The National Railway Museum

You may notice that we are trying to see something of consequence on the weekends. It doesn't always happen, but usually I insist that the kids tear themselves away from the Wii and see something. I am nervous because I well remember the visit to the Zoo in August - soon it will be too bloody hot to go out of the house! So we are trying to pack it all in now, while we are freezing! This weekend in January we opted for the National Railway Museum. A grand title. It does house the oldest working steam engine in the world, the Fairy Queen, but we didn't see it because it actually operates a route part of the year!

Anyway, we entered the museum and went into the building to see the displays. They had some neat models of special engines, some dishes, uniforms, furniture from the elaborate days of rail travel, and some old equipment to see, but once again, so poorly maintained. This photo is of a hole in the window. I mean, really. In the NATIONAL Rail Museum. And all the display cases are filthy, inside and out. Baffling and sad, because the stuff inside is pretty interesting! There was also the skull of an elephant killed by a train about 100 years ago. Is that cool or creepy? I can't decide.

After the building, we rode the little train around the perimeter. Of course that was fun. Who doesn't like a little train?? There is even a tunnel to go thru. Overtop of the tunnel is a display of the smallest steam engine ever used, from a coal mine.

Then we walked around to see all the train cars and engines. They have ALOT of cars and engines. I know I have mentioned before one major difference between Indian museums and sites and Western ones (besides the maintainance) is the part where you can climb on anything you want here. So we did!

This is the interior of a traincar that was used by some royal person. Sorry, I didn't make note of which one :) But the cars were very opulent and deluxe, with a sitting room, bedroom and bathroom. The kids thought the mannequins were creepy.

Help! Help! Save us Big John! (am I really old if I remember that song??)

This is how you move a locomotive in India. You get a come-along and a chain, and one, maybe two guys work while 8 or 9 stand around and watch. This shot shows 2 guys working, but most of the time I saw one guy sweating it out alone.

This last photo is a cross-section of a engine. What a great idea! It shows all the valves and channels and where the steam built up pressure. It sure esplained why there is so much room in the front of one of those things.