the last half of 19c india had railroads, maintenance shops for the RR would have had the tools and machinery to service the locomotives, including lathes, milling machines, casting equipment etc. and trained local labour to use them. the first railroad was in 1853, by 1895 they were making their own rr locomotives and cars, and exporting them to the brits in africa.
even today the craftsmen of northern pakistan make precise working copies of modern (and older) firearms arms requiring precision components, as well as the ammunition to feed them, using quite primitive equipment. i wouldn't want to fire one myself, not trusting their heat treating skills that much, but their use against our own troops seems to indicate they work satisfactoraly.
|