An Industrial Archaeological Study of Sri Lankan Railway Heritage

As a result of the Industrial Revolution during the British Colonial rule, many Civil Engineering and Mechanical Technology heritage were built in Sri Lanka. The aim of this research is to study the Industrial Heritage of Sri Lankan Railway built by the British. In this study, primarily library studies and archives were used to collect data, followed by field exploration and interviews. By the 19 th century, with the construction of the railway system in various parts of Sri Lanka, it was possible to easily transport plantation crops as well as fertilizers, equipment and workers to the port of Colombo. Thus, the British built Civil Engineering and Mechanical Technical heritage including bridges and culverts related to the railways spread throughout Sri Lanka. The British built railway stations and other buildings in accordance with Victorian architecture. Also, during the construction of the railway, facilities were provided to store the necessary materials and gunpowder for the construction of the railway. The British built the necessary facilities for the maintenance and operation of the steam engines that ran at this time near the railway stations. The industrial heritage related to narrow gauge railway which are currently not in use in Sri Lanka is also studied through this research. During the British era, various constructions were made for sanitary works and other needs related to the railway system. At present, the Industrial heritage of Sri Lankan Railway are rapidly being destroyed due to development activities and those heritages should be secured.