The Grandiose Ambition of the Great Southern of Spain Railway Company Ltd.

The Grandiose Ambition of the Great Southern of Spain Railway Company Ltd., details the dramatic history of the British-owned GSSR, founded in 1885 with the grand, but ultimately unfulfilled, scheme to build a railway from Granada to Murcia.

The articles focus on the completed and profitable section of the line: Baza to Lorca, with the essential branch to the Mediterranean port of Águilas, which culminated in the magnificent El Hornillo ore dock.

The project was plagued from the start by bureaucratic, logistical (poor roads, hard water for engines), and geological challenges (mountains, badlands). The narrative covers the financial struggles and political schemes, including the roles of hero Gustave Gillman, villain the Marqués de Loring, and rogue Don Fortunato Fernández. The articles examine the engineering feats, the economic impact of the railway on towns in Almería and Murcia, and the subsequent efforts by successor companies (Granada Railway Company, CCHSE) to complete the original Granada-Murcia vision, concluding with a look at the railway's lasting legacy.

1: Setting the Stage for the GSSR

Informal Empire and the Genesis of the GSSR

The origins of the Great Southern of Spain Railway (GSSR), a prime example of British informal imperialism in 19th-centu Read the article >>

2: Founding the GSSR

GSSR: Corruption, Concessions, & Gustave Gillman's Rescue

This is the story of the chaotic birth of the Great Southern of Spain Railway (GSSR). We look at the bureaucratic conces Read the article >>

3: Águilas to Almendricos and Lorca (1885–1890)

GSSR: Building the Águilas-Lorca Line & Hett, Maylor Collapse

The challenging construction of the GSSR's crucial first section: Águilas to Almendricos and Lorca (1885–1890). Disco Read the article >>

4: Implosion of Hett, Maylor & Co.

GSSR Survival: Financial Crash, Loring's Lawfare, and Rescue

Analyse the near-fatal crisis of the GSSR following the 1890 bankruptcy of its contractor, Hett, Maylor & Co. Discover h Read the article >>

5: Almendricos to Huércal-Overa (1890–1891)

GSSR: Almendricos to Huércal-Overa & The 1929 Runaway Crash

The GSSR pushes deeper into Almería with the completion of the Almendricos to Huércal-Overa section in 1891, an engine Read the article >>

6: Huércal-Overa to Zurgena (1891–1892)

Loring's Lawfare & The Governor's Wife Saves the Line

This is the dramatic story of the GSSR's short Huércal-Overa to Zurgena section (1891–1892). Learn how the disgruntle Read the article >>

7: Zurgena to Almanzora (1892–1893)

Almanzora Valley's Mineral Hub & The Devastating 1900 Flood

Follow the GSSR's journey deeper into the Almanzora Valley, reaching the vital hub of Almanzora/Albox in 1893. This sect Read the article >>

8: Almanzora to Purchena (1893–1894)

Purchena Station, Marble, and the Welsh Coal Scam

Delve into the GSSR's push to Purchena in 1894, a challenging section through the Almanzora Valley that opened the door Read the article >>

9: Purchena to Serón (1894)

Serón, Sierra Filabres Iron Ore, & Gillman's Water Solution

The GSSR's final climb to Serón in 1894, to access the vital iron ore of the Sierra de los Filabres. This article detai Read the article >>

10: Serón to Baza (1894)

Hijate Summit, Baza Terminus, & The Esparto/Sugar Boom

This is the dramatic final ascent of the GSSR to the Hijate continental divide (974m) before reaching the Baza terminus Read the article >>

11: El Hornillo Ore Loading Pier (1903)

GSSR's Steel Gateway & Gillman's Masterpiece (1903)

The creation of the massive El Hornillo Ore Loading Pier in Águilas (1903), the true commercial climax of the GSSR. Lea Read the article >>

12: GSSR Concession Transfer

Concession Transfer: Baza-Guadix, Ivo Bosch & The SRT Coup

Unravel the dramatic financial coup that saw the struggling GSSR sell its Baza-Granada concession to a consortium led by Read the article >>

13: Baza to Baúl (1906)

The Badlands Line, Túnel de Freila, & A Town's Fate

A journey through the dramatic Hoya de Baza badlands as the railway advanced from Baza to Baúl (1906), a section define Read the article >>

14: Baúl to Gor

Baúl to Gor Ascent, Venta de Baúl Summit & El Baúl Bridge

Ascending the demanding Baúl to Gor section to reach the 1,276-meter Venta de Baúl summit, the highest point on the or Read the article >>

15: Gor Viaduct Disaster (1905)

The story of the dramatic failure of the Gor Viaduct, the GRC's ambitious attempt at building Spain's first cantilever b Read the article >>

16: Granada to Guadix (1904)

The Final Link & The CCHSE's Completion (1904)

This is the dramatic final connection of the original railway vision: the line from Granada to Guadix (completed 1904). Read the article >>

17: The Twilight and Rebirth of the GSSR

The 1984 Closure, & Rebirth as Vía Verde

Trace the final history of the GSSR from its nationalization by RENFE in 1941 to its eventual closure in the 1984 Cerroj Read the article >>