History Behind the Train
The Fairy Queen saw its inception in 1855 when it was first developed by Kitson, Hewitson, and Thompson in Leeds, England. After its construction, the train set on a journey to reach Calcutta. It was labelled as EIR-22 by the East Indian Railway Company on arrival. Initially, the Fairy Queen locomotive was used to haul light mail trains in West Bengal that operated between Howrah-Raniganj. Later it was consigned to line construction duties in Bihar, where it stayed till 1909. It was displayed outside Howrah Station for 34 years. In the year 1943, the locomotive was moved to the Railway Zonal Training School at Chandausi in Uttar Pradesh.
In 1972, Fairy Queen was bestowed with a heritage status and declared a natural treasure by the Indian Government. Later in 1997, this locomotive was launched as the Fairy Queen train, which undertook two-day excursions from Delhi to Alwar, and from there, the tourists were taken to the Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary. In 2011, this train was extensively destroyed and looted at a railway shed in Delhi. The locomotive was replaced with a WP 7161 steam engine known as Akbar, which kept the train functioning. This train is housed at Rewari Railway Heritage Museum and is used for special day trips by the Steam Express.
In 1972, Fairy Queen was bestowed with a heritage status and declared a natural treasure by the Indian Government. Later in 1997, this locomotive was launched as the Fairy Queen train, which undertook two-day excursions from Delhi to Alwar, and from there, the tourists were taken to the Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary. In 2011, this train was extensively destroyed and looted at a railway shed in Delhi. The locomotive was replaced with a WP 7161 steam engine known as Akbar, which kept the train functioning. This train is housed at Rewari Railway Heritage Museum and is used for special day trips by the Steam Express.
The Unique Features of the Train
Fairy Queen is a broad gauge locomotive that weighs 26 tons. It has a power output of 130 horsepower that enables it to reach a maximum speed of 40 km/h. It has a 60-seater air-conditioned carriage. The seats are made up of cloth upholstery that is quite comfortable and are located in pairs on either side of a wide aisle. The carriage is designed with a large glass window at the front that exposes travellers to the views of the locomotive. It also offers a scenic observation lounge that overlooks mesmerising views of the countryside. There is a pantry car for on-boarding catering that serves food to the guests.
The train operates on the Delhi-Rewari-Delhi route. Before boarding the train back to Delhi, the passengers get to spend a few hours at Rewari Railway Heritage Museum. The museum houses the world's 10 oldest restored steam locomotives, signalling systems, gramophones, seats, and vintage railway equipment. Other attractions here include a 3D steam loco simulator, a documentary about the history of railways in India, a 3D virtual reality coach simulator, an educational yard model train system, a toy train, a cafeteria, a century old-dining car, and a souvenir shop.
The train operates on the Delhi-Rewari-Delhi route. Before boarding the train back to Delhi, the passengers get to spend a few hours at Rewari Railway Heritage Museum. The museum houses the world's 10 oldest restored steam locomotives, signalling systems, gramophones, seats, and vintage railway equipment. Other attractions here include a 3D steam loco simulator, a documentary about the history of railways in India, a 3D virtual reality coach simulator, an educational yard model train system, a toy train, a cafeteria, a century old-dining car, and a souvenir shop.
