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What has happened to Steam Engines?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc92Ypv1FWY
Ever wondered about the Locomotives which were pulled by Majestic Steam Engines?
India's sense of identity, of nation, was forged largely by the steam engine.
Since the first steam locomotive began the 20 mile run between Bombay and Thane on 16 April 1853, India has been woven together by hundreds of thousands of miles of track..
India's sense of identity, of nation, was forged largely by the steam engine. In a country as wide as the distance between London and Moscow and as long as that between Helsinki and Crete, with 870 million people speaking a dozen distinct languages and hundreds of dialects, the railway has united India far more than any conquering army.
After independence in 1947, India began building its own steam engines at Chittaranjan. More than 3,000 locomotives were hammered together before the last one rolled out of the Chittaranjan shed in 1970. Its name, Anthim Sitara - 'Last Star' - paid homage to the Evening Star, the final British steam engine, built in 1960 at Swindon.
What is the state of steam in India today? And its recent history
Drastic reductions in numbers started in the early 1990s. There were 1,725 steam locos in use on IR by 1992-93. The numbers in succeeding years were 911 in 1993-94, 358 in 1994-95 to 209 in 1995-96. By April 1997, there were only 75 steam locos left in regular service.
Finally, it must also be mentioned that many steam fans have been working on heritage preservation in India, including those affiliated with the Indian Steam Railway Society. Their efforts have resulted in the IR authorities agreeing to preserve or renovate a few more steam locos that would otherwise have been lost.
The Deshbandhu Locomotive Park, at Ranchi, near the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, has a collection of steam exhibits, a small number of which are in running order, including the 'Fairy Princess', a locomotive built by the works in 1964.
We really miss them!!
http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-steam.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc92Ypv1FWY
Ever wondered about the Locomotives which were pulled by Majestic Steam Engines?
India's sense of identity, of nation, was forged largely by the steam engine.
Since the first steam locomotive began the 20 mile run between Bombay and Thane on 16 April 1853, India has been woven together by hundreds of thousands of miles of track..
India's sense of identity, of nation, was forged largely by the steam engine. In a country as wide as the distance between London and Moscow and as long as that between Helsinki and Crete, with 870 million people speaking a dozen distinct languages and hundreds of dialects, the railway has united India far more than any conquering army.
After independence in 1947, India began building its own steam engines at Chittaranjan. More than 3,000 locomotives were hammered together before the last one rolled out of the Chittaranjan shed in 1970. Its name, Anthim Sitara - 'Last Star' - paid homage to the Evening Star, the final British steam engine, built in 1960 at Swindon.
What is the state of steam in India today? And its recent history
Drastic reductions in numbers started in the early 1990s. There were 1,725 steam locos in use on IR by 1992-93. The numbers in succeeding years were 911 in 1993-94, 358 in 1994-95 to 209 in 1995-96. By April 1997, there were only 75 steam locos left in regular service.
Finally, it must also be mentioned that many steam fans have been working on heritage preservation in India, including those affiliated with the Indian Steam Railway Society. Their efforts have resulted in the IR authorities agreeing to preserve or renovate a few more steam locos that would otherwise have been lost.
The Deshbandhu Locomotive Park, at Ranchi, near the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, has a collection of steam exhibits, a small number of which are in running order, including the 'Fairy Princess', a locomotive built by the works in 1964.
We really miss them!!
http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-steam.html