BEST Museum acquires rare 1887 handwritten record from Mumbai’s horse tram era

The BEST Museum at Anik has acquired a rare and crucial piece of Mumbairsquos transport history one of the oldest surviving handwritten records from the cityrsquos horse tram era dating back to around 1887 just 14 years after the company was founded The find includes bound volumes titled Organisation Book ndash Bombay Tramway Company Ltd along with another centuryold book from around 1919 containing handwritten notes by Robert Bell Cartwright one of the most influential British tramway engineers of the early 20th centuryYatin Pimpale museum curatorCartwright played a key role in the expansion of London United Tramways and Metropolitan Electric Tramways overseeing the transition to electric tram systems across west and north London His detailed notes now part of BESTrsquos collection document tram operations management practices and recordkeeping methods that later became the template for the functioning of the Bombay Electric Supply and Tramways undertakingThe bound lsquoOrganisation Book ndash Bombay Tramway Company Ltdrsquo found at BESTrsquos Wadala depotThe 138yearold volumes were discovered during routine cleaning at the traffic administration office inside the Wadala depot the nerve centre of BESTrsquos bus operations The books had been lying untouched for decades before being identified and handed over to the BEST Museum A look inside the fragile volumes reveals meticulously handwritten route charts transport receipts financial records and operational notes some of them partially printed Over time the paper has turned yellow and brittle and now disintegrates on touch prompting the need for urgent restorationA handwritten reference to British tramway engineer Robert Bell Cartwright in a 1919 volumeldquoThis is a goldmine These documents give us rare insights into how Bombayrsquos horse tram system functioned from routes and maps to daily operations before electric trams were introducedrdquo said museum curator Yatin Pimpale ldquoGiven their condition the volumes will soon be handed over to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya for professional restorationrdquoHanddrawn route markings inside the centuryold Bombay Tramway Company ledger PicsRajendra B AklekarBEST began in 1873 as the Bombay Tramway Company Limited operating horsedrawn trams from 1874 Electric trams were introduced in 1907 and the organisation was later renamed the Bombay Electric Supply and Tramways Company before becoming the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking in 1995Worn out pages from the 1887era horse tram records now preserved by the BEST MuseumExperts say the discovery adds a vital chapter to the cityrsquos public transport story ldquoThese are foundational documents of Mumbairsquos roadbased public transport systemrdquo said Kunal Tripathi who runs the Mumbai Heritage social media account ldquoThey show how early transport systems were planned managed and sustained in a growing cityrdquoldquoAt a time when BESTrsquos reputation is being questioned by sceptics it is crucial to underline its monumental role in Mumbairsquos civic infrastructure by preserving studying and carrying forward its history The journey from horse trams to electric trams then to buses and now electric buses is a legacy that must be continuously taught to both present and future generationsrdquo said Ramchandran Venkatesh city history expertHistory of Bombayrsquos horse tramsHow Mumbairsquos first public transport ranBeginningBombayrsquos first horsedrawn tram service began on May 9 1874 operated by the Bombay Tramway Company LimitedRoutesThe earliest routes rangtgt Colaba to Pydhonie via Crawford Marketgtgt Bori Bunder now CSMT area to PydhonieHorses and carsOperations began with 200 horses of which 100 horses and 20 omnibuses were purchased from the Bombay Omnibus Company for R30000Horses were of two typesgtgt Gulf Arabs for doublehorse cars Rs 400 eachgtgt Walers for singlehorse cars Rs 600 eachTramcars included closed doublehorse cars open doublehorse cars and open singlehorse cars Larger trams sometimes required six to eight horses The horses were stabled in what is now Ness BaugFare and speedFares ranged from one to three annas with trams travelling at about 5 miles per hourEnd of the horse tram eraHorsedrawn trams were phased out with the arrival of electric tramsgtgt Last horse tram ran August 1 1905gtgt Electric trams shut down March 31 1964