The Central Railway (CR) held a ceremonial run of the heritage steam locomotive on the Matheran-Neral Hill Railway. The run was part of CR’s Heritage Month celebrations and included the new vistadome coach that is set to be inducted into service soon.
Built in 1917, the steam locomotive completed 83 years of service on the Darjeeling Hill Railway before it was brought to CR in 2001. The locomotive used to run tourist special trains between Neral and Matheran. Senior railway officials said the forest department objected to the coal-fired locomotive as they held it to be a cause behind the forest fires that occured during that period.
The locomotive was modified and converted into an oil-fired one in 2013 and recommissioned. On Saturday, the steam locomotive ran from Neral for a distance of 19 km with retired railway officials on board.
“We wanted people to see the steam locomotive in action and the new vistadome coach. The train ran smoothly on the plateau section from Neral,” said Chief Public Relations Officer, CR, Sunil Udasi. The new vistadome coach will soon be inducted into regular service after mandatory safety permissions, which are likely to be obtained shortly.
The CR also inaugurated the second phase of its Heritage Gully at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). A coach from 1920, a narrow gauge steam locomotive built in 1928, will be added to Sir Leslie Wilson, India’s first electric locomotive.
Heritage Gully was set up on the P D’Mello Road entrance of CSMT in April last year as an open air display of items linked to railway history. Other artifacts exhibited include a steam-powered crane built in 1929, a printing press from 1899 and a fire engine made in 1880.