The Indian Railways has taken the daunting task of injecting life in four steam locomotives steeped in history. Discarded as junk, these black beauties will now be revived to narrate the stories of modern India.
Three of these locomotives are in Bihar and one in Maharashtra. The heritage and steam wing of the Railway Board is making effort to identify and locate other steam hauled locomotives which could possibly be undertaken for restoration.
In Bihar, a 105-year-old engine, which serviced then “industrial” town of Darbhanga, will be restored after it is rid off years of rust and rot. The engine has a great historic connection since it was brought in service by the Royal House of Darbhanga in Tirhut Division (Bengal-Nagpur Rail BNR, now East Central Railways) to ferry raw materials to world’s first modernised sugarcane factory established in 1905. The production started in 1914 after the deployment of 1913 England-made vintage steam rail engine.
The move to engage peasants and farmers to grow cane and prevent Indigo plantation was taken by Darbhanga Maharaj laksmishwar Singh.
Two more such locomotives are now being given makeover in Bihar — one at Patna Junction and another installed at Danapur DRM office.
Another heritage in a corrosion stage is model type WG Class loco halted at Bhusawal in Maharashtra for three decades. It is also being transported to Delhi on the directions of the Railway Board for its restoration work.
The metre-gauge engine of Darbhanga has been transported by road from the lohat Sugar Mill, now owned by the Bihar sugarcane industries department, to the Darbhanga Railway Station premises last week for the restoration work in full public glare.
“This is a made-in-England steam engine that lay in a state of decay at the sugar mill. After campaign by a group of heritage activists, we had written to the Bihar Government to shift the engine, which then gave the permission. The proposal was cleared by the State Cabinet and we will now fully restore it,” said Samastipur Divison DRM RK Jain. He mentioned that two heritage engines are already installed in Samastipur, one in front of the Samastipur Division and other at the premises of the Samastipur Division headquarters.
“This step will encourage heritage preservation in Darbhanga. There are four old engines at another sugar mill in the district, they should also be rescued and displayed in front of other stations,” said Santosh Kumar, a heritage photographer of the region.
The Railways in Darbhanga came in 1874 and rulers of Darbhanga Raj had their own royal trains and saloon.
The steam engine undergoing restoration in front of the Patna Junction is named Sabarmati Ka Sant and has a historic significance since it was the first Made in India (Swadeshi) locomotive manufactured by Tata Engineering and locomotive Company (TElCO) at Jamshedpur. The YP- 2805 was manfucatured in 1968 and the loco operated in parts of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. TElCO too has discounted making locomotives and has rechristened itself Tata Motors for manufacturing automobiles only.
“The steam loco stationed at the entrance of the Patna Junction has a Swadeshi flavour. Historically Patna station was Bankipur station which is now the busiest railway station of our country,” DRM Danapur Division Ranjan Thakur said. The restoration of steam beauty EIR 34308 now magnificently placed in front of Danapur Division office has been completed and has become a major attraction in the cantonment colony.
During his stint at the National Rail Museum, Chairman Railway Board (CRB) Ashwani lohani undertook the restoration of the Fairy Queen in 1997, a feat still considered monumental by any standards. His single minded endeavour to restore steam locomotives has seen the rebirth of discarded locos, many of which are now stabled at the Steam loco Shed at Rewari, of the Northern Railway.
The WG 10253, built in 1955 by Chittaranjan locomotive Works, and discarded at Bhusawal, has now been identified by the Railway Board for restoration. It will be brought back to Northern Railway’s Rewari Steam Shed for restoration.
“WG 10253 last saw service in 1992 and it would be nearly 26 years after which its firebox will be lit again in the coming months,” said Arun Arora Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer at the Northern Railway.