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A small collection of exhibits are placed in
the outdoor display area. These poor specimens would have certainly seen better days, and
would have probably been better off if they had ended up as scrap.
Several absurdities can be
noted: the ES steam locomotive has her rear coupler missing, and is chained to the car
behind her, which itself is in an advanced state of disrepair with peeled paint and broken
doors. An ng TLR car has been coupled to a mg ECE inspection car, just because their
couplers match! One can see the ng track fitting snugly into the marginally wider mg track
if one looks under the cars. The mg ECE car itself has its rear coupler removed, and has
steps constructed in its place. And all the exhibits are in a most shoddy and pitiable
state.
While there is at least a
shoddily painted board about most (though not all) exhibits, there is no detailed
explanation.
Nonetheless, here is a brief
rundown of the outdoor exhibits at the Mysore Rail Museum, for whatever its worth:
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| caboose/guard van |
Item: caboose |
|
| VITALSTATISTICS: Builder: Stable
Ford & Co. Coaldille, England Class:
---
Year Built: 1923 Service: Not known
Wheel Arrangement: 4-wheeler
Numbering: 38163
Named: ----
Rail Gauge: mg (3'
3 3/8") |
| If there is any fascination
in the outdoor gallery, it has to be the ticket office at the very entrance to the museum.
This was once a caboose, built in England. No further information is available. Tickets
and the museum guide book (not available when I visited in July 2000) can be obtained at
the caboose. |
| bagnall 119 |
Item: steam locomotive |
|
|
| VITALSTATISTICS: Builder: W.G.Bagnall
Ltd. Stafford, England Class: --- Year Built: 1900 Service: North Western Railway (NWR), Northern Railway (NR) Wheel Arrangement: 2-4-2T
Numbering: Builder no. 1625, NWR no. 119 Named: ---- Rail Gauge: ng (2' 6") |
| In keeping with the tradition
of the Mysore Museum,no information is displayed apart from parts of the vitalstatistics
above. This was a narrow gauge steam locomotive used on the North Western Railway, later
on the Northern Railway. This engine was also displayed in the Railway Exhibition at
Bangalore in 1988. |
| inspection car |
Item: inspection car |
|
| VITALSTATISTICS: Builder: Not
known Class: --- Year Built: Not known Service: Not known Wheel
Arrangement: 4-wheeler Numbering: Not known
Named: ----
Rail Gauge: mg (3' 3 3/8") |
| No information is displayed
about this exhibit either. However, judging from the counters fitted to the window sills,
one could assume that this car was used as a dispensing van of sorts (probably for staff
salaries on line). When I visited in July 2000, billboards and assorted junk was stored
inside the car. |
| contl. lever frame |
Item: points lever assembly |
|
| VITALSTATISTICS: Builder: Not
known Class: --- Year Built: 1910 Service: Southern Railway (SR): Bangalore-Mysore section between 1910-1920
Wheel Arrangement: ---
Numbering: ---
Named: ----
Rail Gauge: used on the mg (3' 3 3/8") |
| This Continental Lever Frame
points lever assembly was used between 1910 and 1920 on the mg Mysore - Bangalore
section of the Southern Railway. No further information is available. |
| 'vintage engine' |
Item: traction engine |
| VITALSTATISTICS: Builder: Merryweather,
London Class: --- Year Built: Not known Service: Not known Wheel
Arrangement: --- Numbering: --- Named: ---- Rail Gauge: --- |
| The Mysore Museum calls this
the 'vintage engine'. This ancient vertical boiler steam traction engine was probably used
as a fire tender on the station platforms in Mysore State Railway territory. Pictures show
from L to R a rear view, builder's plate, and a front view of this engine. |
| ES 506 |
Item: steam locomotive |
| VITALSTATISTICS: Builder: Kerr
Stuart & Co. UK Class: ES (non standard) Year
Built: 1922 Service: Southern Railway (SR):
Bangalore-Bangarapet line Wheel
Arrangement: Pacific (4-6-2)
Numbering: 506
Named: ----
Rail Gauge: ng (2' 6") |
| The ES was used for mixed
traffic operations on the Bangalore-Bangarapet line. Further details are not available.
