A museum is a place where one can revisit rich history and the uniqueness of a bygone era. While there are different types of museums, some which focus on anthropology, some on arts, some on the evolution of life, there are also museums on things that we see daily in our life. For example, railway trains. The first railway train in India ran between Mumbai and Thane in 1853. From there, there has been quite a revolution in terms of its engines, designs and of course, the railway system.

A railway museum gives a glimpse into these aspects of Indian railways. There are many railway museums in India. One of the oldest railway museums in India is the Mysore Railway Museum.

History

The first railway museum in India is the National Railway Museum in New Delhi. Set up in 1979, The Railway Museum Mysore is the second ever railway museum in the country. It offers a great peek into the significant journey of Indian railways, with its amazing collection of locomotives, engines, photographs and more. Most of the exhibits in the Museum are from the Mysore Palace, hence, one can see various memorabilia of the royal times.

The Spectacular Display in the Railway Museum Mysore

Chamundi Gallery

It has a remarkable collection of photographs that visibly portray the evolution of Indian railways. Another attraction of the gallery is the beautiful paintings on railways.

Sri Ranga Pavilion

It has coaches used by the royals. One look at the grandeur of these coaches, you will be astonished to know how royally these royals travelled. These coaches, owned by the Maharaja of Mysore, are art pieces in itself. Another interesting train is the Maharani’s saloon carriage. Today’s long distance trains have kitchen, toilets, etc but even then technology had evolved and some trains had all those facilities. The Maharani carriage was complete with a kitchen, toilet and even dining halls. These were built as earlier as in 1899.

Other Attractions

One of the star attractions at the Railway Museum Mysore is the first ever steam engine in India. Fortunately, it has been preserved well and is still in working condition.

Also, there are few more steam engines too. You can also find different signals and lights that have been used in the railways. Some of the older ticketing machines too are in display here.

A major attraction for children is undoubtedly the running mini-train that runs on the premises of the museum. It offers a fun ride inside the museum. It is battery operated and is the highlight of the Railway Museum Mysore.

There is a peculiar rail car too in the museum. A rail car is a combination of train and car. It is one special attraction here and perhaps the only one to be found at any museum. It is actually an Austin car, a 1925 model. It was a usual car with tyres meant to be running on the road. Perhaps the owners sold it to some scrap dealer. A railway employee found it interesting and brought it. He wanted to give a unique makeover to the car. So what he did was he fitted rail wheels on the Austin car and also removed the steering wheel. Thus, it was transformed into a rail car. It could run well on railway tracks and it is believed to have been used to carry repair persons to inspect and check cracks on tracks. The best part of the Austin rail car is that it is still in working condition, so are most of the trains here.

Timings and Tickets

The Railway Museum Mysore is open on all days except Mondays from 10 am to 5.30 pm.

Entry fee

Rs. 10 for adults and Rs. 5 for children