Allahabad Ghat-Godown Tramway

The Allahabad Ghat-Godown Tramway was constructed in Allahabad in 1854 and soon abandoned.

A short tramway and associated machinery was, in 1854:-

‘erected at Allahabad for landing the goods brought up by Government Steamer and conveying them to the Godowns’ (Warehouses) .

The Correspondence between the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Military Board in 1854 reads (with slight adaption and interpretation):-

‘It appears that the site first selected was refused by the Military Board on the grounds that any buildings on it would interfere with the fortifications but nevertheless it was afterwards approved 10 June 1854..... These works which were constructed at a cost Rs7987.7.3 and proved to be of no utility principally in conveyance of the situation in which they were placed.’

The Correspondence shows that the project was abandoned and the following written within the report as side notes:-

‘ This transaction shews that the Public Interest have not been properly cared for. We trust that means hereafter be found to turn the machinery to useful account... the failure partly from the faulty construction of the machinery’.

The records indicate that a private company were seeking to take over the project, but there is no evidence that this occured.

Records

An on-line search of the India Office Records (IOR) records held at the British Library relating to this tramway gives the following: -

• Z/E/4/25/A383; “Allahabad, Correspondence relating to new ghat (not ghft as recorded) tramway and machinery erected at”; 1854-1855.
• Z/E/4/25/A975; “Army, Military Board, Land chosen for new ghat (not ghft as recorded) tramway and machinery at Allahabad objected to by but subsequently taken by private company”; 1854-1855
• Related Resources: See entry at E/4/826, pp630-632

These Catalogue Indexes led to the specific IOR records stated in ‘References’ below.