Poor connectivity forced us to hold blogging the remaining porgram.
It consisted of the following:
#Documentary movie on Patiala State Mono Rail by Mr. Manas Kumar Poddar, DLW Patiala
# Quiz Finals
# Handover of Token to Dr. Dheeraj Sanghi to hold the 2008 Convention in Kanpur
# Closure of MAS 2007 and exchange of bonhomies.
Mr. Poddar made an excellent presentation, which could be easily be the highlight of the Convention. He took us through the restoration process of the PSMR (the Ewing mono rail system) and how difficult it was to find information about it even in Patiala.
100 years ago the station of Patiala was located in a jungle! Today it is a part of the patiala town with the PWD store. A few rusted remnants of the Patiala State Mono Rail were found buried in sand at the PWD store. In those days it conected the towns of Bassi and Sirhind and later Sirhind to Alampura and Patiala to Bhawanigarh.
The trains were pulled by mules maintained by the army of Patiala . Later, in 1909 Orstein and Koppel provided the four uniques steam locos that were based on the Ewing mono rail system.
The PSMR was withdrawn due to poor partonage and dwindling finances. Itfaced stiff competition from other modes of transport, especially bullock carts whose drivers were vehemently opposed to this system. It closed in 1927.
