| The Hijaz railway in Saudi Arabia began in Damascus, Syria and ran to Medina, Saudi Arabia. It was built by the Ottoman Empire. The railway was built for Muslim followers to travel to their holy shrines in Medina and Mecca, Saudi Arabia. A second purpose was for the occupying Turkish Army to supply their troops located throughout western Arabia even in the South (Asir Province) near present day Yemen. Part of the railroad ties were made in Pennsylvania by a U. S. railroad manufacture in 1885.
In this part of Arabia the “Arab uprisings” in 1916-1918 against the Ottoman Empire were partly led by a British soldier later referred to as Lawrence of Arabia. He was famed for his exploits in blowing up the Hajaz railroad among other daring encounters with the occupying Turks. The Hijaz Railway photos are from an area in North West Saudi Arabia (Nefud Desert) -15 miles South of Jordanian border. The remains of a locomotive blasted from it’s tracks and laying on it’s side. The left front drive wheel was shattered laying in pieces on the sand. None of the metal parts showed signs of rust in 1976. Graves of 9+ deceased with wrecked locomotive in distance. The Arabs/British/Turks had buried the dead. Looking North near the wreck an old railway station of the Hijaz Railway South of the Jordanian border in Saudi Arabia crumbles in the heat and wind of the desert. Picture taken in December 1976. The rails were rust free from the sand and wind appeared like trains passed over them daily in the 90 years since the last train came this way. Saudi Arabia
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