The ‘Fairy Queen’, the oldest surviving
functional steam engine in the world is once again ready in this season to haul
a heritage train from National Capital Delhi to Rewari, Haryana after a gap of
5 years. This train, which is a great attraction among steam engine lovers
across the globe, will run between Delhi Cantt. Station and Rewari from
tomorrow i.e. 11th February 2017 for a single day trip.
Fairy
Queen locomotive
Fairy
Queen Time Table to be run tomorrow i.e. 11 Feb 2017
Fairy
Queen locomotive
The locomotive was constructed by Kitson,
Thompson and Hewitson at Leeds, in England, in 1855, and reached Kolkata, then
known as Calcutta, in the same year. On arrival, it was given fleet number
“22” by its owner, the East Indian Railway Company, not receiving a
name until 1895. Initially, the 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge locomotive was used
to haul light mail trains in West Bengal, operating between Howrah and
Raniganj, and during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 hauled troop trains. It was
later consigned to line construction duty in Bihar, where it served until 1909.
Fairy
Queen locomotive
It was restored and given a special spot in the
newly built National Rail Museum at Chanakyapuri, in New Delhi which was opened
to public 40 years back on 1st February, 1977. The locomotive was
restored to full working order in 1997, in preparation for its first mainline
journey in 88 years and its return to commercial service on 18 July. It was
certified by the Guinness Book of Records in 1998 as the world’s oldest steam
locomotive in regular operation. The following year, the train received a
National tourism Award for the most innovative and unique tourism project from
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then Prime Minister of India.
***
AKS/MKV/AK
