(3) Steam Locomotives at Academic Institutes: Mysterious Steam Engine at SGSITS Indore.
(Posted on 7/11/2024)
Pankaj Khanna
9424810575
Continued from the previous articles:
(1) Engine No.17--A Mysterious Industrial Steam Engine kept at SGSITS, Indore. (Posted on 23/9/2024)
(2) More about Late Mr. DPR Cassad and his donation of the Engine to SGSITS, Indore. ( Posted on 2/11/2024 )
There were around 7000 Steam Engines owned by Railways in the country in Seventies just before Railway stopped manufacturing them in India. As Diesel and Electric Engines took over completely; most of the Steam Engines were abondoned or condemned or scrapped. Some of them were perhaps stolen too and many of them have been practically forgotten.
Luckily a few of them have survived because of the efforts made by Indian Railways. Most of such Steam Locomotives used by Railways are kept in several National and Regional Railway Museums, other Government and Private Museums, GM's Office, DRM's Office, Board Office, various Railway Institutes, Railway Stations, Railway Workshops, Railway Coach Factories. Besides, some of them are kept in Academic Institutes also. A few of these listed Steam Engines are privately owned and they are very well known to be existing.
And then there are a few Industrial Steam Locomotives kept in National Railway Museum, Sugar Mills, Cement Plants, Electricity Board Offices, Collieries and Coal India Museum. There may be a few at Old Dam sites. Only a limited number of Industrial Steam Locomtives have survived in the Country as they were mainly owned by individuals and smaller Establishments in comparision to mighty Railways. (More about Industrial Steam Locomotives will be written in a separate article.)
Our Mysterious Engine no.17, also an Industrial Steam Locomotive, is not there in any of the lists of Steam Locomotives maintained by Indian Railways or other Railfans who don't know about the existence of a Steam Engine at SGSITS Indore. Even Indorians and most of the past and present Students of SGSITS are not aware about this Mysterious Engine of immense Heritage Value. Hopefully, these blog posts will be useful in spreading the awareness about this glorious Steam Engine plinthed at SGSITS Indore.
According to the Preliminary Research carried out by this Railfan so far; there are seven (?) Steam Locomotives preserved in Academic Institutions of the Country and the same are listed below:
(1) IIT Kharagpur.
Steam Locomotive at Nehru Museum of Science and Technology in Hijli Shaheed Bhavan (Earlier known as Hijli Detention Camp) in IIT Kharagpur. The Locomotive was built by Krauss Maffei in 1954. Plinthed. Wheel 2-8-2. Gauge 2ft 6in. Served Eastern Railway and later South Eastern Railway.
(2) Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh.
Locomotive made by Dubs and Company in 1891. Wheel type : 2-4-0. Plinthed. Gauge: Meter Gauge(3 ft. 3 3/8 in.)
It was supplied to the Jodhpur Bikaner Railway in 1891 by Dubs and Company. It was transferred to the Bikaner State Railway in 1924 and was withdrawn sometime by IR in 1957.
(3) L D College of Engineering, Ahmedabad.
Builders name and the year of manufacturing not known. Wheel Type: 0-4-2. Gauge: 2'6". It was owned by CBSR (Cooch Behar State Railway).
(4) Ramgarhia Polytechnic at Phagwara
Builders Name : EIR Jamalpur. Year:1913. Plinthed. Gauge: Broad Gauge 5'6". Cosmetically restored.
(Steam Locomotive at Ramgarhia Polytechnic)(5) and (6) Steam Engines at College of Military Engineering at Pune.
One engine is 4-6-0 with no other technical details available.
The Second engine is 0-4-4T made by Kerr Stuart and Company in 1909. It was originally with the South Indian Railway and later became part of Southern Railway (IR) in 1951. It operated on Metre gauge.
A few photographs of both these engines and many other eqipments at CME Museum can be seen from this link: IRFCA gallery of CME Museum.
(7) Victoria Technical Institute' , Mumbai.
There is a mention in a list about a Steam Locomotive (0-6-0) kept in 'Victoria Technical Institute' in Mumbai. But the photograph and other details could not be found. Even if the Correct College name is VJTI and not 'Victoria Technical Institute', no details of any Steam Locomotives are found in VJTI thus far. It needs further research and support from Mumbaikars.
How have these Railway's Steam Locomotives landed in these Institutes!? No idea! But must be very interesting stories, one can bet! Hopefully more stories will emerge from the above institutes in future. Will contact these Colleges soon to extract more information about these magnificent marvels of Mechanical Engineering placed on pedestals in their Campuses.
Our Engine no17 is slightly different in comparision to the above listed Engines. First of all, it is an Industrial Steam Locomotive unlike the above seven which all were used by Railways. Secondly, the world is not aware about the existence of this Steam Engine.
Now when we have come to know a bit more about this Engine, and will come to know a lot more about it in near future; let us put this Symbol of Engineering in the most prominent place of the College i.e. in the open space in front of Director's Office.
Imagine students passing out from our College displaying their Engineering Degrees, taking selfies and posing happily for group photographs in the Backdrop of this great Symbol of Engineering and Education!
The story has just begun....! To be continued...
[ Click here for the 4th Article: Who built the Mysterious Engine kept at SGSITS Indore? (Posted on 16/11/2024)
Click here for the fifth Article: Future Plan?! The Bawa has to sing and whistle! (Posted on 25/11/2024)]
Click here for the Sixth Article: Director SGSITS Indore agrees to shift the Engine... ( Posted on 26/12/2024).
Pankaj Khanna
Indore (MP)
Email: pankajharbans@gmail.com
Mobile: 9424810575
🚂____🚂_____🚂____🚂____🚂____🚂_____🚂
My other Blogs:
हिन्दी में:
तवा संगीत : ग्रामोफोन का संगीत और कुछ किस्सागोई।
रेल संगीत: रेल पर फिल्माए गए गाने सन 1941के बाद से।
ईक्षक इंदौरी: इंदौर के पर्यटक स्थल। (लेखन जारी है।)
रेस कोर्स रोड इंदौर के पक्षी: यहां देखे 60 पक्षियों के बारे में।
In English:
Love Thy Numbers : Recreational Maths for all. May be useful for CAT-IIM aspirants too.
Epeolatry: For those who love the Languages.
CAT-a-LOG: About CAT-IIM Coaching. Useful for Students and Parents.
Corruption in Oil Companies: It is all about HPCL where I worked from 1984 to 2007.
🚂_____🚂_____🚂____🚂____🚂____🚂_____🚂
