Patiala State Monorail Trainways

Patiala State Monorail System (PSMT) was a unique railway system running in State of Punjab from 1910 to 1927. This was the only instance of monorail train system in India. An engine and a coach of PSMT have been restored and are in running condition. They are exhibited in the Indian National Rail Museum, New Delhi. PSMT was the only operational railway system built on Ewing System in the world.

History of PSMT

Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh of Patiala got this unique railway system constructed to facilitate movement of people and goods in his state. The chief engineer of this project was Colonel C. W. Bowles. Colonel Bowles has earlier successfully used monorail based on Ewing System (designed by William Thorold) during his stint as engineer during laying of tracks for Bengal Nagpur Railway for transportation of construction materials. Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh made him chief Engineer for the PSMT project. One of the objects of PSMT was to make use of the 560 mules being maintained by Patiala State. [ An Indian “Might-Have-Been” by H. R. Ambler available at http://www.irfca.org/members/ddickens/PSMTArticle.html ]

Routes of PSMT

but since Ropar was connected by a railway line, this idea was abandoned. [ibid]

The other line ran 35 miles (56 km) from Patiala to Sunam. The lines were constructed by the firm of Marsland and Price. Today no trace of the tracks or any infrastructure of PSMT remains. However, information about the route was found in a letter by Colonel Bowles to Mr. Ambler. Colonel Bowles described the route of Patiala-Sunam line as starting from goods yard of North Western Railway (NWR) at Patiala. The PSMT then crossed the main railway line at a road level crossing nearby. It then went through walled city towards City Mandi and then took a turn north towards cantonment. Then it traveled along the main road to Bhawanigarh and then Sunam.

Freight and Passenger

The route of PSMT passed through one of the major agricultural areas of Punjab. The area around Patiala was known as “wheat basket”. The old photographs of PSMT shows PSMT carring sacks of grains as well as people. Thus, PSMT was used for both purposes.

PSMT Steam Locomotives

PSMT initially used mules to pull the train. Later four steam locomotives were acquired for pulling the coaches. It is not known whether the engines were used on both lines or only on Patiala Sunam line. These four locomotives were of 0-3-0 configuration and was built by Orenstein & Koppel (O&K) of Berlin in 1909 at cost of £500 to £600 each. Donald W. Dickens, in his article on the PSMT, described the locomotives as “These were an adaptation of the normal O&K 0-6-0's but had a double flanged driver in the centre of each axle rather than drivers at each end. The right-hand water tank was larger so that some of the weight shifted onto the convert|39|in|mm|sing=on diameter balance wheel which was attached beyond the enlarged water tank. The outside cylinders were 5 1/2" X 14".The designer at O&K took advantage of the extra cab space behind the enlarged right-hand water tank and put the fire door on the right side of the fire box rather than at the back as is usually done. These locos were confined to the Patiala - Sunam line.”

The wheel arrangement of the locomotives were 0-3-0. The middle flange less wheel was of convert|50|cm|ftin diameter. Other two wheels were double flanged having groove depth of convert|2.15|cm|in. The locomotive had wheel base of convert|119|cm|ftin.

Rolling Stock

* Wagons were normally convert|8|ft|m long by convert|6|ft|m wide, with two convert|8|in|mm|sing=on diameter rail wheels. The coaches were supported by a road wheel of 98 cm diameter, set at convert|7|ft|m from the rail.

* The passenger coaches on the Sirhind Line were open sided wagons with knifeboard seating.

* In 1908, there were total of 75 coaches for carrying goods and 15 passenger coaches.

* As per statement of Col. Bowles, there were a few convert|30|ft|m|sing=on long goods wagons, having two road wheels. Some of these wagons were also converted for being used as passenger coaches by having transverse benches fitted on them. [ Unusual Railways by J. R. Day and B. G. Wilason ]

Details about PSMT Track

The track of PSMT was constructed by firm named Marsland and Price, who were based in Bombay. The track was convert|18|lb|abbr=on per yard rail clipped to iron sleepers convert|10|in|mm X convert|8|in|mm X 1/2 inches.

On the Patiala - Sunam line, wooden sleepers (15inches X convert|3|in|mm X 4 inches) were initially used but were later replaced with iron sleepers due to termite infestation.

PSMT – Passengers, Fares and Cargo

The only account of operational details of PSMT is found in papers of Colonel Bowles. According to a memorandum dated October 2 1908, found amongst Colonel Bowles papers, PSMT carried 20,000 passengers in a month on Sirhand - Morinda line. There are no details of the quantity of goods carried.

The fare is stated to be 1½ annas for the entire route. The rate for carrying goods is mentioned to be 1 anna per mound (80 lbs).

There is no account available for fares or number of passenger or quantity of goods carried on Patiala - Sunam line.

End of PSMT

Around 1912, with the advent of automobiles and improved roads, PSMT began losing favour with people. Ultimately PSMT was closed on October 1 1927.

Discovery of PSMT

PSMT was forgotten even in Patiala. However, PSMT had been mentioned in an article by H A Robinson in 1936. Thereafter J R Day and B G Wilson mentioned PSMT in detail in their book “Unusual railways” in 1957. Mr. Day got in touch with Colonel Bowles, who provided him some information and photographs of PSMT. Based on these information, Mr. Day wrote another article that appeared in Railway World, 1962. Mr. Mike Satow, took it upon himself to find the remains of PSMT and discovered the same in a PWD shed in Patiala in 1962. This article was read by Mr. H R Ambler, who did further research and wrote an article - An Indian “Might-Have-Been” which was published in February 1969 issue of “The Railway Magazine”. Ultimately due to effort of Mike Satow and others, One PSMT locomotive was restored along with Chief Engineer's private inspection car (this coach was rebuilt on original frame as a normal passenger coach). Both of these are on display at the Indian National Railway Museum, New Delhi.

Photographs

See also

* Monorail

References