Carnatic Railway: Difference between revisions

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|image=
|image=
|caption=  
|caption=  
|route=  
|route=[[Arakkonam-Conjeevaram Tramway]] 
|gauge1=  
|gauge1= 3feet 6inch(1097mm)
|gauge1details=  
|gauge1details= Opened 1865
|gauge2=  
|gauge2= Broad Gauge(BG)
|gauge2details=  
|gauge2details= Converted to BG c.1870
|gauge3=  
|gauge3= Metre Gauge (MG)
|gauge3details=  
|gauge3details= Converted to MG 1878
|gauge4=  
|gauge4=  
|gauge4details=
|gauge4details=
|timeline1date= 1870
|timeline1date= 1862
|timeline1details= Formed with state assistance
|timeline1details= [[Indian Tramway Co.]] formed
|timeline2date=  
|timeline2date= 1870
|timeline2details=
|timeline2details= Carnatic Railway Co. formed with state assistance
|timeline3date=  
|timeline3date= 1872
|timeline3details=
|timeline3details= Merged with the ‘[[Great Southern of India Railway]]
|timeline4date=  
|timeline4date= 1874
|timeline4details=     
|timeline4details= The two merged Companies became [[South Indian Railway]]    
|timeline5date= 1872
|timeline5date=  
|timeline5details= Merged to form [[South Indian Railway]]
|timeline5details=  
|presidency= [[Madras]]
|presidency= [[Madras]]
|stations=  
|stations=  
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}}
}}


The '''Carnatic Railway''' (CAR) was formed in 1870 to acquire the lines of the [[Indian Tramway Co.]]a company which was in liquidation.  The CAR was able to secure a 5% guarantee from the Government of India([[Government of India |GoI]]).
[[File:Carnatic Railway.png|thumb|Carnatic Railway]]
The '''Carnatic Railway'''(CAR) was formed in 1870 to acquire the operations and line and equipment of the [[Indian Tramway Co.]], a company which went into voluntary in liquidation
<br>[[Indian Tramway Co.|''See separate page'' ‘Indian Tramway Company’ ''for further information'']]


== History ==
The CAR was able to secure a 5% Guarantee from the [[Government of India]])<ref name=Contract >[https://archive.org/stream/parliamentarypa212commgoog#page/n243/mode/1up “Parliamentary Papers Accounts and Papers Volume 15 of 37” Session 9 February to 21 August 1871 Pages 231-244. ‘Contract between the Secretary of State and the Carnatic Railway Company’, dated 1 March 1870]; Retrieved  30 Mar 2018</ref>.


employment, mostly on railway work. After being District Engineer on the Great Southern of India for a year and a half, he became Chief Engineer, a position he continued to hold until August 1868, when he retired.
==Contract==
The Contract <ref name= Contract/> shows that the only line that had been constructed by the ‘[[Indian Tramway Co.]]’, was the ‘[[Arakkonam-Conjeevaram Tramway]]’, a  3 feet 6 inches(1067mm) [[Rail_gauge#Unique_rail_Gauges|Rail Gauge line]] of which "opened for traffic about 1 Aug 1865" and ran between the towns of [[Arkonam]] and [[Conjeeveram]], a line length of 18.8miles (30.3km).  


In 1868 August, [[Frederick Lewis Dibblee]] was engaged as Chief Engineer of the Carnatic Railway, he had previously been Chief Engineer of the [[Great Southern of India Railway]] also in the Madras Presidency.  
The Contract specified that the Company shall alter the  gauge of the  ‘[[Arakkonam-Conjeevaram Tramway]]’, described as the ‘Original Line’ in the Contract, to 5 feet 6 inches broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) throughout. It is known that the line from [[Arkonam| Arkonam Station]] to [[Conjeeveram]] was converted to BG  ''(probably in late 1870 or early 1871 but exact date not known).''


In 1872, the Carnatic Railway merged with the [[Great Southern of India Railway]]. In 1874, the merged companies were renamed the [[South Indian Railway]](SIR).
The Contract also specified that the Company shall undertake the construction of an BG ‘Extension Line’ from [[Conjeeveram]] to [[Cuddalore]].
<br>''It is clear that this “Extension Line” was not constructed by the ‘Carnaic Railway Company’''.  


==Records==
It was not until 1881 when the [[South Indian Railway]]’ (SIR] opened the extension from [[Conjeeveram]] to [[Chingleput|Chingleput Junction]] ''(see ‘Later Developments - 1881’ below)''.
Refer to FIBIS Fact File  #4: “Research sources for Indian Railways, 1845-1947” - available from the [http://www.fibis.org/store/fibis-books-and-publications/bff-0004-research-sources-for-indian-railways-1845-1947/ Fibis shop]. This Fact File contains invaluable advice on 'Researching ancestors in the UK records of Indian Railways' with particular reference to the [[India Office Records]] (IOR) held at the [[British Library]]


Unfortunately, there are no CAR staff records held in the [[India Office Records]] at the [[British Library]].
==Later Developments==
*1872 the ‘Carnatic Railway’ merged with the ‘[[Great Southern of India Railway]]’.
*1874, the merged companies were renamed the ‘[[South Indian Railway]]’(SIR).
*1878, the ‘[[Arakkonam-Conjeevaram Tramway| ‘Arkonam-Conjeeveram Line’]] was converted in July 1878 to metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]) as part of the SIR Metre Gauge systemwas adopted and the line was converted once again to [[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]] <ref name=Adminp138>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n146/mode/1up “Administration Report on Railways 1918” page 138 (pdf146) ]; Retrieved  30 Mar 2018</ref>.
*1881, The SIR cextended the line as a metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]])  from[[Conjeeveram| Conjeeveram  ''(now named Kanchipuram'')]]  in stages reaching [[Chingleput|Chingleput Junction]] in Jan 1881 forming the ‘SIR Arkonum MG Branch’. At  [[Chingleput|Chingleput Junction]] the line joined the ‘SIR MG Mainline’ which had opened in 1876-77 <ref name=Adminp138/>, thus connecting throgh to [[Cuddalore]].


