Light Military Reserve Railway

Light Military Reserve Railway

The following account has been extracted from the records :-

History

• 1900 March. The 'Light Military Reserve Railway' (LMRR) was created and an order placed for 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge(NG) equipment comprising ten locomotives, 150 trucks, 50 miles of track with associated equipment and various other tankers and wagons.

• 1901. When the equipment was received from the UK the locomotives and trucks were delivered in Sept 1901 to the Khushalgarh-Kohat-Thal Railway(KKTR) - see separate page for more information. The remainder of the railway equipment was put into store in Chaman and used for experiments by the 3rd Bombay Sappers & Miners Corps of the Indian Army, the records show details of these experiments.

• 1902. In order to replace the equipment sent to KKTR further orders were placed during 1902. When it all arrived it was sent to the North Western Railway (NWR) Store at Mian Mir.

• 1903. Some of the equipment was used for the 'Delhi Durbar' 1903 - see separate page for more information and returned to Mian Mir in Apr 1903. The records show that there was a delivery of equipment to Rawalpindi(purpose unknown) and some to the North West Frontier Public Works Department(PWD).

• 1903-04. At the end of 1903 it was decided to reorganise the LMRR and send a supply of 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge(NG) equipment (1 locomotive, 8 trucks, 1 brake van and 15 miles of track) to each of the three Bombay Sappers and Miners depots at Roorkee, Kirkee and Bangalore; together with a consignment to be used on defensive positions around Quetta. The remaining rolling stock was transferred from Mian Mir to the Rawalpindi Depot where sheds were built to accommodate; and the most of the NG track retained at Chaman. 40 miles(64km) of NG track was moved in 1904 to Thal (probably for the KKTR). Also the Princely States of Faridkot, Malerkotla and Sirmur each received 1 mile(1.6km) of NG track with the intention of instructing the men of the 'Imperial Sappers Service' of each of these States in plate laying work.

• 1904-10. Further re-allocation of NG railway equipment from the Rawalpindi Depot occured from 1904 through to 1910 between Peshawar Cantonment; Thai; Quetta and Kohat for the KKTR. The last record for NG railway equiment being held at the three Bombay Sappers and Miners depots is 1906. There is no record of the use that was being made of the NG railway equipment at each location during this period.

• 1910-12. Equipment from Kohat was loaned to the NWR for use on construction work of the KBR) - see separate page for more information.

• 1911 May. 15 miles(24km) of track together with locomotives, and rolling stock were loaned for the 'Delhi Durbar' 1911 - see separate page for more information.

• 1914. 10 miles(16km) of track and accessories, locomotives and trucks were loaned on the Construction Works of Imperial Delhi- see separate page for more information.

• 1916. It is thought the remaining locomotives, rolling stock and equipment were sent to support the Mesopotamia Campaign in 1916