The Royal Jodhpur Saloon

Manufactured at Ajmer in 1930 by Scheffield & Co., the Jodhpur Saloon at Heritage Transport Museum is one of the first carriages of the Palace on Wheels.

It was used until 1991, when modern carriages were introduced.

Though the 'Raj' has gone, the romance of rail journeys continue to thrill tourists and passengers.

The Jodhpur Saloon stationed amidst rail memorabilia at the museum has succeeded in resurrected that glamorous past.

The ‘Palace on Wheels’ is the special Heritage Train for tourists launched in 1981-82 by the Indian Railways. The concept of this train was to use the rail carriages of the erstwhile Maharajas, to offer tourists a taste of the grandeur, luxury and style of the royal rail journeys.

Each saloon, or coach, of the Palace on Wheels, was designed to reflect the cultural ethos of various Indian states.

Pre-independent India constituted of hundreds of small and large princely states ruled by Maharajas, who took a keen interest in steam engines.

By the 1880s, many Maharajas had begun commissioning personal railway saloons that were used by them and their families, Nizams and Viceroys for their personal travel.

A black & white photograph of a steam locomotive of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway.

This saloon belongs to Bombay Baroda & Central India Railway (BB & CI Railway) and was used by the agents of BB & CI Railway.

It is 75 feet long and weighs 30 tonnes.

Logo of the Bombay Baroda & Central India Railway

After India gained independence in 1947, royalty was abolished. The railways became the backbone of the country’s public transport and it became impossible to maintain and run the royal luxury saloons with valuable interior furnishings and high upkeep costs.

These saloons, initially taken out of active use, eventually became the inspiration for the Palace on Wheels.

A view of the saloon's kitchen

The royal kitchen in the saloon is from where the most scrumptious delicacies were served.

The restoration of the coach body was carried out in accordance with the original specifications, with extensive research around the saloon’s photographs and motif stencils.

To preserve the old world charm of the coach, the entire décor was restored using natural dyes and polishes.

The grandest space in the saloon, the master bedroom, still hosts two original beds. The master bedroom also flaunts a beautiful dresser.

The restored dresser.

A view of the bunk bed. Notice how the edges flaunt ornate floral carving.

The walls of the saloons have traditionally-decorated elephant-headed hooks and some artworks, from Heritage Transport Museum’s extensive Jodhpur collection.

A close up view of the elephant-headed hook.

The traditional floral fresco border.

The chairs with rich “minakari” work coupled with a round-table. The table is made of beautiful ivory marble, inlaid with colorful flower motifs. These are surrounded by a chest and a decanter set, completing a set-up suitable for a royal sit-down.

Details of the chair

Details of Minakari on the chairs and wooden chest.

A round marble table with inlay work.

The bathroom has been restored with antique bath fittings, keeping the original water closet. Even the ‘Vacant' sign from the original saloon is in working condition!

Austrian crystal handles, procured after several search expeditions around the world, adorn the bathroom and bedroom doors.

The Austrian crystal handles.

The Jodhpur Saloon displays many original working features. The fans, for example, were originally running on 110 volts and were converted to 220 volts to be functional even today.

Electric switches in the living room.

Some details of the switches.

A view of the alarm chain of the Jodhpur Saloon.

The Saloon is displayed on real rail tracks in the contextual setting of a recreated platform showcasing signal lights, a public pay phone, advertisements and more.

The Jodhpur Saloon of now is a piece of history to marvel at, a masterpiece.