This February, rail enthusiasts are in for a treat. Indian Railways is organizing a series of steam locomotive runs both in the plains and the hill railways across the country besides organizing heritage walks.
Hill Railways
A ceremonial special heritage steam run has been organized at the Kalka Shimla Railway (February 15) between Shimla and Kaithli ghat. The same day, the run is being organized between Baijnath Paprola and Palampur Himachal on the Kangra Valley railway.
On the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the run will happen on February 16 between Darjeeling and Ghum. Nilgiri Mountain Railway will do the steam heritage run between Ooty and Coonoor on February 23. On the Matheran light railway between Neral and Matheran on Central Railway, a live steam run will be done on February 23.
On the Patalpani-Kalakund metre gauge section, the ceremonial run will happen on February 15 and February 23.
Broad Gauge
Northern Railway will run the heritage steam loco WP 7200 between New Delhi and Delhi Cantt on February 16 and between New Delhi and Delhi Jn (Old Delhi) on February 23.
Another steam run will be held on South Eastern Railway’ Kharagpur division which will showcase N 38811. On Eastern Railway’s, jamalpur area , the Miss Muffet Loco will be run on February 14 and February 23.
Southern railway will also do a heritage run of the famous EIR -21 loco in the Thiruvananthapuram division on February 7 and between Ernakulam and Cochin harbour terminus on February 15.
Heritage walks
Heritage walks will be organized for heritage buffs at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus building (CSMT), heritage gully at CSMT ( which will see an old crane of GIPR vintage being added on Feb 23), Howrah museum and station on Eastern Railway ( Feb 23) and the Garden Reach Complex on South Eastern railway (Feb 16).
On Western Railway, the exhibition cum walk will be held at Bandra station on February 11 . On February 23, the walk will be held at the National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR) in Vadodara besides the Vadodara division headquarters.
Finally another heritage walk is being organized at the Ajmer workshop on February 23 and at the DRM office Ajmer on February 24.