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Light Portable Railway
'Light Portable Railway' is the description we have used for the surplus 'War Department Light Railway' 60cm narrow gauge(NG) stock that was in shipped into India in 1919. This stock was held in stock in the UK.
Following the First World War, the British used the term 'Decauville' to describe light railways that could be rapidly laid and moved, none of the equipment had anything to do with 'Decauville et Compagnie' or the 'Decauville Portable Railway System'[1].
History
The following is an outline of the history [1] :-
In 1916 during the World War almost all of the equipment of the Indian 'Light Military Reserve Railway(LMRR)' had been sent to support the Mesopotamia Campaign. After the War finished very little of it had been returned for use by the Indian Army.
Jamrud-Dakka-Jalabad Portable Railway. As a consequence of the 3rd Afghan War in May 1919 an urgent military railway was proposed from Jamrud in India through the Khyber Pass to Dakkar in Afghanistan with an extension to Jalalabad if required. 'A large amount of 'War Department Light Railway' 60cm (600mm) narrow gauge(NG) rolling stock was despatched immediately from the UK with the rails to be obtained in India. This is described as the 'Jamrud-Dakka-Jalabad Portable Railway' - see separate page for more information.
At the same time as the Afghans declared war, the Waziris attacked the British and Indian Armies. The the peace treaty between the British and Afghans was signed August 1919 but the fighting in Waziristan continued by launching more raids against the British garrisons.
In order to support the action the 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge(NG) Trans Indus (Kalabagh-Bannu) Railway(KBR) was used extensively to convey troups, supplies and equipment to Tank, which had been connected in 1916 by an extension to the strategic KBR Railway - - see separate page for more information.
'Tank to Dera Ismail Khan Portable Railway'- see separate page for more information was constructed by the Railway Company Battalion Sappers and Miners using track purchased in India from Nov 1919 to 60cm (NG gauge). By Feb 1920 the line was being worked by horse traction using the 60cm rolling stock with locomotives in use by Jun 1920. The line was dismantled in 1925 and the stored at Chaman and Quetta
Chaman-Kandahar Railway In 1926 a report was written concerning the building of a railway between Chaman and Kandahar in the event of another war with Afghanistan. There were two proposals, neither of which were constructed :-
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 “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 IA07 page ....