Railway history ride Heritage Galli to chug into CSMT

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station Mumbai.

FROM April 18, heritage enthusiasts may want to make a detour to a “Heritage Galli” on platform 18 in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) building. The Central Railway aims to develop the “Heritage Galli” by showcasing its history since the time of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR), which was the predecessor to the Central Railway. The railways have identified 16 objects that include GIPR locomotives, a Central Railway electric loco, a GIPR bell, an old grouting machine, a vibrating machine, concrete mixer, stone crusher, teak wood chairs of the GIPR and an old generator. The CSMT already has a heritage gallery.

In the initial week after setting up, only six of the items will be on display in the Heritage Galli. “At the start, six objects —- an electric loco at Kalyan shed named after Leslie Wilson who was the then governor of Bombay who had flagged off the locomotive, a heritage crane, hand tub fire engine that dates back to 1858, heritage stone crusher made by then GIPR engineer W H Baxter from Leeds, England, a concrete mixer (1836) and a printing machine (1899) from the Mahalaxmi printing press —- will be the first items on display. By putting these on display, visitors would get a glimpse of the old machinery that were used by the British for various construction work,” a senior railway official said.

The Central Railway is trying to obtain an old generator used to pump water which is at Igatpuri, then a safe for storing cash. Also from the Igatpuri division, a rainfall recorder board since 1893 and some GIPR bells from Matheran and Thane railway stations are to be obtained.

“We realised that each of these above items contributed to being part of the history of the railways in some way. For example, we are showing the heritage crane which was used for accident relief operations. This crane used to hardly lift weight between 30-40 tonnes. We are also trying to procure a steam loco from the Bhusawal division of Central Railway and try and arrange for its trials in the galli. Visitors who have not been able to experience the benefits of a steam loco may also be able to do so,” a railway official added.

The Central Railway plans to put up plaques in front of the heritage objects that would describe the history of these items and what they were used for. “We are also trying to seek advice from experts in the field who can guide us on how to better display the items. As visitors would be allowed to see the objects in the daytime, we are trying to arrange for a guide who can help visitors,” a senior railway official added.

For Bharat Gothoskar, a historian, having a heritage galli in the open makes heritage articles more accessible to viewers. “The Central Railway had received multiple requests from heritage lovers to conserve these items. Over the years, as new track lines get laid or old bridges are removed, officials tend to forget the whereabouts of these heritage objects. The heritage galli could be similar to the national railway museum in Delhi where visitors have the opportunity to see things from up close.”

However, Gothoskar added that the railways must aim to make it a dynamic presentation of artefacts, rather than a static one. “For example, visitors would be interested to know how there was a transformation of using a stone crusher from steam to petrol. Through diagrams, the railways could inform us of the evolution of the tools in constructing buildings and monuments of today to curate the experience.”