==Records==
An on-line search of the IOR records relating to this railway
An on-line search of the IOR records relating to this railway
<ref>[http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?vid=IAMS_VU2 British Library “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue”  - Search]; Retrieved 20 Jan 2016</ref> gives 7 references. The most important being:-  
<ref>[http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?vid=IAMS_VU2 British Library “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue”  - Search]; Retrieved 20 Jan 2016</ref> gives 7 references. The most important being:-  
*'''L/F/8/11/874 ''' “Carnatic Railway Company, Duplicate contract Secretary of State; 1870”  
*'''L/F/8/11/874 ''' “Carnatic Railway Company, Duplicate contract Secretary of State; 1870”  
*'''L/PWD/5/3 ''' “Public Works 'Old Series' (Collections), Coll 15, Amalgamation of Great Southern and Carnatic Railway Cos, 1869-1874”
*'''L/PWD/5/3 ''' “Public Works 'Old Series' (Collections), Coll 15, Amalgamation of Great Southern and Carnatic Railway Cos, 1869-1874”
==Personnel==
Unfortunately, there are no ‘Carnatic Railway’ staff records held in the [[India Office Records]] at the [[British Library]].
In 1868 August, [[Frederick Lewis Dibblee]] was engaged as Chief Engineer of the ‘Carnatic Railway’, he had previously been Chief Engineer of the ‘[[Great Southern of India Railway]]’ also in the Madras Presidency.
==Further Information==
See '''[[Arakkonam-Conjeevaram Tramway]]'''
<br>and '''[[Indian Tramway Co.]]''' for early history up to 1870.
See '''South Indian Railway''' for period after 1874


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 16:02, 31 March 2018

Carnatic Railway
[[Image:|150px| ]]
Line of route
Arakkonam-Conjeevaram Tramway
Gauge / mileage
3feet 6inch(1097mm) Opened 1865
Broad Gauge(BG) Converted to BG c.1870
Metre Gauge (MG) Converted to MG 1878
Timeline
1862 Indian Tramway Co. formed
1870 Carnatic Railway Co. formed with state assistance
1872 Merged with the ‘Great Southern of India Railway
1874 The two merged Companies became South Indian Railway
Key locations
Presidency Madras
Stations
System agency
How to interpret this infobox
Carnatic Railway

The Carnatic Railway(CAR) was formed in 1870 to acquire the operations and line and equipment of the Indian Tramway Co., a company which went into voluntary in liquidation
See separate page ‘Indian Tramway Company’ for further information

The CAR was able to secure a 5% Guarantee from the Government of India)[1].

Contract

The Contract [1] shows that the only line that had been constructed by the ‘Indian Tramway Co.’, was the ‘Arakkonam-Conjeevaram Tramway’, a 3 feet 6 inches(1067mm) Rail Gauge line of which "opened for traffic about 1 Aug 1865" and ran between the towns of Arkonam and Conjeeveram, a line length of 18.8miles (30.3km).

The Contract specified that the Company shall alter the gauge of the ‘Arakkonam-Conjeevaram Tramway’, described as the ‘Original Line’ in the Contract, to 5 feet 6 inches broad gauge(BG) throughout. It is known that the line from Arkonam Station to Conjeeveram was converted to BG (probably in late 1870 or early 1871 but exact date not known).

The Contract also specified that the Company shall undertake the construction of an BG ‘Extension Line’ from Conjeeveram to Cuddalore.
It is clear that this “Extension Line” was not constructed by the ‘Carnaic Railway Company’.

It was not until 1881 when the ‘South Indian Railway’ (SIR] opened the extension from Conjeeveram to Chingleput Junction (see ‘Later Developments - 1881’ below).

Later Developments

Records

An on-line search of the IOR records relating to this railway [3] gives 7 references. The most important being:-

  • L/F/8/11/874 “Carnatic Railway Company, Duplicate contract Secretary of State; 1870”
  • L/PWD/5/3 “Public Works 'Old Series' (Collections), Coll 15, Amalgamation of Great Southern and Carnatic Railway Cos, 1869-1874”

Personnel

Unfortunately, there are no ‘Carnatic Railway’ staff records held in the India Office Records at the British Library.

In 1868 August, Frederick Lewis Dibblee was engaged as Chief Engineer of the ‘Carnatic Railway’, he had previously been Chief Engineer of the ‘Great Southern of India Railway’ also in the Madras Presidency.

Further Information

See Arakkonam-Conjeevaram Tramway
and Indian Tramway Co. for early history up to 1870.

See South Indian Railway for period after 1874

References