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The [[File:Patiala State Monorail Trainways]].png|thumb|'''Patiala State Monorail Trainways''' <br>Map from [http://www.irfca.org/members/ddickens/PSMTArticle.pdf ‘The Railway Magazine’, February 1969, “An Indian “Might Be” by H.R.Ambler pages 72-76, reproduced by IRFCA (PSMTIndian Railways Fan Club) was a unique rail-guided, partially road-borne railways system running in [[Patiala] ]] from 1907 to 1927.

Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh of the [[Princely states|Princely ]]The '''Patiala State Monorail Trainways'''(PSMT) was a unique rail-guided, partially road-borne railways system running in [[Patiala State]] got this unique railway system constructed from 1907 to facilitate movement of people and goods in his state1927. The chief engineer of this project was Colonel monorail used the [[C W Bowles]] who had earlier successfully used monorail based on Ewing System (designed by William Thorold) during his stint as engineer during laying of tracks for [[Bengal-Nagpur RailwayMonorail|Ewing System]] for transportation of construction materials and was made chief Engineer for the PSMT project. One of constructed and operated by the objects Bombay firm of PSMT was to make use of the 560 mules being maintained by Patiala State. Apart from mules‘Marsland, bullocks were also used to haul the monorail before introduction of steam locomotives on the route of PSMT.Price & Company’ <refname=Ambler>[http://www.irfca.org/members/ddickens/PSMTArticle.pdf "The ‘The Railway MagazineMagazine’, February 1969, “An Indian Might-have-been” by H.R.Ambler pages 72-76, reproduced by IRFCA (Indian Railways Fan Club)]; Retrieved on 18 Apr 2016May 2017</ref>

The total distance covered by PSMT was 50 miles (80 km). PSMT was run on two unconnected lines.The lines were constructed by Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh of the firm of Marsland and Price, based in Bombay. *[[SirhindPrincely states|Princely ]] to [[MorindaPatiala State]], a distance had this unique railway system constructed to facilitate movement of 15 miles (24 km)people and goods in his state. It The chief engineer of this project was proposed to extend this line to Colonel [[RoparC W Bowles]] but since Ropar was connected by who had earlier successfully used a railway line, this idea was abandoned. *monorail based on [[PatialaEwing System Monorail|Ewing System]] to (designed by William Thorold) during his stint as engineer for the [[SunamBengal-Nagpur Railway]], a distance of 35 miles(56 km) via when responsible for the [[BasiBengal-Nagpur Railway Kharagpur Construction Monorail|Construction works at Kharagpur ]]<ref name=name>[http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V07_101.gif "Imperial Gazetteer used for transportation of India, v. 7, p. 95construction materials . Basi"]; Retrieved 22 Dec 2015</ref>, 5 miles(8km) from Colonel [[SirhindC W Bowles|Bowles]] where there was a connection made chief Engineer for the PSMT project. One of the objects of PSMT was to make use of the 560 mules being maintained by Patiala State. Apart from mules, bullocks were also used to haul the monorail before introduction of steam locomotives on the [[North Western Railway]]route of PSMT <ref name=Ambler/>.

The only published ==Personnel Records==No information about PSMT or records have been found, except by obscure references:-*[[C W Bowles|Colonel C W Bowles]] was in a 1908 edition of Imperial Gazetteer of India made chief Engineer <ref name=nameAmbler/> in which there was a brief mention. The gazetteer simply stated that "a mono-rail tramway, opened in February, 1907, connects ''mentioned above'Basi''' with *[[Herbert Septimus Harington]] is reported to have "died whilst supervising the construction of a light railway at Sirhindsystem for the State of Patiala"<ref name=Grace>[https://www. An ordnance map gracesguide.co.uk/Herbert_Septimus_Harington ‘Grace’s Guide/Inst of Mechanical Engineers Obituary 1914’ “'Herbert Septimus Harington” ] Retrieved on 21 Nov 2018</ref>. He died in 1913 also shows a tramway running along west side of road, but does not mention the PSMT by nameand buried at Simla. Apart from This can only be in connection with the above, PSMT has not been mentioned in any official documents of that period in Indiabut nothing more is known.

