Hartmann	16 locomotives		Exhibited at Museum KA Ambarawa
C19	1898	Hartmann	12 locomotives		Exhibit at Museum Transportasi, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII), Jakarta
D10	1913	Hartmann	6 locomotives
D15	1931	Hanomag	5 locomotives

External links

• Documents and clippings about Samarang–Joana Stoomtram Maatschappij in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW