This is not exactly railways. But worth a mention here.
A replica of the city’s last surviving tram is in ruins at the BEST Transport Museum. It is similar to the ones that ran on Mumbai’s roads. Tram services in Mumbai, then called Bombay, were terminated in 1964 after 90 years of existence. Tramways were proposed as early as 1864, but a contract for their construction was given to Stearns and Kitteredge only in 1873. They were to run the lines for 21 years after which electric trams were introduced. The first trams, between Parel and Colaba were drawn by teams of six to eight horses. When the tramways started in 1874, Stearnes and Kitteredge had a stable of 900 horses.Electric trams were introduced in 1907 and ran till 1964.
The order for the first electric tram-car had been placed with the Brush Electrical Company of London. The vehicle arrived in Mumbai in January 1906. There used to be an Upper Class in the tram-cars; it was removed after some time. (27/09/09)
