India: Running out of Steam (part 5 - Final) - Death of the main line steam & the lone survivor

These are excerpts from National Geographic's "The Great Indian Railway"(1995), probably the best documentary ever on the Indian Railways. As a young boy, I used to travel to Grandma's place by the Howrah Mail from Madras. In 1989, on one such trip, My dad pointed out to a gigantic engine puffing smoke in the shed at Madras central as our train was leaving and said: "Manu, look, that's a steam engine". I forgot about steam engines later. In 1999(10 years later), I watched the National Geographic's special screening of this documentary on TV. I remembered my encounter with the puffing beasts in 1989. I couldn't stop crying by the end of this documentary. Starting in the early 80's the Steam engines of the Indian Railways have been slowly phased out of all the main lines in favor of Electric and Diesel locomotives due to economic pressures. By the turn of the 90's, it had become a rare sight to see a Steam-driven train. You can buy the DVD or VHS of this 115 minute documentary on nationalgeographic.com. It costs $15 including US local postage.

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[binoyrakesh]

whether we like it or not, some of our most valuable historic treasures were sold as scrap metal. when i uploaded this documentary, it was purely out of sadness, and even now, a year later, i feel sad .. when i watch this i cry.

i thank great Britain from the bottom of my heart for giving us this wonderful episode in India's 10000 year history. memories of the good things they did for us will live forever.

[WhyAyeMann]

That was very sad indeed. Its heartbreaking to watch something, that was someone to a person just being disposed of like that. Steam engines are just like people.

On another note I am VERY happy to hear that the Darjeeling engine will stay by government rule.

[anirudhf2004]

I'm crying

[vkamal21]

My finest happiest moments of was with the meter gauge stations from Solapur to Hubli my joy was that Golgumbaz express it used to start from Solapur at 8.30 pm & reach Hubli at 6.00 am where my grand ma lives...those narrow locomotives running on majestic steam engines run by humble drivers I have ever seen in my life. That ripest age of 8 I remember those drives smiling at me when I used to ask to take me near the engine & they told with pride that it runs on steam, we could had saved them

[seba81376]

i truly did cry my friend...

[horsedrag]

My grandfather came to America and worked his entire life welding tubes in the hot bellies of the steam engines. Progress, Growth, and Development for what? 100 years from now we will ride horses and steam again or perish as we will be out of liquid fuel. Why did we have to be born in this generation of greed?

[steamboy51]

@bobbydex1 There is a safe haven for them at Rewari Shed, they are activley collecting and reviving these engines

[steamboy51]

@Shipwright1918 Very true. I have a few small scale live steam engines and am working with several larger scale ones owned by friends who need them restored and taught how to run them. It just erks me, every single engine that ISNT saved has just as much of a story, a life, as the ones that DO make it. I must say I feel the most for India and Africa in these respects

[Shipwright1918]

@steamboy51 True, but there's no reason to despair. Steam preservation is replete with many success stories, and more and more trusty veterans are being brought back to life around the world every year. And for those of us who don't have really deep pockets, there is always the prospect of owning a live steamer, which is practically the same experience in miniature (I own a G-Scale 0-4-0T, which I love with a passion).

As I like to say, diesils come and go, but the steamers go on forever!

[4freespeech]

THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO HAPPEN!

Steam guarantees a nation's sovereignty and independence from OPEC and those who want CONTROL over the entire world.

THAT is why the World Bank wishes to DESTROY every great nation's HERITAGE, in order to GAIN CONTROL OVER THEIR ECONOMY.

The old locomotives worked fine, just as they had for over 100 years. The men

and their sons worked fine, just as they had for over 100 years.

BUT World Bank CRIMINALS of GREED STOLE INDIA'S RAILROADS' SOUL!

[steamboy51]

@Shipwright1918 that isnt quite the same. Those engines, although triumphs in their own right, cannot replace the experiences of the old ones, all the things they did and saw and all the lives they touched.