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In 1868 August, *[[Frederick Lewis Dibblee]] , 1868 August was engaged as Chief Engineer of the ‘Carnatic Railway’, he had previously been Chief Engineer of the ‘[[Great Southern of India Railway]]’ also in the Madras Presidency.*[[Frederick Charles Bullmore]], 1870-76, engaged upon the preliminary surveys of that line at various points between Madras and Porto Novo. In 1874 [[South Indian Railway]](SIR) absorbed the 'Carnatic Railway' and services retained. Left SIR on completion of the work< ref>[https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Frederick_Charles_Bullmore Grace's Guide 'Frederick Charles Bullmore']; Retrieved 3 Apr 2020</ref>.
→Contract: 1870/71 Report and internal link added with notes
<br>[[Indian Tramway Co.|''See separate page'' ‘Indian Tramway Company’ ''for further information'']]
The CAR was able to secure a 5% Guarantee from the [[Government of India]])<ref name=Contract >[https://archive.org/stream/parliamentarypa212commgoog#page/n243/mode/1up “Parliamentary Papers Accounts and Papers Volume 15 51 of 37” Session 9 February to 21 August 1871 Pages 231-244. ‘Contract between the Secretary of State and the Carnatic Railway Company’, dated 1 March 1870]; Retrieved 30 Mar 14 Nov 2018</ref>.
==Contract==
The Contract <ref name= Contract/> shows that the only line that had been constructed by the ‘[[Indian Tramway Co.]]’, was the ‘[[Arakkonam-Conjeevaram Tramway]]’, a 3 feet 6 inches(1067mm) [[Rail_gauge#Unique_rail_Gauges|Rail Gauge line]] of which "opened for traffic about 1 Aug 1865" and ran between the towns of [[Arkonam]] and [[Conjeeveram]], a line length of 18.8miles (30.3km).
The Contract specified that the Company shall alter the gauge of the ‘[[Arakkonam-Conjeevaram Tramway]]’, described as the ‘Original Line’ in the Contract, to 5 feet 6 inches broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) throughout. It is known thought that the line from [[Arkonam| Arkonam Station]] to [[Conjeeveram]] was in the process of being converted to BG , ''(probably in late 1870 or early 1871 but exact date not known, but then changed to metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]).Note there is still conflict regarding these dates'' The [[1870-71_Report_on_Railways#Progress_on_State_lines._Paragraphs_5-10.3B_Pages_3-4| “1870-71 Annual Report for Indian Railways for the Carnatic Railway“]] gives the 19 miles(30.5km) of line opened as 3 feet 3 3/8 inches which is metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]), with 100 miles (161 km) sanctioned and 81 miles(130.5km)to be finished’. The Report also details the [[1870-71_Report_on_Railways#Carnatic_Railway._Paragraph_81.3B_Page_37|‘progress of the railway and the commercial summery’]] - ''see separate pages for Report details.''
The Contract also specified that the Company shall undertake the construction of an BG ‘Extension Line’ from [[Conjeeveram]] to [[Cuddalore]].
==Later Developments==
*1872 the ‘Carnatic Railway’ merged with the ‘[[Great Southern of India Railway]]’. The background to this is fully explained in the record “Amalgamation of the Great Southern and Carnatic Railway Companies” <ref> IOR/L/PWD/5 “Amalgamation of the Great Southern and Carnatic Railway Companies”</ref>, this record has been transcribed by FIBIS.
*1874, the merged companies were renamed the ‘[[South Indian Railway]]’(SIR).
*1878, the ‘[[Arakkonam-Conjeevaram Tramway| ‘Arkonam-Conjeeveram Line’]] was converted in July 1878 to metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]) as part of the SIR Metre Gauge systemwas adopted and the line was converted once again to [[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]] <ref name=Adminp138>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n146/mode/1up “Administration Report on Railways 1918” page 138 (pdf146) ]; Retrieved 30 Mar 2018</ref>.
Unfortunately, there are no ‘Carnatic Railway’ staff records held in the [[India Office Records]] at the [[British Library]].
==Further Information==
