Khushalgarh-Kohat-Thal Railway: Difference between revisions

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|gauge1= Narrow (2' 6") gauge
|gauge1= Narrow (2' 6") gauge
|gauge1details= 92 miles (1905)
|gauge1details= 92 miles (1905)
|gauge2=  
|gauge2= Broad (5' 6") gauge
|gauge2details=  
|gauge2details= 101 miles (1918)
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The '''Khushalgarh-Kohat-Thal Railway''' was a military, 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge([[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]]) railway which ran close to the border with [[Afghanistan]] linking [[Khushalgarh]] to [[Kohat]] to [[Thal]].
The '''Khushalgarh-Kohat-Thal Railway''' was a military railway which ran close to the border with [[Afghanistan]] linking [[Khushalgarh]] to [[Kohat]] to [[Thal]].


[[Jand]] and [[Kohat]]  were connected in 1901 by the [[Khushal Garh Bridge]] over the is situated between Jand and Kohat crossing the Indus river.
==History==
[[Khushalgarh]] had been connected in 1881 by a short 7 miles(11km)  [[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]] spur line to Jand  on the North Western Railway BG mainline <ref name=Admin.107>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n115/mode/1up "Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government  Printing,  Calcutta;  page 107]; Retrieved 9 Mar 2017</ref>.


The Kohat-Thal section of 61 miles was converted from NG to broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) in 1902 and merged into the NWR mainline in 1908.  
The '''Khushalgarh-Kohat Section''' was first surveyed as a BG line in April 1899. A decision was made in March 1901 that no bridge would be built over the Indus river at [[Khushalgarh]] and that instead a ropeway would be built over the river. As a consequence it was decided that a BG line would not be built and a 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge([[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]]) would be constructed from the right bank of the Indus facing [[Khushalgarh]] to [[Kohat]], a distance of about 30 miles(48km) and opened in May 1902 <ref name=Admin.107/>. This section was converted to BG and re-opened in 1908 (see below).
<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n136/mode/2up "Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government  Printing,  Calcutta;  page 128]; Retrieved 8 Feb 2016</ref>
 
The  '''Kohat-Thal Section''' 2ft 6in/762mm [[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]] extension of 62 miles(100km) from [[Kohat]] through the Kohat Pass up the Miranzai Vallet to [[Thal]] near the Afghan border was opened in stages from Mar 1901 reaching [[Thal]] in Apr 1903 <ref name=Admin.128>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n136/mode/1up "Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government  Printing,  Calcutta;  page 128]; Retrieved 9 Mar 2017</ref>. This section was converted to BG and re-opened in 1908 (see below).
 
In 1903 an accident closed the ropeway over the Indus River and a boat bridge replaced it. Eventually the decision was made to construct the [[Khushal Garh Bridge]] crossing the Indus river and at the same time to convert entire line to [[Thal]] from  NG to broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]).
 
The BG line was opened in 1908 thus connecting from Jand on the NWR mainine through to [[Kohat]] as the ‘NWR Frontier Kohat Section’ , 39 miles(63km) <ref name=Admin.107/>  and the ‘Kohat-Thal Section’, 62 miles(100km) to [[Thal]], the entire line was merged into NWR proper<ref name=Admin.128/> .
 
==Haulage Experiments==
In March 1902 haulage experiments were carried out on the unopened part of the NG line with a section of [[John Fowler & Company Ltd| 'John Fowler']] portable tramway using a passenger carriage and two wagons hauled by both a mule and a pair of bullocks  <ref name =darvill>“Industrial Railways and Locomotives of India and South Asia” compiled by Simon Darvill. Published by ‘The Industrial Railway Society’ 2013. ISBN 978 1 901556 82-7. Available at  http://irsshop.co.uk/India. Reference:  Entry IA03  page ....</ref>. The purpose and outcome of these experiments is not known.


==Records==
==Records==

Revision as of 06:07, 10 March 2017

Khushalgarh-Kohat-Thal Railway
[[Image:|150px| ]]
Line of route
Khushalgarh to Thal
Gauge / mileage
Narrow (2' 6") gauge 92 miles (1905)
Broad (5' 6") gauge 101 miles (1918)
Timeline
Key locations
Presidency Bengal
Stations Kohat
System agency
Worked by North Western Railway
How to interpret this infobox

The Khushalgarh-Kohat-Thal Railway was a military railway which ran close to the border with Afghanistan linking Khushalgarh to Kohat to Thal.

History

Khushalgarh had been connected in 1881 by a short 7 miles(11km) BG spur line to Jand on the North Western Railway BG mainline [1].

The Khushalgarh-Kohat Section was first surveyed as a BG line in April 1899. A decision was made in March 1901 that no bridge would be built over the Indus river at Khushalgarh and that instead a ropeway would be built over the river. As a consequence it was decided that a BG line would not be built and a 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge(NG) would be constructed from the right bank of the Indus facing Khushalgarh to Kohat, a distance of about 30 miles(48km) and opened in May 1902 [1]. This section was converted to BG and re-opened in 1908 (see below).

The Kohat-Thal Section 2ft 6in/762mm NG extension of 62 miles(100km) from Kohat through the Kohat Pass up the Miranzai Vallet to Thal near the Afghan border was opened in stages from Mar 1901 reaching Thal in Apr 1903 [2]. This section was converted to BG and re-opened in 1908 (see below).

In 1903 an accident closed the ropeway over the Indus River and a boat bridge replaced it. Eventually the decision was made to construct the Khushal Garh Bridge crossing the Indus river and at the same time to convert entire line to Thal from NG to broad gauge(BG).

The BG line was opened in 1908 thus connecting from Jand on the NWR mainine through to Kohat as the ‘NWR Frontier Kohat Section’ , 39 miles(63km) [1] and the ‘Kohat-Thal Section’, 62 miles(100km) to Thal, the entire line was merged into NWR proper[2] .

Haulage Experiments

In March 1902 haulage experiments were carried out on the unopened part of the NG line with a section of 'John Fowler' portable tramway using a passenger carriage and two wagons hauled by both a mule and a pair of bullocks [3]. The purpose and outcome of these experiments is not known.

Records

An on-line search of the India Office Records (IOR) records held at the British Library relating to this railway [4] gives several entries, the most relevant as follows: - gives the following:-

  • L/MIL/7/14848; "Collection 335/15 Railway construction: Loi Shilman, Kohat-Thal, Thal-Parachinar lines."; 1908

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 107; Retrieved 9 Mar 2017
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 128; Retrieved 9 Mar 2017
  3. “Industrial Railways and Locomotives of India and South Asia” compiled by Simon Darvill. Published by ‘The Industrial Railway Society’ 2013. ISBN 978 1 901556 82-7. Available at http://irsshop.co.uk/India. Reference: Entry IA03 page ....
  4. “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search; Retrieved 3 Apr 2016