A heritage museum, detailing the history of the iconic Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR), was inaugurated at the Udhagamandalam Railway Station on Friday.
Featuring over 22 antique pieces of equipment used by the railways, most of which are over a 100-years-old, including gas lamps, pinion wheels, ticket tubes and even latrines, the museum has been designed to showcase the history of the railway line, and the colonial pioneers who opened up the Nilgiris to exploration.
P. Sathish Saravanan, Station Director, Coimbatore, told The Hindu that the museum was similar to the one opened in Mettupalayam.
“We've realised that a lot of passengers who come to Udhagamandalam too will enjoy a chance to see some of the equipment that has been used by the railways, and which contribute to the tremendous spectacle that is the mountain railway,” he said.
Mr. Saravanan said that based on public response, there were plans to also expand the museum to include more items.
“Of the 22 pieces of equipment on show, most have been recovered after their use from the railway stations between Mettupalayam and Udhagamandalam, while some of the equipment, like the token pouch, made of cane, are still in use today in some form,” he added.
Apart from the equipment, the free-to-enter museum also has a variety of photographs on display, right from some of the earliest years since the inception of the NMR, to photographs more recent, displaying some of the picturesque locations through which the line passes through.