The line, initially regauged to mg (after which these engines were rendered redundant) has
now again be gauged to bg. Pictures show (clockwise) a view of the engine in the musem
grounds, steam pressure gauge and speedometer in the engine's cab, lush green gardens
around the ES are a refreshing change after suffering the pitiable state of the exhibits
within, and the ES in happier times, while still in steam. |
| TLR 45 |
Item: composite passenger car |
| VITALSTATISTICS: Builder: Hurst
Nelson & Co. Northerwell,UK Class:
TLR
Year Built: 1927 Service: Southern Railway
(SR):Bangalore-Bangarapet line Wheel
Arrangement: 8-wheeler bogie stock
Numbering: 45
Named: ----
Rail Gauge: ng (2' 6") |
| The TLR pictured here is a
composite guard/luggage/third class composite car. The luggage cubicle is provided with a
dog box, and the third class passenger portion could seat thirty passengers. Used on the
Bangalore-Bangarapet line which was initially regauged to mg, after which it has now again
be gauged to bg. Pictures show (clockwise from left) the pitiable state of the car with
paint peeled off, a view of the guard van, dog box and luggage cubicle, interior view
showing the dog box, and the car in a much happier state as I'd photographed it in 1988.My
wife poses. |
| ECE 07330 |
Item: Inspection car |
|
|
| VITALSTATISTICS: Builder: Not
known Class: ECE Year Built: Not known Service: Not known Wheel
Arrangement: 4-wheeler Numbering: 07330
Named: ----
Rail Gauge: mg (3' 3 3/8") |
| No information about the ECE
is available except that it is a mg inspection car provided with a kitchen, and a balcony
at one end. This mg car has been foolishly coupled to the 2' 6" ng TLR car ahead of
it just because the couplers look similar. I had written to the Mysore museum authorities
about this as long ago as 1988, and had received an assurance that this has been
corrected. Another foolish thing is that the rear coupler has been removed, and steps
constructed in its place. While the pic on the left shows the comparatively better state
of the car as I'd photographed it in 1988, the right side pic shows the shoddy state of
the car today, with cracked paint, the absurd step broken, and view obscured by an
overgrown tree. |
| austin car |
Item: Inspection car |
|
| VITALSTATISTICS: Builder: Austin
Motor, UK Class: --- Year Built: Not known Service: Mysore State Railway (MSR) Wheel Arrangement: 4-wheeler
Numbering: ---
Named: ----
Rail Gauge: mg (3' 3 3/8") |
| No information is available
about this unique specimen, which, as seen in the picture is literally falling apart. The
metal is heavily corroded,and there is junk in her insides. It would appear that this car,
converted to a rail utility vehicle, was used somewhere on Mysore State Railway territory. |
| TS 37338 |
Item: steam locomotive |
|
|
| VITALSTATISTICS: Builder: W.G.Bagnall
Ltd., UK Class: TS (non standard) Year
Built: 1932 Service: Southern Railway (SR):
between Bangalore City and Tumkur Wheel
Arrangement: 2-6-2T Numbering: 37338
Named: ----
Rail Gauge: mg (3' 3 3/8") |
| The TS was a metre gauge
suburban tank engine, used on slow passenger services on the Bangalore-Tumkur line. The
route has now been regauged to bg. The pic on the left shows the engine as she stands
today (July 2000), while the one on the right shows the engine in a much better shape as
seen in 1988. Alongside is the Austin car (see above) still in a very shoddy state, though
a tad better than she is today. |
| E 37244 |
Item: steam locomotive |
| VITALSTATISTICS: Builder: North
British Loco. Co. (Atlas Works), UK Class:
E (non standard)
Year Built: 1920 Service: Not known, donated to the
Mysore Museum by the Visweswaraya Iron & Steel Works, Bhadravati, Karnataka
Wheel Arrangement: 4-4-4
Numbering: 37244
Named: ----
Rail Gauge: mg (3' 3 3/8") |
| This is a mg steam locomotive
