Solani River Aquaduct Construction Railway
Solani River Aquaduct Construction Railway One of India's first railways opened in 1845. It was constructed to convey materials for a major irrigation project with the aqueduct being constructed to carry the Solani River across the Upper Ganga Canal at Roorkee, a cantonnement in Saharanpur District, United Provinces.
Thomason College at Roorkee was established for Military Engineers studying to join the Public Works Department and Headquarters for the Bengal Sappers and Royal Engineers in Bengal. and linked to the construction of the Upper Ganga Canal, the most important irrigation project being undertaken at the time. In his proposal submitted to Government, the Lt.Governor James Thomason, had justified the location on the basis that the establishment forming at Roorkee, near the Solani Aqueduct on the Ganga Canal, afforded particular facilities for instructing Civil Engineers.[1]
Construction Railway
The first mention of railway is in the 1847-48 annual report when it stated that 59 feet(17.8 metres) of track had been laid and was being extended. By the following year 4,916 feet(1500 metres) completed at Mehwar and 1,150 feet(350 metres) at Roorkee [2].
The 1849-50 report names the railway as the Mahewar & Roorkee Railway with Mewehar having 8,615 feet(2625 metres) double track and 1,000 feet(305 metres) single track and 2,500 feet(760 metres) of branches and sidings in use. This equates to about 5½ miles(8.8km) of single line railway and there were 102 ballast trucks hauled either by human or animal power [2].
The work sites using the railway in 1851-52 were stated to be Dhunnowree with 2,912 feet(890 metres) single line with two bridges; Peerunkulleer with 1000 feet(300 metres) laid and 5,000 feet(1520 metres) in progress; Mehwar main and branch lines total 32,848 feet(10,000 metres) completed with one wooden trussed bridge; Roorkee with 11,570 feet(3,520 metres). This giving 8½ miles(13.6km) of line in use with 162 wagons. By 1852-53 this had increased to 10½ miles(16.8km) with 148 earth and brick wagons in use. The last mention of the railway was in the 1853-54 report when it was stated that ‘sundry lines of rails at Dhunnowree, Peerunkulleer, Kulleear, Mehwar and Roorkee were constructed and kept in repair’ [2].
Little is known about the identity of the locomotives, the first reference to a steam locomotive is in 1852. The records show that the only information that has been discovered [2].
Records
The above information is also available on-line from IRFCA "India's First Railways" by Simon Darvill, Dec. 2011 [3].
References
- ↑ "Water Resources Development: The Role of Roorkee" University of Roorkee; Retrieved 8 Mar 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 “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 UT05 page ....
- ↑ IRFCA "India's First Railways" by Simon Darvill, Dec. 2011; reproduced by IRFCA Indian Railways Fan Club. Information obtained from the British Library IOR/V/27/773/9 to /11; "Report on the Ganges Canal Works" from the commencement until the opening of the canal in 1854 Vol 1 to 3