~ Ferrocarril Bédar-Garrucha ~
Photo Gallery Home Page
Click here to go to the website of La Asociación de Amigos del Ferrocarril de Almería where you can discover more about the railways of Almería (Spanish language site)

This metre-gauge mineral railway, in the Spanish province of Almería, was built around 1890 and connected the lead mines of Bédar, several miles inland, with a coastal plant at Garrucha where there was apparently a lead smelting plant and facilities for transfer of the ore to ships. These photos, taken in 1997, are of the remains of that plant, the railway having been closed for more than seventy years !!
The diagram of the Garrucha "embarcadero" at the bottom of the page, is by José Vicente Coves and appears in a currently out-of-print book on the subject "Trenes, cables y minas de Almería", written in 1994 by "GÓMEZ MARTÍNEZ, José Antonio y COVES NAVARRO, José Vicente " (I have made slight amendments for the sake of clarity in this medium and to facilitate comparison with my photos).
José Antonio Gómez tells me a new edition of the book is to be published shortly so WATCH THIS SPACE !!
As at March 2003 I believe the new book should now be in print.
These photos are small versions to conserve webspace but anybody wanting a larger copy could e-mail me.

Garrucha embarcadero, #1 on plan below, transfer ramp Garrucha embarcadero, #1 on plan below, transfer ramp
Garrucha embarcadero - general view of site from north end of ramp Garrucha embarcadero - Railway workhouse - western end (#6 on plan) with #5 (office house) on left of picture Garrucha embarcadero - Railway workhouse - eastern end (#6 on plan) Garrucha embarcadero - Railway workhouse - western end (#7 on plan, #6 in background)

Garrucha embarcadero, #1 on plan below, transfer ramp - view from northern end, sea in background, Garrucha approx 1km. to the leftGarrucha embarcadero - hole in wall of ramp end from seaward (south) side, adjacent to the main road between Mojacar and Garrucha

Garrucha embarcadero, view of main road and sea through hole in wall at end of ramp - looks like a tip/chute



Garrucha embarcadero - plan with index


Friends of Almería Railways Site

Added March 2003 - a couple of good new pages

Friends of Almeria Railways page on the Bédar - Garrucha Railway, in Spanish with colour photographs

A series of pages in Spanish on the history of this railway, with historic monochrome illustrations

Mojacar.com - local information site

Majorcan Railways Links Page

Majorcan Railways Home Page

Majorcan Railways Photo Gallery Home Page

Links to other Railway Sites




All photographs here were taken by me and, together with the other pictures and diagrams, are presented for your information and viewing pleasure only. This page was prepared with the very welcome assistance of José Antonio Gómez and I am most grateful to him for his help, advice and information.

You can e-mail

(remove GARRUCHA from the e-mail address before sending - I'm getting far too much spam, much of which is intolerably offensive)


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© Barry Emmott April 2001, revised March 2003