Mysore State Railway
| Mysore State Railway | ||
|---|---|---|
| [[Image:|150px| ]] | ||
| Line of route | ||
| Mysore to Bangalore Bangalore to Harihar | ||
| Gauge / mileage | ||
| Metre gauge | 296 miles (1905) | |
| Timeline | ||
| 1887 | Leased to Southern Mahratta Railway | |
| 1919 | Mysore-Bangalore section reverted to State | |
| 1938 | Bangalore-Harihar section reverted to State | |
| Key locations | ||
| Presidency | Madras | |
| Stations | Bangalore, Birur, Harihar, Kadur, Maddur, Mysore, Seringapatam, Tumkur | |
| System agency | ||
| 1882 | Worked by Southern Mahratta Railway | |
| 1938 | Reverted to Mysore State Railway control | |
| How to interpret this infobox | ||
| Mysore State Railway | ||
|---|---|---|
| [[Image:|150px| ]] | ||
| System timeline | ||
| 1887 | First system leased to Southern Mahratta Railway | |
| 1912 | System re-formed by State of Mysore | |
| 1919 | Reversion of some lines | |
| 1938 | Lease terminated and lines reverted to full State of Mysore control | |
| Constituent companies / lines | ||
| 1919 & 1938 | Mysore State Railway | |
| 1938 | Anandapuram-Sagara Railway | |
| 1919 | Birur-Shimoga Railway | |
| 1916 | Bowringpet-Chikballapur Railway | |
| 1921 | Chickjajur-Chitaldrug Railway | |
| 1918 | Chikballapur-Bangalore City Railway | |
| 1918 | Mysore-Arsikere Railway | |
| 1919 | Mysore-Nanjangud Railway | |
| 1926 | Nanjangud-Chamrajnagar Railway | |
| 1934 | Shimoga-Anandapuram Railway | |
| 1921 | Tadasa-Hebbe Tramway | |
| 1917 | Tarikere-Narasimharajapura Tramway | |
| Key locations | ||
| Headquarters | Mysore | |
| Workshops | Bangalore | |
| Major Stations | Arsikere, Birur, Bowringpet, Chamrajnagar, Chikballapur, Chitaldrug, Harihar, Hassan, Hindupur, Kadur, Maddur, Nanjangud, Seringapatam, Shimoga, Tumkur | |
| Successor system / organisation | ||
| 1950 | Nationalised | |
| 1951 | Southern Railway (IR zone) | |
| System mileage | ||
| Metre gauge | 600 miles (1940) | |
| 2' 6" NG | 102 miles (1940) | |
| 2' 0" | 36 miles (1940) | |
| Associated auxiliary force | ||
| n/a | ||
| How to interpret this infobox | ||
The name, Mysore State Railway (MSR), originally referred to the metre gauge(MG) line which connected the State capital, Mysore, to Bangalore and named the Mysore-Bangalore Railway. The MSR also developed a number of other railways which from 1887 were initially leased the Southern Mahratta Railway (SMR).
Later,the MSR, or Mysore Railway as it was sometimes known in this context, was the name applied to a network of disjointed metre gauge(MG) branch lines owned by the Princely Mysore State Durbar.
History
Following the disastrous famine of 1876-77, the original sections of the MSR were planned and built by the State of Mysore, opening to traffic from 1881-82. In 1887, in order to eradicate its "famine debt", the State of Mysore leased the MSR to the Southern Mahratta Railway (SMR) for a period of 45 years. [1].
In 1907, the SMR transformed itself into the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway (M&SMR), with the lease following. At this time, the Railway Department of the State of Mysore was defunct.
From 1912, the State of Mysore again became actively involved in the promotion and construction of railway lines within its boundaries, and, between 1916 and 1918, opened 232 miles of railway to traffic. In 1919, the State succesfully sought the reversion of the Mysore to Bangalore section and two branch lines, the ‘Birur-Shimoga’ and the ‘Mysore-Nanjangud’ Railways. Further construction, chiefly between 1921 and 1934, added 105 miles of new track.
From 1 January 1938, the lines leased to M&SMR reverted to the control of the State of Mysore, creating a homogenous railway of just under 740 miles. In 1950, MSR was nationalised and in 1951 became part of Southern Railway, one of the then newly formed zones of Indian Railways.
Original Mysore State Lines
- ‘Mysore-Bangalore Railway’, 86 miles(138km) MG from Mysore to Bangalore via Chanapatna, constructed by Mysore State, opened 1881-82 [2]. Worked by Mysore State until 1887, SMR 1887-1907, then M&SMR as part of the M&MSR ‘Mysore Section’ until 1919, then reverted to MSR.
