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[[William Smith Betts]] was the first Agent == History ==Much of this information extracted from "Marvels of the Great Southern of India South Indian Railway 1859-1951"<ref name=MotSIR> Southern Railway Heritage Centre "Marvels of the South Indian Railway 1859-1951". With page numbers indicated #p.</ref>, with page numbers indicated #p.210,214. The Chief Engineer [[Mark William Carr]] was appointed in 1858 <ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Mark_William_Carr Grace's Guide "Mark William Carr"]; Retrieved 18 June 2016</ref>.
From 1856 [[George Barclay Bruce]] was the Consulting Engineer, based in London, first to GSIR and then to the sucessor [[South Indian Railway]] for a period of 50 years <ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/George_Barclay_Bruce Grace's Guide "George Barclay Bruce"]; Retrieved 18 June 2016</ref>.
== History ==
[[David Logan]] was Resident Engineer on the construction from 1858 until 1863, when he succeeded [[Mark William Carr]] as Chief Engineer, a position he held until resigning in 1866 to superintend the reclamation work at Back Bay, Bombay <ref>[http://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/abs/10.1680/imotp.1896.19540 Institute of Civil Engineers "Obituary David Logan"]; Retrieved 17 June 2016</ref>
In 1864 November [[Frederick Lewis Dibblee]], on his arrival in [[Madras]], was engaged as Engineer-in-Charge on the GISR, then District Engineer and later Chief Engineer, a position he continued to hold until August 1868, when he resigned and transferred to the [[Carnatic Railway]] <ref>[http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/genealogy/dibblee/index.htm Frederick Dibblee, MICE Biography "Frederick Lewis Dibblee"]; Retrieved 18 June 2016</ref>
In 1868, the GSIR line reached The [[Erode]], connecting to 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 [[Madras Great Southern of India Railway“]] and gives:- [[David LoganRail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|‘Broad Gauge (BG)]] was reappointed as Chief EngineerLine sanctioned 378 miles(608km), with total Line length 168 miles(270km) and 210 miles(338km) to be finished’. "The GSIR was at that time a 5Report also details the [[1870-foot 671_Report_on_Railways#Great_Southern_of_India_Railway._Paragraphs_73-inch gauge line, extending from Negapatam to Erode75. Its subsequent development into 3B_Page_36|‘progress of the system now known as railway and the [[South Indian Railwaycommercial summery’]], about 1,100 miles in length, was carried out under Mr- ''see separate pages for Report details. Logan's direction."<ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/David_Logan Grace’s Guide "David Logan"]; Retrieved on 19 Jun 2016</ref>. '
''The only GSIR personnel that have been identified so far are mentioned as follows:-'*[[George Barclay Bruce]] was the Consulting Engineer, from 1856, based in London, first to GSIR and then to the sucessor [[South Indian Railway]] for a period of 50 years <ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/George_Barclay_Bruce Grace's Guide "George Barclay Bruce"]; Retrieved 18 June 2016</ref>.*[[William Smith Betts]] was the text abovefirst Agent of the Great Southern of India Railway <ref name=MotSIR/> #p.210,214. * [[Mark William Carr]] Chief Engineer, appointed in 1858 <ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Mark_William_Carr Grace's Guide "Mark William Carr"]; Retrieved 18 June 2016</ref>.*[[David Logan]] was Resident Engineer on the construction from 1858 until 1863, when he succeeded [[Mark William Carr]] as Chief Engineer, a position he held until resigning in 1866 to superintend the reclamation work at Back Bay, Bombay <ref>[http://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/abs/10.1680/imotp.1896.19540 Institute of Civil Engineers "Obituary David Logan"]; Retrieved 17 June 2016</ref>. He was re-appointed in 1868 as Chief Engineer 1868 <ref name=Logan/>.*[[Charles Edwin Crighton]] , Resident Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent <ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Charles_Edwin_Crighton Grace's Guide "Charles Edwin Crighton"]; Retrieved 23 Jul 2016</ref> , he continued in this post with [[South Indian Railway]] (SIR) after amalgamated in 1874.* [[Frederick Lewis Dibblee]], 1864-68, District Engineer, GSIR for a year and a half, then became Chief Engineer, a position he continued to hold until August 1868 <ref>https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Frederick_Lewis_Dibblee Grace’s Guide ‘Frederick Lewis Dibblee’]; Retrieved 22 Apr 2020</ref>.
→History: 1870/71 Report and internal link added
The '''Great Southern of India Railway''' (GSIR) was formed in 1858 for "the construction and working of a railway from [[Negapatam]] to [[Trichinopoly]], with branches to [[Salem]] and [[Tuticorin]] - total, about 300 miles. Capital 500,000''l''. (for the works at present authorized to be proceeded with, - viz., the line from Negapatam to Trichinopoly). Rate of Interest Guaranteed - 5 per cent." <ref>"Money Market and City Intelligence", ''The Times'', Wednesday, 15 June 1859, #23333, 7a.</ref>
The construction of the line from [[Negapatam]] via [[Tiruvallur]] to [[Tanjore]] (48 miles/77km) started in April 1859 to broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) standards and the was opened to traffic by December 1861 . The headquarters were at [[Negapatam]] with the Agent, Chief Engineer, Locomotive Superintendent and Traffic Superintendent and Workshops . The line reached [[Trichinopoly]] in 1862 <ref name=MotSIR/> #p.2,3,6,7.
In 1865 new 'beautiful and unique' offices were constructed at [[Trichinopoly]] and the Chief Engineer, Chief Traffic Superintendent, Chief Accounts Officer, Audit Officer etc moved over, thus leaving at [[Negapatam]] the Agent's office and the Locomotive Workshops. #p.8,9.
In 1868, the GSIR line reached [[Erode]], connecting to the [[Madras Railway]] and [[David Logan]] was reappointed as Chief Engineer. "The Resident Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent GSIR was at that time a 5-foot 6-inch gauge line, extending from Negapatam to Erode. Its subsequent development into the system now known as the [[Charles Edwin CrightonSouth Indian Railway]] , about 1,100 miles in length, was carried out under Mr. Logan's direction."<refname=Logan>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Charles_Edwin_Crighton Grace's David_Logan Grace’s Guide "Charles Edwin CrightonDavid Logan"]; Retrieved 23 Jul on 19 Jun 2016</ref> and continued in this post with [[South Indian Railway]] after amalgamated in 1874.
On 1st July 1874 the Great Southern of India Railway Company and the [[Carnatic Railway]], were amalgamated under the title of the '''[[South Indian Railway]]''' (SIR). <br>These broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) lines were later(1875) converted to metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]) to become part of the [[Madras-Tuticorin Mainline|'''SIR Madras-Tuticorin Mainline''' MG network - ''see separate page'']].
Unfortunately, there are no GSIR staff records held in the [[India Office Records]] at the [[British Library]].
==Further Information==
See '''[[South Indian Railway]]'''
<br>and '''[[Madras-Tuticorin Mainline]]'''
== References ==
