National Railway Museum Awarded 'Institution of Mechanical Engineers Engineering Heritage Award'

Shriganganagar : The National Railway Museum, representing the rich heritage of Indian Railways over 170 years, has been honored with the 'Institution of Mechanical Engineers Engineering Heritage Award.' The award was presented at a ceremony held on November 28, 2023, in New Delhi, in the presence of Mr. Giles Hartill, President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and Mr. Milind K. Deouskar, Secretary of the Railway Board.

The National Railway Museum showcases a diverse collection, including steam, diesel, and electric engines, along with royal saloons, wagons, carriages, vintage cars, railcars, and a turntable (a platform for changing the direction of engines). Interactive displays in the museum's galleries illustrate the developmental journey of Indian Railways from its infancy to the present.

The 'Institution of Mechanical Engineers' is an independent professional organization headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Representing individuals in mechanical engineering and related fields, it holds licenses to assess candidates for Chartered Engineers, Incorporated Engineers, and Engineering Technicians in industries such as railways, automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, energy, biomedical, and construction, with a membership spanning 140 countries and 120,000 members.

The National Railway Museum takes pride in receiving the Engineering Heritage Award for preserving four actual-sized rail engines. These engines include the F 734 Steam Locomotive, Patiala State Monorail Tramway, John Morris Fire Engine, and WDM-2 20710 Electric Locomotive, each contributing to India's railway history.

The F 734 Steam Locomotive, the first steam locomotive manufactured in India in 1895, operated until 1958 on the Rajputana-Malwa Railway and later on the Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway.

The Patiala State Monorail Tramway, designed by Orenstein and Koppel, ran from Sarhind to Alam pur and Patiala to Sunam in Punjab, using an overhead living system. Operating from 1909 to around 1927, it was revived in 1976.

The John Morris Fire Engine, built in 1914 in Salford, Manchester, was brought to India by the seventh and last Nizam, Mir Usman Ali Khan, for the Nizam State Railway's Lalaguda Carriage and Wagon Workshop. Although retired in the 1960s, it remains in working condition.

The WDM-2 20710 Electric Locomotive, the first 25 kV AC electric locomotive manufactured in India in 1963, made significant contributions to India's development until 2002, operating in broad-gauge freight transport with a speed of 80 km/h.

The National Railway Museum expresses its honor in receiving the Engineering Heritage Award, celebrating these engines' contributions to India's railway legacy.