‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [‎79r] (156/949)

(Confidential.)
Reconnaissance for a Railway between Kushki and tke Perso-Afghan
Frontier near Robat.
Nushki-Robat
Nushki-Afghan Frontier
... 360 miles.
... 344 „
Nushki-Bund-i-Kamal Khan (on Helmand) ... 406 „
Unlike the reconnaissance of the Helmand route, this was a genuine
investigation of the most suitable alignment for a railway between Nushki
and the places noted above; and the plan and section submitted may be
regarded as indicating the eventual location of the line within the usual
narrow limits.
The main features of the alignment from an engineering point of view
are easily explained. For the first third of its length, until within a few miles
of Dalbandin, the line runs along the northern glacis of the Sheikh Hussain,
Has Koh, and Kambaran range. Near Dalbandin it crosses a narrow belt of
sandhills and attains the southern glacis of the Chageh, Koh-i-Sultan, and
neighbouring mountains, along which its middle third lies. The remaining
third from Ware Sahib Chah to Kobat is on the northern glacis of the
Saindak, Kacha Koh, and Kobat range. The general direction of the line
varies from south-west at Nushki to north-west at Robat, and is in the form
of a crescent concave towards the north. From end to end of its 360 miles
of length a cheap line could be built without any works whatever, except a
short low bridge or two at Baghak below Nushki.
Elsewhere “ Dips ” could be made at all nulla crossings with a minimum
of cutting, and the preliminary dressing of the formation would be of the
lightest description. *
Some easy bank and cutting will be required through the sand belt at
ivbfe.—On maps Ekmach and Yakmach, it is the Dalbandin 5 and, beyond Ekmach, my
same word.
alignment should, perhaps, be kept a little
more to the south, so as to reach the point where the watercourses finally
merge in the plain, or, at any rate, become mere shallow wide depressions. This
portion of the reconnaissance from Ekmach to Trato was made on days of
continuous duststorms, when, though I followed a compass bearing, it was
impossible to fix my position on the map at any intermediate point. The line
on the plan, therefore, may not quite coincide with the correct route, and may
be drawn rather further to the north than intended. I mention the matter as
the difference of a mile or two on a talus is sufficient to make all the differ
ence between a surface line, with “ Dips” only, and one with considerable
bridging. •
A few curves will be necessary between Mushki Chah and Ware Sahib
Chah to avoid some isolated rocky mounds, but minute details of this descrip
tion need scarcely be dwelt on in a reconnaissance report. Suffice it to say
that it would be difficult anywhere in India to find an equal length of line
either cheaper to construct or less easy to damage.
Unlinking the rails and sleepers, and making bonfires of the latter, is the
only way in which traffic could be interrupted. For this reason it would,
perhaps, be desirable to use steel sleepers throughout. The shingle and grit of
these glacis is just the road bed that suits them, while the short stretches of
earthy plain and marsh could be thoroughly well ballasted.
Another advantage of the steel sleeper over the wooden in a line of this
description is that it has no tendency to float when a rush of water crosses a
“ Dip.”
In locating the alignment the engineer’s aim should be to keep as far as
possible on the lower edge of the glacis, where the shingle makes a natural