with an unusual 4-4-4 wheel arrangement.Not much information is available about this North
British product except that she was donated by the Visweswaraya Iron and Steel works at
Bhadravati in Karnataka. Pic on the extreme left shows the terrible state of the engine
today, with rust all over her boiler, and her view obscured by vegetation. The pic in the
centre shows the Visweswaraya officials at the time of presentation of the engine, while
the extreme right pic shows the almost pristine condition (at least compared to her
present state) of the locomotive as I'd photographed her in 1988. |
| hopper car |
Item: freight (hopper) wagon |
|
| VITALSTATISTICS: Builder: Not
known Class: BKH Year Built: 1913 Service: South Central Railway (SCR) Wheel Arrangement: 8-wheeler bogie
stock Numbering: 3402 Named: ---- Rail Gauge: mg (3' 3 3/8") |
| Seldom seen, the BKH cars are
bottom discharge ballast carrier hopper cars for departmental work. This particular mg
specimen was used on the South Central Railway. The three wheels at the car end are not
for brakes: they serve to open the discharge doors. |
| hand crane |
Item: hand operated crane |
| VITALSTATISTICS: Builder: Cowans
Sheldon & Co. Ltd. UK Class: Crane:TC, match truck: PD
Year Built: Crane: 1885, match truck: 1937
Service: Southern Railway
(SR), crane lifting capacity: 9 tonnes Wheel
Arrangement: 4-wheeler (both crane and match truck)
Numbering: Crane:033993,
match truck:034013 Named: ---- Rail Gauge: mg (3' 3 3/8") |
| This ancient 1885 build hand
crand had a lifting capacity of 9 tonnes. It was used on the Southern Railway, in the
Mysore region. The pics (clickwise from left) show the crane with lowered jib as
photographed in 1988, July 2000 pics of a plaque on the crane, a view of the mechanism,and
details of the match truck. |
| YP 2511 |
Item: steam locomotive |
|
| VITALSTATISTICS: Builder: Tata
Engineering (TELCO) (In addition YPs were also built by Chittaranjan and a few overseas
builders) Class: YP Year Built: Not known Service: All over India, this speicmen retired from the Villupuram shed of the
Southern Railway (SR) Wheel Arrangement:
Pacific (4-6-2) Numbering: 2511 Named: ---- Rail Gauge: mg (3' 3
3/8") |
| The sleek and beautifully
proportioned YP class Pacifics were the mainstay of fast express and mail services on the
mg all over the IR network. They were reliable and capable locomotives, and several lasted
well into the 1990s. This particular specimen was retired from the Villupuram shed of the
SR. Although delivered to the museum in 1993, the beauty queen still lay in state, as a
rusty hulk, seven long years afterwards. Pics show (clockwise from left) side view of the
rusting beauty partly obscured by a tree, markings on the tender (to Rail museum etc.)
still intact seven years later, boiler plate just above the firebox, view of the cab
interior, and another view of the rusting hulk: still a magnificient site despite her
dilapidated condition. |
| toy train loco
ZEM/1 |
Item: battery elec. locomotive |
|
| VITALSTATISTICS: Builder: Mysore
Railway Workshops Class: ZEM/1 Year Built: 1979-80 Service: Within the grounds of the Mysore Rail Museum Wheel Arrangement: 4-wheeler
Numbering: ZEM/1
Named: ----
Rail Gauge: Toy train: gauge not known |
| Built entirely out of scrap
materials, this is probably the only battery operated mini train in operation in India.
The ride is painfully slow: the train barely seemed to exceed 10 kmph, and no wonder,the
track is barely a few metres long. Although the locomotive is quaintly classified as
ZEM/1, I doubt she is of the 2' 6" ng. |
This picture of a ng tank
engine # 512 appeared in the Mysore Museum brochure (circa 1980) with the caption that she
was withdrawn from service before the Mysore museum coul come to her rescue.
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