Rajputana State Railway

Rajputana State Railway(RSR)

History

The Rajputana State Railway was formed by the joining of the Rajputana - Agra District Railway and the Rajputana - Delhi District Railway. The line was metre gauge(MG) and the initial construction started in 1873. Delhi was linked to Agra via Alwar and Bandikui in 1874.

In 1875, the line had extended as far as Ajmer with the aim to reach Ahmadabad and to connect to the Broad Gauge (BG) of the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway(BB&CIR).

In 1879, the RSR was again authorised to build new lines in metre gauge.

In 1881-82, the Rajputana-Malwa State Railway (RMSR) was created amalgamating, under single management, existing State Railways:-

• Rajputana State Railway (RSR)
• Holkar State Railway, which had opened 1874 from Khandwa reaching Indore, 1876.
• Scindia-Neemuch Railway from Indore to Nimach, including a branch line from Indore to Ujjain opened in August 1876 . The entire line was completed in 1879-80
• Neemuch Nasirabad State Railway, Neemuch to Ajmer, the construction was started in 1879, and the work completed in March 1881
• Western Rajputana State Railway, known to have existed but no information found.

All these State railways were worked by Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway(BB&CIR)

Records

An on-line search of the India Office Records (IOR) records held at the British Library relating to this railway gives the following:-

• V/24/3587; “India. Public Works Department: Administration report of the Rajputana State Railway, 1871/72-1874/75”
• R/V/24/3590; "Public Works Department: Railways" which includes "Administration report on the Rajputana State Railway, 1878/79”

Personnel Records

• Willoughby Charles Furnivall, 1867-74, joined Public Works Department(PWD) to construct the Rajputana State Railway following the decision to construct that as a State line. He was sucessively in charge of the Delhi District and Agra District sections .
• Richard Gardiner Lieut.-Col. R.E. 1870, posted from Public Works Department to RSR as Assistant Engineer; West Rajputana Section, 1875, Executive Engineer; Deputy Manager, 1882 .
• Frederick Smith Stanton, 1871, deployed from the Railway Branch of the PWD to the Rajputana State Railway(RSR). Superintending Engineer in charge of construction of one portion of the railway from Delhi to Rewari and Bandakui, with a branch to Farakhnagar until reposting in 1873. Returning again in 1874 to complete the Delhi section of the RSR. .
• James Rhind, 1873, posted first to Holkar State Railway, and then to RSR, Locomotive Department, 'receiving certificates of good service from his superior officers'. Following this travelled back to England .
• Trevredyn Rashleigh Wynne, 1874, was posted to RSR as Assistant Engineer and reposted, 1877.
• Howard William Warden from PWD , 1875, RSR Assistant Manager.
• Horace Bell, 1875 Aug, from PWD Railway Branch posted as RSR Superintendent of Way and Works until reposted, 1880
• Cornelius Edward Cardew, 1878, posted from State Railways to RSR and others railways
• William Sinclair Smith Bisset from Railway Branch - PWD, was posted as Manager RSR Spt 1879. He later became Dir-Gen of Railways and Dep-Secretary to Government of India, Public Works Department
• Bagot William Blood, 1879, Superintendent of Way and Works for RSR
• William Richard Sumption Jones, 1880-93, posted to RSR to take charge of the completion and equipment of the Central Workshops at Ajmir as Carriage and Wagon Superintendent, which by absorption of other lines in 1883 became the Rajputana-Malwa State Railway(RMSR) .
• Frederick Nicholas Gutersloh, 1880-91, RSR Locomotive Superintendent, which by absorption of other lines in 1883 became the Rajputana-Malwa State Railway(RMSR) .
• Willoughby Verner Constable, 1882, Assistant Manager .