If you are one of those people who hanker for the “good old days” when not everything was mechanised and life was “so simple” then you are in for a real treat. Soon, people will be able to take a trip down the ages by hiring a “chartered train” pulled by a steam engine or old locomotives for short trips.
The Indian Steam Railway Society (ISRS) has proposed short trips on 51 routes like Delhi-Agra-Fatehpur Sikri, Mysore-Bangalore, Baroda-Sabarmati etc to the Railway Ministry. The idea is to maintain the public’s interest in and affection for steam engines and antique trains which were once in the service of Viceroys, Vice-Regals or Maharajas.
Besides making money, the Railways will also have an opportunity to restore and preserve some of the century-old steam locomotives which are now either part of Rail Museums or gathering dust and rusting in the boondocks.
“Barring a couple of them plying in their new avatar of “toy trains” in Shimla and Darjeeling, now there is a need to revive the same in some identified short routes. Initially the steam locomotive trip can be initiated between Delhi and Rewari as several steam engines have been preserved and are in a good shape at the Rewari loco Shed. We want a fixed timetable to be maintained so that the steam locos can be plied on a regular basis and they can also be hired by private individuals for weddings, birthday parties etc,” said senior Railway officer Ashwani lohani who is also the working president of the ISRS.
The trains may be powered by XE, AWE, 16 7200WP locomotives and YF, YG models stationed at the Rewari loco Shed. The maximum speed these locomotives can pull a train of three or four coaches will be 50 kmph but ideally they would be permitted to travel at a speed of 40 kmph. Currently the Palace on Wheels runs on a fixed schedule which is a very costly affair and has mainly become a foreign tourist attraction.
“Since they are slow moving machines the timings will have to be organised so that it serves the purpose,” lohani told The Pioneer during an interaction at the 12th National Steam Congress on Steam locomotives on Sunday at the National Rail Museum. lohani is now a CMD and Commissioner of Madhya Pradesh Tourism and in his stint as DRM Delhi Division he restored and preserved the heritage of steam locomotives at Rewari.
ISRS is engaged in generating and preserving public affection for steam locomotives besides taking steps for preserving the locomotives and associated skills. For rail aficionados, the society conducts exhibitions and seminars centering around steam locomotives and annually holds a National Congress on Steam locomotives. Former Railway Board Member (Mechanical) lalit K Sinha is president of the society formed in 1999.
It was for the first time that a foreign country, State Railway of Thailand participated when Chief Project Development, Property Management Bureau Ms Kanrawee Thongpull made a presentation on Steam locomotives in Thailand.
