NORTH BORNEO. 1945-08-01. ONE OF THE ODDEST RAILWAYS IN THE WORLD WAS INTRODUCED WHEN TROOPS OF ...

NORTH BORNEO. 1945-08-01. ONE OF THE ODDEST RAILWAYS IN THE WORLD WAS INTRODUCED WHEN TROOPS OF THE FAMED 9TH DIVISION CAPTURED A SECTION OF THE NORTH BORNEO STATE RAILWAY, WHICH IN PRE-WAR DAYS LINKED JESSELTON-BEAUFORT-MELALAP WITH 116 MILES OF ONE METRE GAUGE AND WAS THE ONLY RAILWAY SYSTEM FOR GENERAL TRAFFIC. RAAF FIGHTER BOMBER AIRCRAFT AND RETREATING JAPANESE HAD TAKEN TOLL OF LOCOMOTIVES AND ROLLING STOCK, AND A RAAF ENGINEER, SQUADRON LEADER JACK LIBERTY OF PERTH, WA, WAS ASKED TO DESIGN A SUBSTITUTE. HE PRODUCED THE "JEEPOMOTIVE", AND IT PROVED AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS, PROVIDING MEANS OF SPEEDILY TRANSFERRING TROOPS AND SUPPLIES TO ADVANCED NORTHERN FORCES.