1955 steam engine to be restored, will soon be back on tracks

New Delhi: Accelerating its drive to rekindle the romance of old beauties, the railway authorities have decided to restore WG 10253, a steam engine built in 1955 by Chittaranjan Loco-motive Works, which was on a pedestal at Bhusawal, Maharashtra.

After restoring and making the steam engine functional, authorities are planning to run it for tourists. According to Arun Arora, the principal chief mechanical engineer of the Northern Railway, steam engine WG 10253 was in service until 1992.

“Work on the restoration began with a Northern Railway expert team studying and surveying the locomotive at Bhus-awal on September 10, 2017. After a lot of careful planning, work for moving it to the mainline began on May 11, 2018 so that it can be brought back on the tracks,” said Mr Arora.

He added, “For this purpose, the undergear and moving parts including the suspension, bearings, and wheels have to be rendered serviceable”.

The steam engine is currently at Jhansi, en-route to the ‘steam loco shed’ at Rewari.

“Its transportation from the pedestal to the mainline track was a very challenging task owing to its weight. However, it has been accomplished successfully. The steam engine would be received on Monday at the steam loco shed in Rewari following traditional homecoming rituals,” said Mr Arora.

Restoring these old beauties is the brainchild of the chairman of the Railway Board, Ashwani Lohani. He undertook the restoration of the Fairy Queen in 1997. At that time, he was heading the National Rail Museum as its director. The feat of bringing it back from the brink of extinction is still considered monumental by any standards.

“After making it function in next two or three months, there is a plan to start a tourist train service, which will allow travellers to enjoy a ride of the Steam engine WG 10253,” Mr Arora told this newspaper.