Changes

The '''Barsee Tramway''' is mentioned as an 1863 project to connect Barsee with the Barsee railway station is recorded in the British Library [[India Office Records]] (IOR) stated below. V/23/232, No further information has been found71 for 1863 <br>The ‘Page’ references quoted refer to this record.

The Imperial Gazetter of India ''Spelling Note''<refblockquote>[http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V07_094.gif Imperial Gazetteer; Vol 7, page ]; Retrieved 2 Apr 2016'''Barsee''' and '''Barsee Tramway''' are spellings given in this 1863 record</refbr> states that 'The town is connected 'We have retained the spelling Barsee only with Barsi Road station on the [[Great Indian Peninsula Railway]] by the [[Barsi Light Railway]], opened in 1897.reference to this Tramway''

''No evidence has been found to confirm if this tramway was ever constructed prior to '[[Barsi]]''' and '''[[Barsi Light Railway]]''' are used from about 1870 onwards, and in the construction [[Imperial Gazetteer of India]] that we take as our definitive spelling. <br>''We have therefore used the spelling [[Barsi Light Railway]].in all other references''</blockquote>

==RecordsBarsee Tramway==An on-line search of the [[India Office Records]] (IOR) records held at the [[British Library]] relating to this tramway <ref>[http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?vid=IAMS_VU2 “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search]; Retrieved 2 Apr 2016</ref>gives the following: -*V/23/232, No 71; "Papers relating to the project of connecting Barsee with the Barsee railway station by tramways. Bombay: Education Society's Press, 1863" ''Background'''

The [[Great Indian Peninsula Railway]] (GIPR) broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) 'South-East Mainline'This record has section from [[Poona]] to Barsee Road Station opened in 1859 and was connected to [[Madras]] in 1863 with the opening of the [[Bhore Ghat Railway Construction|Bhore Ghat section]]. In September 1862, The Chief Engineer of the Presidency of Bombay, Lt. Col. M. K. Kennedy, submitted a proposal with five alternatives regarding connecting the town of Barsee to the GIPR Mainline at Barsee Road Station, a distance of 22 miles(35km) by way of a Bullock operated broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) Tramway. <br>The proposals comprised:- a single track Tramway with passing places; or a road either 20 foot(6.1m) wide or 24 foot(7.3m) wide with a single track Tramway that would run on one side. All proposals to include passing places <ref>Pages 4-8</ref>. <br>The problem was the crossing the Seena (Sina)River and two estimates for a bridge were provided:- a brick/stone arched bridge or an iron girder bridge <ref>Pages 9,10</ref>. The early crops had failed so it was decided that as a means of famine relief the road and bridge should be built (Bombay Government Resolution 8 October 1862) <ref>Page 14</ref>. A 24 foot(7.3m) road with a gradient of less than 1 in 100 was required <ref>Page 25</ref>. Meanwhile, the [[Government of India]] requested the GIPR, the [[Sind Railway]] and the [[Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway]](BB&CIR) Companies, to submit designs and recommendations regarding a bullock tramway carrying 300 tons a day over a distance of 50 miles <ref>Pages 26-31</ref>. The [[GIPR]] replied that it did not been examined think that a tramway was suitable and that a broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) branch line <ref>Pages 33-36</ref>. Sind and BB&CIR both sent back detailed drawings and may provide further estimates, both thought that a broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) was preferable as this would be interchangeable with the main lines but bullock power was possible <ref>Pages 40-45</ref>. Sind also suggested that it might be more economic to use a light rail locomotive and supplied the information regarding this <ref>Pages 47-48</ref>. The final informationwas received in January 1863 <ref>Page 54</ref>. The Governor had indicated that he thought a branch line was preferable <ref>Page 23</ref>. ''' 'The Road' ''' 'The Road' was constructed with earth works, cuttings and bridges and although first proposed in 1862 was not completed until 1870 <ref name=Engineering>“Barsi Light Rail - E.R.Calthrope & the Newly Exhibition” from ‘Engineering’ 20 Jan 1897, page 183. Reproduced by ‘Narrow Gauge and Industrial Railway Modeling Review’ No 69 Vol 9 January 2007, editor Roy C Link. ISSN 0958-0808</ref>.  By this time [[Barsi]] had become the spelling of the town and was connected to Barsi Road Station , on the [[GIPR]], a distance of 22 miles (35km), with a roadway of 24 foot width (7.3 metres) with 'hard shoulders' <ref>Page 25</ref> and of designed to be built with sufficient strength to carry locomotives and the gradients did not exceed 1 in 100 <ref name=Engineering/>. The Seena (Sina) River bridge was a ten arch masonry constructed bridge. ''' 'The Tramway' ''' The proposal to included the construction of a broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) 'Tramway' did not proceed and ‘The Road' was used for cart and pedestrian traffic. Over the years that followed the embankments became consolidated <ref name=Engineering/>.  ==[[Barsi Light Railway]]==[[Everard Richard Calthrop]] had, in 1887, registered in London the [[Indian Railways Feeder Lines Company]] to promote the construction of narrow gauge ([[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]]) lines in India.He resigned from [[GIPR]] in 1889.  Calthrope, in 1887, commenced negotiations with the Government of Bombay for a concession to build a Light Railway on the bed of the 'Road'. Negotiations were concluded and in 1895 the '''[[Barsi Light Railway|'Barsi Light Railway Company']]''' (BLR) was formed utilising engineering solutions based on many innovative designs. A request for tender was put out and on the 1st August 1895 an agreement was signed to build a 2ft 6inch([[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]]) light railway between the [[GIPR]] Barsi Road Station and [[Barsi]] Town. The first BLR section between Barsi Road Station on the [[GIPR]] (later named Kurduwadi) and [[Barsi ]] Town opened in 1897 utilising the ‘The Road' as the trackbed. ==Further Information==See '''[[Barsi Light Railway]]''' for further information and references