Mysuru: Weighing 900 tonnes , a 228- year -old armoury of the Tiger of Mysuru, Tipu Sultan, was finally translocated using hydraulic body pushing rams to its new location at 4.40pm on Friday.
The move cleared the obstruction to the doubling work on the 132 km long Mysuru- Bengaluru railway line, which could now be completed by April- end, according to railway sources.
The South Western Railways and two companies, PSL Engineering of India and Wolfe of USA, that have entered into a joint venture, worked in coordination with the archaeological department of Karnataka to translocate the armoury at a cost of Rs 13.6 crore. The project involved 20 railway officials and 26 technicians, - six foreign led by Mr Jamin Buckingham of Wolfe and 20 from PSL . Forty seven beams were inserted beneath the armoury and 37 jacks placed beneath them to lift it two feet above the ground in a simultaneous and synchronised operation using a unified jacking system. Supported on wooden cribs, roll beams, rollers and push rams, the armoury was on the move since March 6 with the aid of hydraulic body pushing rams that finally brought it to its resting place on Friday. It will be separated from the beams, and a compound wall built around it by May 15, according to Deputy Chief Engineer, K Ravichandran , who is in charge of the project.
The armoury is one of eight built by Tipu Sultan and is a protected monument under the Department of Heritage, Archaeology and Museums. Its new location was cleared by the National Monument Authority of India on March 14 , 2013 . But no agency was available to carry out the work never attempted before in the country until PSL Engineering and Wolfe offered their services.
