The Rewari Railway Heritage Museum (formerly the Rewari Steam Locomotive Shed) is a railway museum in Delhi NCR at Rewari city in Haryana, India. Built in 1893, it is the only surviving steam locomotive shed in India, and houses some of India's last surviving steam locomotives as well as the world's oldest still-functional 1855-built steam locomotive the Fairy Queen. It is located 400 m (1,300 ft) north of the entrance of the Rewari railway station, 50 km (31 mi) from Gurgaon and 79 km (49 mi) from the National Rail Museum at Chanakyapuri in New Delhi.[1]
रेवाड़ी रेल संग्रहालय | |
 Rewari Railway Heritage Museum | |
  Location in Rewari, India  Rewari Railway Heritage Museum (India) | |
Former name | Rewari Steam Locomotive Shed |
|---|---|
| Established | 2 February 1893 |
| Location | North end of Rewari railway station, Rewari, Haryana, India |
| Coordinates | 28°12′31″N 76°36′43″E / 28.2085056°N 76.6120139°E |
| Type | railway museum |
| Key holdings | Fairy Queen |
| Collections | steam locomotive |
| Owner | Northern Railway zone of Indian Railways |
History edit
Steam locomotive shed edit
Built in 1893, the Rewari Steam Locomotive Shed was the only locomotive shed in North India for many years, and part of the railroad track connecting Delhi with Peshawar.[2] After steam engines were phased out by the 1990s and steam traction on meter gauge tracks was discontinued in January, 1994,[3] the loco shed remained in neglect for many years before it was rehabilitated. The steam shed reopened in May, 2002.[4]
Heritage museum edit
The Rewari Steam Locomotive Shed was refurbished as a heritage tourism destination, its edifice restored, and a museum added by the Indian Railways in December 2002.[4] The shed exhibited Victorian era artifacts used on the Indian rail network, along with the old signalling system, gramophones, and seats. The refurbished heritage museum was opened in October 2010. The engines are still available for live demonstrations.[2][5][6]
Exhibits edit
The shed and compound has 11 (of 16 functional in India)[7] of the world's oldest steam locomotives,[citation needed] restored and still functional, including the following:[8]
- Baldwin AWE, built by the American company Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1945[9]
- Akbar WP1761, named after the Mughal Emperor, Akbar, built in 1963 at Chittaranjan Locomotive Works was inducted into active service in 1965. It has 4-6-2 wheel arrangement, 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge and 110 km/h (68 mph) maximum speed now-restricted to 45 km/h (28 mph) The locomotive was based at Saharanpur railway shed after being retired from active service and it has been restored and housed at Rewari shed.[10][11][12] It is now used to power the 150UP Delhi Cantt – Alwar Steam Express heritage train.[13]
- Shahanshah WP/P, is one of the original bullet-nosed American Baldwin prototype number 7200 Shahanshah, which was at the Charbagh workshops in Lucknow division. It was restored for use in steam specials by the Northern Railway. It has also run several steam specials, including one between Royapuram and Tambaram on 26 January 2009, to commemorate the 153rd anniversary of Royapuram railway station (built 1856), the oldest railway station in India. It ran the Steam Express on 14 January 2012. The engine is considered a lucky mascot for the film shoots and is rented out at INR4 lakhs (INR400,000 or US$6,150) a day.[8][14]
Development plans edit
In January 2018, Indian Railway prepared a proposal to develop an 8.8 Hectare railway heritage theme park adjacent to the Rewari Rail Museum. It will be built in collaboration with the Government of Haryana and India's Ministry of Tourism based on a concept similar to the Devon Railway Centre in UK, the Edaville Railroad Theme Park in the USA and the Ferrymead Heritage Park in New Zealand. The Railway has asked the Haryana Government to include this heritage museum in the state subsidised "Swadesh Darshan scheme" under the under-development Madhogarh-Mahendragarh-Narnaul-Rewari heritage circuit of the Tourism Ministry being implemented at the cost of INR1.47 billion (INR147 crore or US$23 million).[15]
The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has launched a drive to increase the awareness of this museum among the students.[16][8]
Facilities edit
The museum is open daily.[17] It has a 3-D steam loco simulator simulating Darjeeling Himalayan Railway steam locomotive ride, 3-D virtual reality coach simulator, a toy train, educational yard model train system, indoor exhibition gallery, a 35-seater conference room with projector, a century-old dining car, cafeteria and souvenir shop. In the museum, there are exhibit halls showing models of small engines, old railway equipment, hand-held brass signal lamps, and old photos. The facilities at museum include 30 minute long documentaries and films shows, once or twice a day in museum's conference hall with seating capacity of 50, about the history and present operations of railways in India.[16]
Fairy Queen steam-locomotive ferries tourists from Delhi to Rewari every second Saturday from October to April.[15]
In popular culture edit
The Rewari steam locomotive shed has rented locomotives for various film shoots and part of the film Gandhi, My Father was shot here.[2][18] Locomotives have appeared in films such as Barfi!, Guru, love aaj kal, Rang De Basanti and Veer-Zaara among others.[19] The locomotive Akbar has featured in several movies shot here, including: Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, Gandhi, My Father, Ki & Ka, Sultan (2016 film), Gangs of Wasseypur (film series), Qarib Qarib Singlle (2017 film), Partition (2007 film), Pranayam (2011 Malayalam movie), Ek Tha Chander Ek Thi Sudha (TV serial)[10]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Google map of Rewari Railway Heritage Mesuam and national Railway Museum at New Delhi". Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ^ a b c {{citeAnushka paliwal loves janakinath news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-08-10/delhi/28274419_1_steam-engine-rewari-locomotive%7Ctitle=Eye on Games, black beauties gather steam|date=10 Aug 2010|work=The Times of India |location=India|first1=Dwaipayan|last1=Ghosh}}
- ^ "Overview of Bikaner Division" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ^ a b "National Conference on Steam Heritage Tourism inaugurated". Ministry of Railways. 2 December 2002. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ^ "Gathering steam". The Indian Express. India. 4 April 2010. Archived from the original on 15 January 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
- ^ "Rewaristeamloco.com". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ^ "Rewari Museum needs some steam". business-standard.com. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ a b c "Rewari locomotive: The only steam loco shed that remains in India". economictimes.com. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ [1945 Baldwin AWE]
- ^ a b "Learn- about Gadar's 'Akbar', has run in more than 40 films". Hindi News. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ "Tourist train 'Akbar' to commence tiger sighting journey in October". dnaindia.com. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ "A walk around the 'Akbar steam locomotive #1761". youtube.com. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ '150UP Delhi Cantt – Alwar STEAM EXPRESS'
- ^ "Bullet Nose WP-7200 at Safdarjung 13 Jan 2007". youtube.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ a b "Railway heritage theme park on the anvil at Rewari". Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ a b "Rewari heritage rail museum to attract students". timesofindia.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ "Rewari Steam Loco Shed". mycity4kids.com. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ "Charm of Chhuk-Chhuk". The Tribune. India. 3 July 2005. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ^ "Full Steam Ahead: Photo exhibition pays tribute to steam locomotives". indianexpressd.com. Archived from the original on 19 June 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2011.