Old steam engine comes alive at Matheran, new coaches added

The revived steam locomotive was showcased during the Matheran Station Mahotsav, a tribute to 118 years of the Matheran Light Railway

MUMBAI: The first steam engine to run on the Matheran toy train route which connects Neral and Matheran was brought back to life on Saturday, as part of a special heritage display. The Central Railway (CR) also introduced a new coach to the toy train with improved aesthetics. The 118-year-old heritage rail corridor, which runs for about 20 km, resumed regular services after the monsoon in November.

Old steam engine comes alive at Matheran, new coaches added

The revived steam locomotive was showcased during the Matheran Station Mahotsav, a tribute to 118 years of the Matheran Light Railway. Painted green, black and red, the engine is numbered ‘794B’, and an information plate on the heritage train states that it was manufactured in 1914 by Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW), USA, for narrower railway lines. Railway sources said the locomotive was recommissioned in 2001 for use on the Neral–Matheran toy train section.

“We had kept this fully functional engine with a steam hooter on display. The Neral Loco Shed (a diesel train maintenance facility for CR) brought this back to life for this one day event,” said a CR official. The exhibition also featured several railway heritage artefacts, including glass negatives of photographs of Indian Railways machinery dating back to 1851.

Among the exhibits were a four-wheeler Bogie Flat Rail (BFR) wagon, a Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) bogie used specifically on narrower rail lines, and a Matheran Light Railway bogie. Visitors also saw old station staff badges, belts worn by pointsmen, a station hand bell, wooden cash boxes, measuring scales and weights, signalling lamps, oil cans and water-serving tumblers.

CR also introduced newly refurbished toy train coaches manufactured at the Parel Workshop. These coaches have a vintage-style paint scheme, improved interiors with false ceilings and wooden-finish panels, flooring upgraded from PVC to a wooden finish, new brown rexine leather seats, and luggage racks in the first-class coach to enhance passenger comfort.

“A total of 38,164 passengers travelled on the Neral–Matheran line and Aman Lodge–Matheran sections in November when we restarted services. It fetched us a revenue of ₹29.18 lakh,” said a CR official.

At present, CR operates four daily services between Neral and Matheran and 16 services between Aman Lodge and Matheran, of which 12 run daily, while four special services operate only on weekends.

The Neral–Matheran Railway corridor’s construction began in 1904, and the narrow-gauge (a rail with a smaller distance between its rails) line was opened to traffic in 1907. As a safety measure, the full section is partially closed during the monsoon, however, shuttle services between Aman Lodge and Matheran have been operating during the monsoon season since September 2012.

After the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, CR carried out extensive infrastructure upgrades on this section to ensure safer and more comfortable journeys. Last year, ₹5 crore was allocated for building drainage canals, reinforced cement concrete (RCC) box structures and strengthening embankments to prevent monsoon-related problems.

BOX:

Fares on Neral-Matheran line

₹1700: Deluxe Saloon

₹750: ₹ AC Vistadome

₹340: First Class

₹95: Second Class