Kalka-Simla Railway
| Kalka-Simla Railway | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Line of route | ||
| Kalka to Simla | ||
| Gauge / mileage | ||
| 2' 6" NG | 59 miles (1905) | |
| Timeline | ||
| 1903 | Opened to traffic | |
| 1905 | Converted to 2' 6" gauge | |
| 1906 | Taken over by GoI | |
| Key locations | ||
| Presidency | Bengal | |
| Stations | Kalka, Simla | |
| System agency | ||
| 1903 | Own agency | |
| after 1906 | North Western Railway | |
| How to interpret this infobox | ||
The Kalka-Simla Railway (KSR) was a narrow gauge branchline, the final leg in the journey from Delhi via Umballa to the hill town of Simla, the summer retreat of the Viceroy and senior Government of India staff.
History
The Delhi-Umballa-Kalka Railway Company signed a contact in 1898 for the construction and working of a 2ft/610mm narrow gauge(NG) line from Kalka to Simla. The line was opened to traffic in 1903.
As a result of high capital cost and high maintenance cost the Delhi-Umballa-Kalka Railway Company was in 1904 in severe financial crisis. Following the decision of the Imperial General Staffs to standardise, wherever possible, on a 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge(NG), the track was so converted in 1905.
The KSR was taken over by the Government in January 1906 and later worked by the North Western Railway. [1]
The KSR remains one of the longest narrow gauge railway lines still operated by Indian Railways.
Workhops
In 1908 the Kalka-Simla Railway Workshop at Kalka gave employment to 200 operatives [2].
Personnel Records
There are no Personnel Records held in the IOR
There are limited references in other documents:-
- Herbert Septimus Harington was Chief Engineer of the 'Kalka-Simla Railway' and also the Delhi-Umballa-Kalka Railway from about 1904 to 1908 [3].
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 [4] gives 7 references. The most important being:-
- L/F/8/15/1040 “Umballa Kalka Railway Company Limited, Contract for the construction of the Kalka-Simla Railway; 1898”
- L/F/8/16/1167 “Delhi, Umballa, Kalka Railway Company Limited, Contract for the sale and purchase of the Kalka-Simla Railway; 1906”
- L/F/8/16/1106 “Delhi Umalla Kalka Railway Company Limited, Contract for the advance of funds for the completion of the Kalka Simla Railway; 1903”
- L/AG/46/9 “Records of the Delhi-Umballa-Kalka Railway Company; 1898-1907”
Stations
Some of the stations on the line, in order from Kalka to Simla.
-
Dharampur -
Kumarhatti -
Barogh Station -
Solan -
Kathlighat
Building the Railway
Attacks were an ever present threat to the builders of the Railway, who were trained in weaponry by an Instructor of Volunteers.[5]
External links
- Indian Hill Stations - The Kalka -Shimla Railway Youtube.com. One hour BBC Documentary Film
- Kalka-Shimla Railway Wikipedia
- "Train of joy" by Rajnish Wattas. A trip back in time on the Kalka-Shimla heritage rail track. February 5, 2011 The Tribune
- Kalka Shimla Railway (UNESCO World Heritage Site) from “Heritage of India”. Scroll down for some vintage postcards
- Kalka-Shimla Railway naturebeautyofindianhillstation.blogspot
- "Hill Lines of India" Mike's Railway History.
- "Man behind Barog tunnel lies forgotten" by Jagmeet Singh June 15, 2002 The Tribune
- Photograph: Barog tunnel in Kalka-Simla line by ramu101. flickr.com
References
- ↑ " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 127; Retrieved 19 Nov 2016
- ↑ Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 5, p. 283.; Retrieved 6 Mar 2020
- ↑ ‘Grace’s Guide/Inst of Mechanical Engineers Obituary 1914’ “'Herbert Septimus Harington” Retrieved on 21 Nov 2018
- ↑ British Library “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search; Retrieved 19 Nov 2016
- ↑ Benham, Patrick Unattached List, Rootsweb India Mailing List, 12 May 2010. Retrieved on 1 Aug 2014.
