TRAVANCORE RAILWAY ANCHAL SERVICE (T.R.A.S.) postmarks..
It was P.G.Wells and Dr N S Mooss, who earlier recorded the track for the cancellations regarding travel of Travancore mail by train.
6 different types with sub varieties .....from 1907 to 1949.
The first Travancore railway service was started in 1904 June 1st, from Quilon to Punalur, and extended services to Shencotta (Travancore) on 1904 November 26. And further extension of rail services from Quilon to Trivandrum were started on 1918 January 1st.
The earliest known mail carried with Set/Sort/Shift Number (S 2) was shown here (1907). The mail vans of Travancore Anchal were connected to the outgoing trains to Madras from Quilon, and were detached at Shencotta, and then reconnected to the incoming trains arriving from Madras. All mails carried were cancelled with 'T.R.A.S./IN' (incoming mails) or 'T.R.A.S./OUT' (outgoing mails).
This was the earliest rail route.... Quilon to Shencotta.
Rail stations, between Quilon and Shencotta..5 tunnels through the Cardamom Hills and through other hill stations, the longest tunnel being at Aryankavu.
QUILON, KUNDARA, KOTTARAKARA, AVANISWARAM, PUNALUR, EDAMON, TENMALAI, ARYANKAVU, BHAGAVATHIPURAM & SHENCOTTA.
Quilon, Punalur & Shencotta are the major stations.
Map showing the railway route from Quilon to Shencottah.
Set numbers, for the British India Railway Mail system, were used to distinguish between groups of sorters working on a shift system. It is an usual procedure for the British India railway station office....and Travancore seems to have followed the British system.
In 1907, Indian Rail Mail services were divided into 4 circles, and each circle in charge of an Inspector-General of Railway Mail Services & Sorting.
In 1909, a reorganisation of the Anchal Transit Agency with revised rules of its operations were promulgated, with 15 new transit stations in the state of Travancore.
The Southern Circle was decommissioned in 1918, probably with the extension of rail services from Quilon to Trivandrum in 1918 with stations at Varkala, Anjengo, Kazhakuttam. Later in 1931, extended to Pettah and Thampanoor.
In the north section of Travancore, rail line passes through Edapally, Angamali & Alwaye.
The S 2 (set/sort) number denotes the shift system of the sorting clerks, inside the office/train.
In Travancore, Set or Mail Sorters (S 1 & S 2) markings, exists only for a shorter period, as from the evidence in hand...whereas T.R.A.S. 'IN & OUT' cancels were in use, till the end.
What follows are the different types of railway cancellation, i have come to notice, so far.
TYPE 1.
'T.R.A.S. IN' (inbound train to Quilon)...28mm.
1909...from Punalur via Quilon to a stamp dealer in Attungal.
'T.R.A.S. IN' (inbound train to Quilon)..28mm.
TYPE 2.
1923...from Chirayankeezhu to Changnacherry.
'T.R.A.S.' close to the central crossbar.
'T.R.A.S. OUT' (outbound train from Trivandrum)..34mm
This type of franking did not last long as this was the year of the Great flood of '99' ('തൊണ്ണൂറ്റി ഒമ്പതിലെ വെള്ളപ്പൊക്കം')..1924.
1924...from Varkala to Trivandrum.
T.R.A.S.' close to the upper circle.
'T.R.A.S. IN' (inbound train to Trivandrum)...34mm.
This type of franking did not last long as this was the year of the Great flood of '99' ('തൊണ്ണൂറ്റി ഒമ്പതിലെ വെള്ളപ്പൊക്കം')..1924.
TYPE 4.
1935...from Quilon via Alwaye to Cochin.
'T.R.A.S. OUT' ..small lettering..(outbound train from Quilon)...28mm to Cochin.
TYPE 5.
1938...from Quilon to Kottayam.
'T.R.A.S. OUT' (outbound train from Quilon)...33mm to Kottayam.
Type 5 a.
1939...from Quilon to Quilon.
'T.R.A.S. IN' (inbound train to Quilon)..32mm
Type 5 b.
1940...from Aryankavu to Trivandrum.
'T.R.A.S. IN' (inbound train to Trivandrum)..31mm.
Thick & large inverted 'S' of T.R.A.S.
Type 5 c.
1941..posted to Kottayam.
'T.R.A.S. OUT' (outbound train from Trivandrum)...30.5mm
Thick & inverted large 'S' of TRAS..short tail to 'R'.
TYPE 5 d.
1941..Quilon to Quilon.
'T.R.A.S. OUT' (outbound)..31.5mm.
Curve to tail of 'R'.
Inverted 'S' of TRAS..
Short tail to 'R'.
TYPE 5 e.
1944 Trivandrum to Alleppey.
T.R.A.S. OUT' (outbound train)..32 mm
TYPE 6.
1941..Quilon to Trichur.
Small font and a small curve to tail of 'R'.
'T.R.A.S. OUT' (outbound train from Quilon)..31mm.
TYPE 6 a.
1943...Trivandrum to Trichur.
Short tail to 'R'.
'T.R.A.S. OUT' (inbound train to Quilon)..30mm
Further availability of the specimens might throw out few more in the future.
Map showing the extension of Rail from Quilon to Trivandrum in 1918.
