TRAVANCORE RAILWAY ANCHAL SERVICE (T.R.A.S.) postmarks..
It was P.G.Wells and Dr N S Mooss, who laid the track for the cancellations regarding travel of mail through train.
6 different types with sub varieties .....from 1907 to 1949.
Few postmarks are not recorded by Dr. N.S. Mooss in his book 'The Travancore Anchal'.
Though there was a description of the first TRAS cancel (S1 & S2) in his article by Dr N S Mooss in 'India Post' (No.47, Vol.10, Pg.10), it was wrongly mentioned regarding the usage of the Malayalam month (in the 3rd line..month 'MED' was seen instead of number) within the TRAS cds, perhaps due to the unclear cancellations at his end, as mentioned by Dr Mooss in his article (shown in the page bottom).
For the record, bottom cancel does not exist, as wrongly stated by Dr N.S. Mooss.
First Travancore railway cancel.
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..
QUILON, KUNDARA, KOTTARAKARA, AVANISWARAM, PUNALUR, EDAMON, TENMALAI, ARYANKAVU, BHAGAVATHIPURAM & SHENCOTTA.
Out this Quilon, Punalur & Shencotta are the major stations.
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 follow 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.
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 cancel, i have come to notice.
TYPE 1.
1907...posted to Quilon.
'T.R.A.S. IN' (inbound train to Quilon)...28mm.
1909...from Punalur via Quilon to Attungal.
'T.R.A.S. IN' (inbound train to Quilon)..28mm.
TYPE 2..shown below.
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' (outbound train from Quilon)...28mm
TYPE 5... shown above.
1938...from Quilon to Kottayam.
'T.R.A.S. OUT' (outbound train from Quilon)...33mm
Type 5a..(shown below).
1939...from Quilon to Quilon.
'T.R.A.S. IN' (inbound train to Quilon)..32mm
Type 5b..(shown middle above).
Thick 'S' of T.R.A.S.
1940...from Aryankavu to Trivandrum.
'T.R.A.S. IN' (inbound train to Trivandrum)..31mm.
Type 5c..(shown above).
Thick TRAS..short tail to 'R'.
1941..posted to Kottayam.
'T.R.A.S. OUT' (outbound train from Trivandrum)...30.5mm
TYPE 5d..shown below.
1941..Quilon to Quilon.
'T.R.A.S. OUT' (outbound train from Quilon)..31.5mm
TYPE 6 ..shown above (Same as Type 5).
But small font and a small curve to tail of 'R'.
1941..Quilon to Trichur.
'T.R.A.S. OUT' (outbound train from Quilon)..31mm.
TYPE 6 a.
Short tail to 'R'. Inverted 'S' of TRAS.
1943...Trivandrum to Trichur.
'T.R.A.S. OUT' (inbound train to Quilon)..30mm
Further availability of the specimens might throw out few more in the future.
