Ten years ago, as a child, I visited the Rail Museum in Mysore. I
clambered into the locomotive as it had attractive lights but I
was stopped by a security man. He said, "Don't ever touch the
exhibits! Can't you see the instructions on the board?"
Last week, when I visited the rail museum as part of a college
visit, I went inside the carriage and locomotive. To my surprise,
no one stopped me.
I went into several other trains. A pleasant surprise was when I
found the cafe itself was within a train carriage.
There is a change in the attitude of the security guards there.
Back then, visitors were prohibited from touching the trains but
now we are let inside the train and take pictures as well. There
is a new toy train within the rail museum, which attracts a lot of
attention from the visitors.
I could see a child stamping on the seats inside the
carriage of the toy train. Surprisingly, the driver of the toy train
asked the kid if he wanted to sit with him in the front.
Also, the rail museum is very well maintained and kept clean
which also attracts more visitors to visit the rail museum with
kids.
The Railway Museum was established in the year 1979 in
Mysore by Indian Railways. The museum is opposite
the Central Food Technology and Research Institute on
Krishnaraja Sagar Road.
The museum has locomotives, a gallery of photographs, and
paintings showing the development of railways in India. It also
has railway signals. The museum has a battery-operated mini-
train giving a short ride for children on the grounds.
The main attraction for children is the battery-operated mini-
train where visitors get a joy ride inside the rail museum.
The Railway Museum has:
- ES 506 4-6-2, the first locomotive we find at the entrance.
- An Austin rail-motor car
- Several inspection cars of which one inspection car is used
as a ticket office.
- Two royal coaches that belonged to the Maharaja of
Mysore.
- The Maharani Saloon carriage that has a kitchen, dining car
unit and royal toilet dating back to 1899.
- Austin Railway Car
- MG steam locomotives
- NG steam locomotive and many more.
The rail museum starts at 10.00 am and closes
at 5.30 pm.
It is closed on Tuesdays.
With an amazing idea, the coach of an old train in the
Mysore Rail Museum has been re-modeled as a 'Rail
Coach Cafe and Cafeteria' where people can buy food. The
cafe is run by Southwestern Railway Women’s Welfare
Organization.
The cafe is built on an old-age meter gauge coach which is
repurposed with a retro wooden table. As per Divisional
Railway Manager, the café can be accommodated by 20
people.
It has an amazing view of the green and metal setting of the
renovated museum and its toy train.
The museum also has a collection of old telephones like
Wall Mounted Magneto Telephone, Box Type Magnetic
Telephone, Rotary Type Telephone, Table Top Magneto
Telephone and many more.
They also have a collection of old Indian Railways in
Postal Stamps make it even more attractive and
nostalgic."
Comments