2 Old Postcards – Railway Station Pune 1907
There are two postcards of old Poona Railway Stations in this posting. Both the Postcards show two different views from 1907. The Poona station opened in 1858. This is 5 years after the first historic train journey in India that took place from Bombay to Thane in 1853. See my post-Antique Print First Passenger Train From Bombay to Thane 1853.
At the time the station was under the Great Indian Peninsula Railway or GIPR. The construction of the Bhor Ghat Track between Poona and Mumbai was truly a hellish experience for the British engineers. Nonetheless, an engineering marvel and a massive accomplishment for the British India Raj when completed.
But kept under wraps was that around 24,000 local workers were killed by the time it opened for rail traffic in 1863. The GIPR integrated to the Central Railway in 1951. See my post- Antique Photo GIPR Steam Locomotive Bombay. See my post- Vintage Postcard Main Street Poona / Pune. Read also- Pune Junction.
Did you know- Cotton was the chief reason for the introduction of railways into India by the British. Cotton trade was one of the biggest money-spinners for the British Raj and it could be accessed only from the hinterlands but transport to Mumbai by road was not practical. The only other solution was to try railway transport which was in its experimental stage in India.
From the collection- Rare Nilgiri Mountain Rail way Steam Locomotive Drawing., Vintage Photo Maharaja of Bikaner with Lord Mountbatten., Raja Ravi Varma’s “Birth of Shakuntala” Oleograph c1894., Antique Map Plan of Madras Fort St George 1746
