Railway Museums India
Railway Museums India
Overview
Indian Railways preserves its 170-year heritage through a chain of exclusive museums located in the very loco-sheds, carriage-repair depots and heritage terminuses where the first steam locomotives once hissed. From the oldest working steam loco “Fairy Queen” (1855) to the bullet-train simulator of Hyderabad, these museums double up as “living archives” for RRB examinees who are expected to match loco-numbers, years, nick-names and pioneer zones.
Key Facts & Figures
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| 1. First railway museum of India | National Rail Museum, New Delhi (opened 1 Feb 1977) |
| 2. Largest rail museum by area | Howrah Rail Museum (4.5 acre) |
| 3. Oldest preserved steam loco | “Fairy Queen” (EIR-22, 1855) – Delhi |
| 4. Fairy Queen’s retirement | 1908 (then kept at Howrah; moved to Delhi 1972) |
| 5. India’s first rail-built museum outside Delhi | Mysore Rail Museum (1979) |
| 6. Only museum inside a still-working loco-shed | Chennai Integral Coach Factory (ICF) Heritage Centre (2002) |
| 7. Museum with highest number of working heritage locos | Rewari Steam Centre (7 working steam) |
| 8. First bullet-train simulator in any rail museum | Hyderabad Rail Museum (built 2018) |
| 9. Narrow-gauge specific museum | Matheran Hill Railway Museum (Neral, 2014) |
| 10. Smallest rail museum | Jamalpur Rail Museum (0.25 acre) |
| 11. Only rail museum inside a UNESCO site | Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Museum at Ghum |
| 12. Heritage joy-ride ticketed by IRCTC | Delhi – Alwar on Fairy Queen (fare ₹4,320/- in 2025) |
| 13. Museum located inside original 1888 terminus building | Albert Ekka Chowk Rail Museum, Ranchi |
| 14. Only museum displaying royal saloon of Nizam | Hyderabad Rail Museum (built 1930) |
| 15. Museum with 3D virtual reality coach ride | National Rail Museum, Delhi (installed 2022) |
| 16. Annual foot-fall leader | National Rail Museum, Delhi (~7 lakh) |
| 17. Only rail museum run by Metro authority | Kolkata Metro Rail Museum at Park Street |
| 18. Latest opened rail museum | Bilaspur Rail Museum, SECR (15 Aug 2023) |
| 19. First rail museum in North-East | Dibrugarh Rail Heritage Park, NFR (2021) |
| 20. Common colour code for heritage locos | Chocolate-brown with yellow lining (since 1995) |
Important Points
- Delhi’s National Rail Museum was conceptualised by Rail Minister Kamlapati Tripathi on the silver-jubilee of Indian independence.
- “Fairy Queen” hauls a 60-seat tourist rake between Delhi Cantt. & Alwar every 2nd & 4th Saturday (except monsoon).
- Rewari Steam Centre is the nominated hub for all working steam locomotives of Indian Railways; it hosts the “Steam Express” to Alwar.
- Hyderabad museum’s Nizam Saloon weighs 62 t, has teakwood panelling, a library and an on-board generator—still runs on demand.
- Mysore museum exhibits the Maharani’s “Silver Saloon” built by Beyer-Peacock (1899) and a hand-cranked rail-bus of 1925.
- Darjeeling museum displays the original 1881 B-Class loco “Green Arrow” and the 1878 summit photo of Ghum station (altitude 2,258 m).
- Matheran museum has a 1907 “Baby B” 0-6-0T loco that is still steamed once a year for heritage run.
- Kolkata Metro Museum is the only one to showcase an underground tunnel boring cutter (6.5 m dia) along with 1984 rolling stock.
- Jamalpur museum is located inside the first loco workshop of Asia (1862) and preserves the 1863 “Lady Curzon” steam crane.
- Bilaspur museum is SECR’s tribute to the Bengal-Nagpur Railway; its star attraction is the 1897 “WN” class 4-6-0 loco.
Frequently Asked in Exams
- Location & year of opening of National Rail Museum.
- Oldest preserved steam loco of India and its present home.
- Which museum is inside a UNESCO World-Heritage site?
- Rewari Steam Centre—zone & number of working steam locos.
- Fairy Queen’s heritage run route & frequency.
Practice MCQs
Question:01 India’s first railway museum was established in which city?
A) Mumbai
B) Kolkata
C) New Delhi
D) Chennai
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The National Rail Museum, India’s first railway museum, was established in 1977 in New Delhi.
Question:02 The “Fairy Queen” steam locomotive was originally built for which railway?
A) Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR)
B) East Indian Railway (EIR)
C) Bombay, Baroda & Central India Railway (BB&CI)
D) Madras & Southern Mahratta Railway (MSMR)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The Fairy Queen, the world’s oldest surviving steam locomotive (1855), was constructed by Kitson, Thompson & Hewitson for the East Indian Railway (EIR).
Question:03 Which of the following museums is located inside a still-working loco-shed?
A) National Rail Museum, New Delhi
B) ICF Heritage Centre, Chennai
C) Rail Museum, Jamalpur
D) Narrow Gauge Rail Museum, Tiruchirappalli
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The ICF Heritage Centre in Chennai is unique because it is housed inside the active Integral Coach Factory loco-shed, allowing visitors to see heritage exhibits alongside ongoing maintenance operations.
Question:04 The Royal Saloon of Nizam is displayed at
A) National Rail Museum, New Delhi
B) Hyderabad Rail Museum
C) Rail Museum, Howrah
D) Mysuru Rail Museum
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The historic Royal Saloon of the Nizam is preserved and exhibited at the Hyderabad Rail Museum.
Question:05 In which year was the Rewari Steam Heritage Centre formally dedicated to the nation?
A) 1998
B) 2002
C) 2005
D) 2010
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The Rewari Steam Heritage Centre was formally dedicated to the nation in 2002.
Question:06 Which of the following railway museums is located at the highest altitude?
A) National Rail Museum, New Delhi
B) Indian Rail Museum, Jamalpur
C) Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Museum, Ghum
D) Nilgiri Mountain Railway Museum, Coonoor
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Museum at Ghum (West Bengal) sits at about 2,258 m (7,407 ft) above sea level, making it the highest-altitude rail museum in India.
Question:07 The only rail museum operated by Metro Railway is located at
A) Delhi (Patel Chowk)
B) Mumbai (Churchgate)
C) Kolkata (Park Street)
D) Chennai (Egmore)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Metro Railway operates its sole rail museum at the Park Street station premises in Kolkata, showcasing the heritage of India’s first underground railway.
Question:08 Fairy Queen runs between Delhi Cantt. and which station?
A) Jaipur
B) Alwar
C) Rewari
D) Bharatpur
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The heritage Fairy Queen tourist train operates between Delhi Cantonment and Alwar in Rajasthan.
Question:09 [Which zone opened the newest rail museum at Bilaspur in 2023?]
A) South Central Railway (SCR)
B) South East Central Railway (SECR)
C) South Eastern Railway (SER)
D) West Central Railway (WCR)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The South East Central Railway (SECR) zone inaugurated the new rail museum at Bilaspur in 2023.
Question:10 The chocolate-brown livery with yellow lining for heritage locos was standardised in
A) 1985
B) 1990
C) 1995
D) 2000
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Indian Railways officially standardised the chocolate-brown livery with yellow lining for heritage steam locomotives in 1995 to give them a uniform, nostalgic appearance.
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