- ‘Bangalore Harihar Railway’, 210 miles(336km) MG from Bangalore to Harihar via Yesvantpur Junction, constructed by Mysore State, opened in stages from 1884-89 [2]. Worked by Mysore State until 1887, SMR 1887-1907, then M&SMR as part of the M&MSR ‘Mysore Section’ until 1938 when it reverted to MSR.
- ‘Yesvantpur-Hindupur Railway, 58½ miles(94km). ‘Yesvantpur Junction to Mysore Frontier’, 51¼ miles fully opened by 1894 [3]. The first 20 miles(32km) from Yesvantpur to Dod-Ballapur opened in 1892 and known as the 'Yesvantpur Dod-Ballapur Railway'. The section ‘Mysore Frontier to Hindupur’, 7¼ miles opened 1893 [4]
- ‘Mysore-Nanjangud Railway’, 16 miles(26km) MG from Mysore to Nanjangud, a branch line, constructed by Mysore State , opened 1891 [2]. Worked by SMR until 1907; then M&SMR until 1919; then reverted to MSR.
- ‘Birur-Shimoga Railway’, 38 miles(61km) MG from Birur to Shimoga, a branch line, constructed by Mysore State, opened 1899 [5]. Worked by SMR until 1907; then M&SMR until 1919; then reverted to MSR.
Lines constructed/worked by MSR
See separate pages for further information
- ‘Tarikere-Narasimharajapura Tramway’, opened 1915. Narrow gauge tramway, worked by MSR
- ‘Yelahaka-Bangarpet Railway’, owned by Kolar and Mysore District Board, opened 1913, worked by MSR and extended 1918
- ‘Bowringpet-Chikballapur Railway’, owned by Kolar and Mysore District Board, opened 1916. Narrow Gauge Railway; worked by MSR.
- ‘Chikballapur-Bangalore City Railway’, opened 1918; worked by
- ‘Mysore-Arsikere Railway’, opened 1918. Worked by MSR.
- ‘Chickjajur-Chitaldrug Railway’, opened 1921. A short MG branch line, worked by MSR.
- ‘Tadasa-Hebbe Tramway’, opened 1921. Worked by MSR
- ‘Najangud-Chamrajnagar Railway’, opened 1926. Extension of Mysore-Nanjangud Railway; worked by MSR
- ‘Anandapuram-Sagara Railway’, opened 1938. Further extension of Birur-Shimoga Railway; worked by MSR.
- ‘Sagara-Talaguppe Railway’, opened 1940. Opened as extension to Birur-Shimoga Railway; worked by MSR.
- ‘Shimoga-Anandapuram Railway’, opened 1934. Opened 1934 as extension to Birur-Shimoga Railway; worked by MSR)
Records
Refer to FIBIS Fact File #4: “Research sources for Indian Railways, 1845-1947” - available from the 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
An on-line search of the IOR records relating to this railway [6] gives the following: -
- R/2/Box4/34; “Files 479A 1-3 1888 Cession to the British Govt. of jurisdiction over the Mysore State Railways”; 1886-93
- /L/F/8/13/939; “Southern Mahratta Railway Company Limited, Contract for an extension of the Mysore State Railway and maintenance and working and extension as separate undertaking Secretary of State”; 31 Aug 1887
- L/F/8/20/1704; “Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Company Limited, Contract as to transfer of Mysore-Nanjangud, Birur-Shimoga and Mysore-Bangalore sections of the Mysore Railway to the Mysore Durbar Secretary" 24 Oct 1924
Unfortunately, there are no MSR Staff agreements held at the British Library in the India Office Records.
Personnel
- Augustus Le Messurier Col. R.E. Bombay Engineers, was appointed Engineer-in-Chief of Mysore State Railway in 1879 and became Manager in 1880 [7].
- Henry Wilkins Clift, Executive Engineer from State Railways was posted to the Mysore State Railway from c.1879 [8]
Further Information
For details and map for railway and tramways in the north of Mysore State see Tramways in Mysore State
References
- ↑ "The Ex-Mysore State Metre Gauge Lines" by Ian Manning 2007. Placed on IRFCA Indian Railways Fan Club Server Retrieved on 9 Feb 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 “Administration Report on Railways 1918” page 92 (pdf100) ; Retrieved 13 Feb 2018
- ↑ “Administration Report on Railways 1918” page 90 (pdf98) ; Retrieved 13 Feb 2018
- ↑ “Administration Report on Railways 1918” page 86 (pdf94); Retrieved 13 Feb 2018
- ↑ “Administration Report on Railways 1918” page 88 (pdf96) ; Retrieved 13 Feb 2018
- ↑ “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search; Retrieved 26 Jan 2016
- ↑ Google Books " India List and India Office List, 1905" page 546 (pdf page 509 Retrieved on 23 May 2016
- ↑ Google Books " India List and India Office List, 1905" page 456 (pdf page 419) Retrieved on 23 May 2016