==PSMT Lines==The total distance covered by PSMT was 50 miles (80 km). PSMT was run on two unconnected lines. The lines were constructed by the firm of Marsland and Price, based in Bombay. ===Basi Monorail System===At [[Sirhind]] there was a connection to the [[North Western Railway]] ‘Ambala-Ludiana SectionMainline’ and the line was opened as far as [[Basi]], 5 miles(8km) by 1908 <ref name=Gazett>[http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V07_101.gif "Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 7, p. 95. Basi"]; Retrieved 18 May 2017</ref>. ===Sirhind - Morinda Monorail===[[Sirhind]] to [[Morinda]], a distance of 15 miles (24 km). The Basi Monorail was then extended to reach [[Morinda]]. It was proposed to extend this line to [[Rupar]] but since Rupar was connected by a railway line, this idea was abandoned.  ===Patiala - Sunam Monorail===[[Patiala]] to [[Sunam]], a distance of 40 miles(56 km) via Bhawanigarh following the good road on which there was a constant bullock cart traffic in passengers and freight. Most of the traffic transferred to the monorail line, which, although used animal traction, was smoother and more comfortable. The PMST road was mainly on a raised embankment to keep it clear when the second surrounding land was flooded. The embankment was about 20ft (6 metres) wide at road level with a 8ft(2.4m) centre strip, leaving soft shoulders on each side of about 6ft(1.8m). The monorail system was laid on one of these shoulders so that the balancing wheels ran along the edge of the metalled surface, leaving the rest clear for other traffic <ref name=JohnDay> “Railway World” February 1962 Vol 23 No 261, pages 52-53 & 66. ‘An Indian Monorail: The Ewing System in Patiala’ by John R Day. Published by Ian Allen & Co.</ref>. A letter by [[C W Bowles|Colonel Bowles]] to a Mr. Ambler described the route of Patiala-Sunam line as starting from goods yard of [[North Western Railway]] (NWR) at Patiala. The PSMT then crossed the main railway line at a road level crossing nearby. It then went through the walled city towards City and then took a turn north towards the cantonment. Then it travelled along the main road to [[Bhawanigarh]] and then [[Sunam]] <ref name=Ambler/>. ===PSMT Locomotive No 4 at unknown location===[[File:Patiala State Monorail Trainways Locomotive No 4.png|thumb|PSMT Locomotive No 4 at unknown location]]The ‘British Library Photographic Collection’<ref>’British Library Photographic Collection’ F/290/184/0001</ref> has a ‘Ewing System Monorail’ locomotive No 4 bearing the PSMT logo.<br>The background to this image shows a very elaborate circular/semi-circular construction . There is a strong possibility that is one of the structures at the [[Delhi Durbar 1911 Railway| ‘Delhi Durbar’ of 1911]] ==Published Information==''The published information about PSMT is very limited:-''*The 1908 edition of the [[Imperial Gazetteer of India]] <ref name=Gazett/> in which there was a brief mention. The gazetteer simply stated that "a mono-rail tramway, opened in February, 1907, after connects [[Basi]] with the railway at [[Kundale Valley Light Sirhind]]". *The pre-opening examination report carried out by the NWR in December 1908 reported that the line was to be worked by mule power to start but ‘two steam .. and one .. petrol monorail engines had been ordered’. The report also confirmed that the line between ‘Sirhind and Bassi, a distance of 6 miles(9.6km) had been completed’ and it had four passenger vehicles and 30 goods vehicles. The passenger vehicle carried 18 to 20 people and the goods vehicles 82 maunds. The report described the platforms, lines and operations of the monorail. It reported an average working speed of 8 miles per hour but a trial run over 1½ miles(2.4km) with one car and four artilliary horses gave a speed of nearly 20 miles per hour <ref name =darvill>“Industrial Railways and Locomotives of India and South Asia” compliled by Simon Darvill. Published by ‘The Industrial RailwaySociety’ 2013. ISBN 978 1 901556 82-7. Available at http://irsshop.co.uk/India. Reference: Entry PB10 page ....</ref>.*An ordnance map of 1913 also shows a tramway running along west side of road, but does not mention the PSMT by name. *The “Railway World” <ref name=JohnDay/> in 1962 published an article by John R. Day giving information and photographs received from [[C W Bowles| Mr C W Bowles]], then in retirement, concerning his first-hand knowledge of the ‘[[Ewing System Monorail]]’ and the only operational locomotive‘Patiala Monorail’. *The “Railway Magazine “<ref name=Ambler/> in 1969 published an article by H.R.Ambler giving further information and photographs. ''Apart from the above, PSMT has not been mentioned in any official documents of that period in India.'' ==Later History==It is generally thought that the PSMT closed when the opening in 1927-28 of the [[North Western Railway]](NWR)'s [[Sirhind-hauled railway system built using Rupar Railway]] line made the Patiala State Monorail Trainways obsolete, together with any plan to extend the line from Morinda to Rupar. However adverts were placed by the Punjab [[Public Works Department]] in the 2 Jul 1921 edition of ‘Indian Engineering’ offering monorail trucks, passenger cars, locomotives etc for sale and in the 25 July 1925 edition it offers the whole of the tramway with the statement ‘although the line is a monorail, the wagons and carriages are suitable for conversion to narrow gauge at not too much extra cost’ <ref name =darvill/>. ==Further Information==See pages '''[[Monorail Systems in India]]''' and '''[[Ewing System Monorail]]'''<br>Further information and later history of the locomotives is given in the worldRailways and Locomotives of India and South Asia” compiled by Simon Darvill <ref name =darvill/>.