'Despatch by Lieutenant-General R. Wapshare, C.B., C.S.I. on the Organization and Working of the East Persian Line of Communications. From 1st April 1918 to 15th January 1919' [‎13v] (31/138)

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APPENDIX 4 "■ - ..
Note on the Field Work of the NushJci Extension {Railway) Reconnaissance
June 1918 to January 1919.
Object of Survey. —The Railway Board in their letter No. 616-P. of 14th June
1918 to the Engineer-in-Chief, Nushki Extension Reconnaissance, forwarded
instructions from the Chief of the General Staff, in which it is laid down that the object
of the survey is to select possible alignments for an extension of the railway from
Mirjawa to Neh, with at the same time a branch line terminating at Baring on the
west bank of the Sistan Hamun.
The field operations of any railway survey are :—
(1) A general reconnaissance carried out mainly by the Engineer-in Chief
himself of a wide area between the selected termini, on the basis of
which and considering many other factors besides the mere configu-
ation of the ground, he decides on the general alignment and the
grades and curves to be used.
(2) A survey along the selected route of an area about 1,000 feet wide on a
scale of 13 inches to a mile (5‘28 inches to a mile difficult country)
on which the centre line of the railway can be laid off. The survey
also includes collection of information for design of bridges, yards,
water supply.
(3) If necessary the projected centre line is then pegged out on the ground
for construction.
The Reconnaissance must usually be made beforehand, and as in this case,
this had not been done, and both reconnaissance and survey parties took the field
together (July 3rd and 5th), proper instructions as to grades and curves to be adopted
could not be given, and it was not until my return to Dehaneh Baghi from reconnoitr
ing the area on August 7 that it was possible to fix these conditions. The result
was that the work of the survey parties between Mirjawa and Duzdap during the first
month had to be thrown away, when it was found that 1—100 grades ought to be
adopted.
For the reconnaissance of the area extending south to north from Mirjawa
to Neh and Baring, and east to west from Sistan to Dahaneh Baghi, I sent Mr. F. A.
Primrose, Executive Engineer, over the eastern routes and myself took the western
area. Our parties were mainly mounted on riding camels and lightly equipped,
bivouacs by night and single fly tents by day. We each covered about 450 miles
between July 5 to August 7 when we reached Dahaneh Baghi and I sent in my
preliminary report. We subsequently examined the west side of the Karegi Newar
on my way back to Duzdap. I found that my impression of the Kashi pass during a
sand storm had been very misleading and I went carefully over the Patki pass again
with Mr. Primrose, and satisfied myself that the Kashi pass was the best, although
grades were worse that I had first thought. These sand-storms were frequent and
it was sometimes difficult to see 100 yards during the July storms and guides are
very necessary. There are no tracks and water holes very inconspicuous. The
storms, too, give trouble owing to rapid variation in the heights registered by the
barometer.
The result of the reconnaissance was to show that a very easy line with 1—100
grades (except at Kashi pass, where 1—62 is used temporarily for 3 miles up and 1—50
for 5 miles down) could be obtained via Duzdap, Garageh, Chah Kalandar, and
Dahaneh Panjeh, with a branch down the Shor Rud valley to Baring. The selected
route is shown in red on the attached map which also shows rejected routes in blue,
routes marched in green, drinking water blue cross, water for animals broAvn cross.
Mr. Edwards' yarty^ —(C. A. H. Edwards, Esq., Executive Engineer, Rail
way Department (Rrailway Board).
Orders for the construction of the line were received September 1 when only
26 miles rough survey"tff 4he 1—100 line from Duzdap summit had been done
towards Mirjawa. But by pushing the work and putting on more men Mr. Edw-ards
was able to complete the plans in time for the construction on November 3, which