By Rail Enthusiasts' Society
Author: JL Singh
In 1953, the Indian Railway celebrated 100 years of existence in the most unique way possible, by holding a grand event and a big exhibition, and also by issuing special postal stamps.
The 1953 stamp celebrating 100 years of Indian Railways by JL SinghRail Enthusiasts' Society
In 1953, when the Railway in India completed a century of commercial operations, the newly constituted Indian Railways celebrated the milestone by issuing a postal stamp. The stamp shows locomotive 'Express' on the left, and a 'WP' loco on the right.
The WP was a Pacific type steam locomotive, suitable for working passenger trains. The Express (No. EIR 21) was a sister of the Fairy Queen (No. EIR 22). Both had been pressed into service in 1855, on the East Indian Railway.
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WP 7161, renamed as 'Akbar' at the Rewari Heritage Steam Center, was built in the year 1965 by the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works.
It can run upto 100km/hr and was used to run the fortnightly steam express services from Delhi Cantt Railway Station to Alwar, in Rajasthan, in the year 2015-16.
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The WP 7200 was commissioned in the year 1947 to Baldwin Locomotive Works, U.S.A. The word “Azad” which means “independent” is very apt for the locomotive as the first prototypes were delivered in 1947, the year India became an independent nation.
The 162-year-old Express EIR-21Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways
Built in 1855, the name 'EIR 21 Express' was given to this loco by its creators, Kitson, Thompson & Hewitson of England. It carried passengers and heavy cargo for over 55 years.
The sixth heritage run of Express EIR 21Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways
The restored locomotive is famous for having been refurbished to incorporate to modern-day technology, such as a GPS-based speedometer.
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The EIR 22 locomotive, the Fairy Queen, stands at the Rewari Steam Locomotive Centre.
The main programme to commemorate and mark the historic event was held at the Railway Exhibition grounds, at New Delhi, on the 16th of April, 1953, exactly hundred years after the first train run from Bori Bunder to Thane in Bombay (now Mumbai). Apart from the special event, a Centenary Exhibition was organised on the same day to mark not only the completion of 100 years of the Railways in India, but also to showcase the contribution of the Railways towards the continuous progress in the country. Interestingly, the exhibition site was later christened “Pragati Maidan” and now, it is the centre for large conventions and exhibitions in New Delhi.
The official guide of the Railways Centenary Exhibition, New Delhi 1953 by JL SinghRail Enthusiasts' Society
The Indian Railways came out with an official guide for the exhibition. The guide of the Railways Centenary Exhibition stated that the Indian Railways covered a vast network of 34,123 route miles and operated as the single largest nationalised undertaking in the country, which was bigger than any other systems in Asia.
The index page from Indian Railways Centenary Exhibition guide by JL SinghRail Enthusiasts' Society
This page from the exhibition guide shows the who's who of Indian industry and indicates that the Railways were perhaps the first to find their feet and lead the way to development.
Author: JL Singh
