The conservation and running of rare steam engines remain a neglected issue in India even as it thrives in other countries
The current generation of the Peerbhoy family appealed to Indian Railways to bring the locomotive back. “The Neral-Matheran railway is our family’s creation and we would have liked the government to honour Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy by getting the original locomotive back to India, but no one seemed interested,” says Ali Akbar Adamjee Peerbhoy, a great-grandson of Adamjee Peerbhoy who now lives in Matheran and Mumbai.
The Cumbria-based South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society bought MLR-740, promising to invest time, effort and money to rebuild and run it. Brian Craven, deputy chairman of the Society, says the locomotive is special to them. “We have stripped the loco down completely and are doing its comprehensive overhaul so that it will return to service, hopefully from 2018. Donations in support of MLR-740 are eagerly sought and will be most welcome. The sooner funds can be raised, the sooner we shall see this magnificent locomotive hard at work on a hill railway here,” he says. So, the glorious steam loco that was once the pride of Maharashtra will soon be running on an English hill railway.
Enthusiasts’ efforts
In India, efforts towards restoration of steam locos and raising awareness about them have largely been the preserve of enthusiasts’ collectives. The Indian Steam Railway Society (ISRS), based in New Delhi, has been making significant efforts towards the restoration and running of steam locomotives, but many rue that Indian Railways lacks a clear vision on how to get it done.
A July 2015 article in The Indian Express by Bibek Debroy, renowned economist and a member of Niti Aayog, made a forceful point on the need to take steam locomotives out of museums, restore them and use them on mountain railways. He, however, rued the fact that no one has manufactured steam locomotives in India since 1972 and that they will have to be imported with a huge cost margin of more than Rs 2 crore.
In countries such as the UK and the US, there continue to be manufacturers of steam locos. For instance, one of the leading firms in the UK is Steam Loco Design, led by consultant design engineer Ian Gaylor, who has a lifetime of experience in both mechanical engineering design and steam locomotive operation. The locos that are restored, or new ones that are assembled, are often referred to as ‘new steam’ or ‘modern steam’.
(This story appears in the 18 March, 2016 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)