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NOTE:
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DOWNLOAD. PREFERABLY, RIGHT-CLICK ON EACH THUMBNAIL AND SELECT 'OPEN
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WELCOME TO THE OUTDOOR
EXHIBITS
NOTE: In case you want to view any
of the items selectively, visit the Hyperlinked
Master List of Outdoor Exhibits page, scroll through the list till you find the
exhibit you want and click on its title. You will be taken directly to that
particular exhibit.
In the well kept gardens in the
National Rail Museum's open display yard stand some of the most exquisite specimens of
railway rolling stock ever seen in the Indian subcontinent. Beauties no doubt, but beasts
as well, when it came to hard work and reliability. Specimens of ingenuity in design and
operation, some exquisite saloons and cars used by the Maharajas and royalty of
yesteryear, along with the mundane and hardy workhorses ferrying millions of the ordinary
gentry, in tightly packed third class cars. All rare, and no more in existance in India,
which makes them even more valuable.
Ranging from some of the
smallest and lightest engines to run in the country, like the CS and Hasang, to massive
behemoth locomotives hulking over the pygmy locomotives, like the Beyer Garratt and the XG/M.
To meet them is to love them, so
without any further ado, let us proceed straight to the exhibits, beginning with the glass
house which is home to the oldest but most celebrated of the exhibits, a matriarch in her
own right, the venerable Fairy Queen.The Queen has recently reliquinshed her glass palace
to the RAMGOTTY locomotive, and she is away on more onerous assignments. Ref. the Fairy Queen page for details.
Tragically, few appreciate the value
and pricelessness of these classic machines of a bygone era, and several of the visitors
inflict damage upon them, ranging from exasperating but comparatively less harmful
graffiti to permanent and at times irreparable damage like breaking window panes, fittings
etc. While half the thrill of visiting a railway museum is being able to climb into the
locomotives and get a feel of things, fear of irreparable damage has forced the museum
authorities to permanently seal off the entry doors to the exhibits.
I urge visitors to this museum and
this webpage to desist from doing anything, however unintentional, which might damage the
items in our treasure trove, and to report immediately any instance of harm being
inflicted upon the exhibits by misguided zealots who gain entrance to the museum grounds
under the name of visitors.
The exhibits are divided into five
pages of sixteen exhibits each, so as to make things more manageable. In case you want to
view any of the items selectively, visit the Hyperlinked Master List of Outdoor Exhibits
page, scroll through the list on that page, and click on the item to be taken directly to
that particular exhibit.
SO, HERE GOES:
CLICK
ON EACH THUMBNAIL TO DISPLAY THE FULL IMAGE |
THEREAFTER
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ALL PHOTOS
HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY ME UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED
fairy queen |
item: Steam Locomotive |
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1.1
The Fairy Queen in her glass house. After achieving celebrity status, this place has been
taken by the RAMGOTTY. The Fairy Queen is now stabled at Delhi Cantt. station or elsewhere
between September to February, or can be seen in the last siding of the NRM.(Pic downloaded from the web) |
1.2
The rejuvenated Fairy Queen at Garhi Harsaru station coping bravely with her charge from
Delhi to Alwar. Ref. the Fairy Queen page for more
details.(Photo courtesy:
Harsh Vardhan). |
1.3
The Fairy Queen steaming in the grounds of the National Rail Museum in 1977.(Photo scanned from the book
'Railways of the Raj'). |
VITALSTATISTICS:
Builder: Kitson, Thompson
& Hewitson, UK Class: G (Non-standard) Year
Built: 1855 Service: EIR (East Indian Railway)
Wheel Arrangement: 2-2-2WT Numbering:
Builder Number: 481, EIR No.22, Re-numbered to 92 in 1881,
and again to 101 in 1884. After 1895, both the Fairy Queen
and her sister Express lost their numbers altogether and were simply known by their
names thereafter. Named: FAIRY QUEEN Rail Gauge:
bg (5' 6") Other
particulars: Weight: 26 tons, Water capacity: 2000 ltrs. in
underslung well tank, Cylinders: 2 outside (12"x22"),
Horsepower: 130,
Dia of coupled wheels: 1800 mm,
Max. speed: Capable of 60 kmph, but runs at 40 kmph. |
Built
in 1855, the Fairy Queen is the oldest operating steam locomotive in the world. She
is also the oldest engine still in commercial service, and is the oldest exhibit at the
NRM, brought to the site at the time of laying the foundation stone of the Museum in 1971.
The Fairy Queen was initially used for hauling mail trains on the Howrah-Ranigunj route on
the EIR, taking a mere 5 hrs. for the 121 km. journey. She ended up as a construction
engine on the Bihar lines in 1909, after which she retired and was placed atop a pedestal
outside Howrah station between 1909 and 1943. In 1943, the Fairy Queen was moved to the
Zonal Training School, Chandausi, where she stayed till being moved to the NRM in
1971. The Fairy Queen's sister engine 'Express' (no. EIR 21) is preserved at the
Jamalpur Institute in Eastern India. |
18 October 1997 was a red letter day for
the NRM. The venerable Fairy Queen did the nation proud by putting the NRM
among the select list of rail museums in the world who also operate tourist trains. The
'Fairy Queen Express' left Delhi Cant.railway station on this day with 35 passengers on
board, bound for Alwar, and then Sariska. Visit the Fairy Queen page
for more details.
1.4 A crowd of
bemused bystanders look on as the Fairy Queen steams past a level crossing gate in the
suburbs of Delhi in 1997. (scanned from the newspaper
'Khaleej Times (Dubai): circa Nov.1997). |
A-48 |
item: Steam Locomotive |
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(Photo
Courtesy: Harsh Vardhan) |
VITALSTATISTICS:
Builder: Dubbs & Co.
Glasgow Class: A (non-standard) Year
Built: 1891 Service: NSR (Nizam's State Railway)
Wheel Arrangement: 4-6-0 Numbering: Original: 2787, NSR No.A-48. Named: --- Rail Gauge: bg (5' 6") |
2.1
Sharing the Fairy Queen's glass palace (now occupied by the Ramgotty) is half a
locomotive. This is the A-48. This is one of an 'A' class of locomotive, considered an
improvement over an earlier 'L' class due to enhanced pulling capabilities due to larger
driving wheels.The 'A's were used extensively on the Nizam's State Railway, Hyderabad, for
both freight as well as passenger traffic. This particular locomotive was sectioned for
instructional purposes,and was kept at the Railway Staff College, Baroda (Vadodara) before
being moved to the NRM. |
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