Powayan Light Railway
| Powayan Light Railway | ||
|---|---|---|
| [[Image:|150px| ]] | ||
| Line of route | ||
| Shahjahanpur to Mailani | ||
| Gauge / mileage | ||
| Narrow (2'6") gauge | 40 miles (1905) | |
| Timeline | ||
| 1890 | First section opened as the Powayan Steam Tramway | |
| 1894 | Tramway fully opened to traffic | |
| ? | Branch to Rosa Sugar Factory Tramway | |
| 1904 | Line further extended to Mailani | |
| Key locations | ||
| Presidency | Bengal | |
| Stations | Pawayan, Shahjahanpur, Mailani | |
| System agency | ||
| 1890 | Owned and operated by Powayan Steam Tramway Company | |
| 1900 | Rohilkund and Kumaon Railway | |
| How to interpret this infobox | ||
The Powayan Light Railway was a 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge(NG) railway which was first owned and worked by the Powayan Steam Tramway Company (see for early history). In some references also described as the Shahjahanpur-Mailani Tramway.
The section from Shahjahanpur via Rosa Junction to Pawayan (see note), a length of 17 miles(27km) opened in 1890. The line was constructed by the Powayan Steam Tramway Company and the maintenance taken over by the Rohilkund and Kumaon Railway(R&KR) in December 1900. The line was extended to reach Mailani, a further 21 miles(34km) in 1904 [1] [2].
Rosa Junction is about 3 miles south-east of Shahjahanpur and where there was an interchange with the Rosa Sugar Factory Tramway , it was a private tramway with a length of 3.25 miles( 5.2km)
Following the taking over by the Rohilkund and Kumaon Railway(R&KR) in December 1900 the tramway was renamed Powayan Light Railway.
The 1918 Administraion Report records that the ‘Powayan Light Railway’ was being managed and operated by the Rohilkund and Kumaon Railway(R&KR) between Shahjahanpur and Mailani,a length of 38.86 miles (62.2km) [3]
However the 1918 Administration Report records separately on the Rosa Sugar Factory Tramway from Rosa Town to the Rosa Sugar Factory, a length of 3.25 miles(5.2km) ‘A tramway constructed at the expense of Messrs Carew and Company connects the Rosa Sugar factory with Rosa station on the Oudh and Rohilhand Railway(O&RR). This tramway is 3.25 miles long and is worked by cattle power. It is used for goods traffic only’ [4]. The O&RR had reached Rosa Junction in 1910 thus connecting to the O&RR 'Rosa-Sitapur Branch'
There is un unconfirmed report that the 'Powayan Light Railway' closed in 1918.
Note on spelling
- Pawayan is the spelling given in the Imperial Gazetteer of India [5] which we take as the definitive spelling of the town.
- 'Powayan Steam Tramway' is the spelling of the Company in all documents and records, which later is recorded as the 'Powayan Light Railway'.
Records
There are no staff records in the India Office Records (IOR) held at the British Library
An on-line search of the IOR records relating to this railway [6] gives 5 references. The most important being:-
- L/F/8/16/1166 “Rohilkund and Kumaon Railway Company Limited, Agreement for capital expenditure on the Powayan Steam Tramway and acquisition of interests in the Powayan Steam Tramway Limited; 1906"
- L/F/8/17/1263 “Powayan Steam Tramway Company Limited, Indenture supplemental to that of 1st July 1901; 1912"
- L/F/8/19/1436 “Rohilkund and Kumaon and Lucknow Bareilly State Railways and Powayan Steam Tramway, Reprint of contracts showing modifications up to and includng the contract of July 3rd 1914; 1917"
References
- ↑ "Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 202; Retrieved 26 Jan 2016
- ↑ Imperial Gazetteer of India 1908" v. 22, p. 206.; Retrieved 3 Sept 2016
- ↑ “Administration Report on Railways 1918” page 202, pdf page 210 Classified under R&KR; Retrieved 3 Sept 2016
- ↑ “Administration Report on Railways 1918” page 131, pdf page 139 Classified under O&RR; Retrieved . Sept 2016
- ↑ “Imperial Gazetteer of India” v. 20, p. 81.; Retrieved 3 Sept 2016
- ↑ “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search; Retrieved Jan 2016
