National Rail Museum

Opened in 1977 on eleven acres in the diplomatic quarter, the museum holds around a hundred locomotives and carriages representing the several gauges India ran, from broad gauge down to the two-foot lines of the hill railways. Its most celebrated exhibit is the Fairy Queen, built in 1855 and certified as the oldest steam locomotive still in working order, which has run on the main line in recent decades. Royal saloons include the Prince of Wales's carriage and the Maharaja of Mysore's, with teak panelling and separate kitchens. A toy train circles the grounds and an indoor gallery covers signalling and construction.

History

A transport museum was first proposed in 1962 on the advice of the rail enthusiast Michael Graham Satow, and the foundation stone was laid at Chanakyapuri on 7 October 1971. It opened as the Rail Transport Museum on 1 February 1977, meant as part of a larger museum of all transport that was never built, and was renamed the National Rail Museum in 1995 (Wikipedia, National Rail Museum, New Delhi).

The main sights

• The Fairy Queen - an 1855 locomotive, the oldest in working order.
• The royal saloons - princely carriages with panelled interiors and kitchens.
• The gauge collection - engines from broad gauge down to hill railway lines.
• The toy train - a small train circling the outdoor yard.

When to go

October to March; most of the collection is outdoors with limited shade. The museum closes on Mondays. Weekday mornings are quietest, weekends busy with families.

Practical notes

Exhibits stand in the open and some are weathered. Cabin access is restricted on most engines. The indoor gallery is modest compared with the outdoor collection.

Nearby

The diplomatic enclave surrounds it; Lodhi Gardens lies east.

Key facts