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British Indian Railway Push Trolley – Old Postcard 1905
This is a 1905 photo postcard of a British Indian railway push trolley. It is used for track inspection and if required for track maintenance purposes in certain cases. The trolley travels when it is pushed, more or less a hop-on and hop-off process. The railway labour staff thrusts the trolley forward for some distance by running on the tracks, then hops-on to the vehicle when it picks up speed.
The cycle is repeated till the destination is reached. Since there is less friction with rail wheels than automobile wheels which has far greater friction. So the pushing is a bit effortless and the supervisor sitting on the vehicle adjusts the brakes to control the speed. These push-operated trolleys are giving way to the motorized version.
Four people are required to carry it on and off the tracks. This is a rare photo of a bygone era Colonial India’s railway life. Also unusual to see the Britisher’s pet dog sitting by his side.
Read more Infrastructure and railroads. See post Mumbai Suburban Line Electrifies – Old Print 1926.
Did you know- India was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. There were boundless exports to be achieved from this huge country how better than building a vast rail network to carry cargo to the ports.
From the collection- Vintage Oleograph Raja Ravi Varma “Laxmi”., Mahatma Gandhi & Sarojini Naidu – Press PhotoGRAPH 1939., Aerial View of Mumbai – Vintage Postcard 1920., Vintage 1945 Book – The Story Of Fort St George.
The images are of the actual items from my collection. And Not a photocopy, pirated, reproduced, or stock photos or taken from other sources.
