JBR Railway Workshops

JBR Railway Workshops, Jodhpur
The Railway Workshop and Stores at Jodhpur (Ratanda), built in the year 1886 under the aegis of the Jodhpur-Bikaner Railway (JBR) to cater for all sorts of engineering works. Chief Foremen was in charge of the workshop. Maintenance & Repair of rolling stock was its basic work at that time. However, other associated works such as construction of roofs for Balotra Station, making-up of signals for new lines, manufacturing of conservancy carts for the municipality and construction of a number of doors, windows and various petty repair jobs for the His Highness ‘Durbar’ of Jodhpur & Bikaner and persons connected with the States were also taken in hand.
During the first world war, 15 locomotives per year were attended for their maintenance & repair. In addition to this locomotive work, maintenance of coaches and wagons was introduced on a regular basis after the Second World War. At the same time, the level of Workshop in-charge post was upgraded from Chief Foremen to Chief Mechanical Engineer .

Railway Workshops, Bikaner
In 1926, the workshop at Bikaner (Lalgarh) was set up to carry out periodic overhauling of metre gauge coaches and wagons .

Note: In 1924 the Jodhpur-Bikaner Railway JBR split into its two constituents - the Bikaner State Railway and the Jodhpur State Railway.

• It is assumed that the Bikaner Workshop was constructed and operated by Bikaner State Railway.
• It is assumed that the Jodhpur Workshops became the responsibility of Jodhpur State Railway.