The chances of a WP class locomotive heritage run between Coimbatore and Mettupalayam as sought by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore and the Railway Struggle Committee are dim, as there has not been any response from the Southern Railway, R. Raveendran of the struggle committee said.
The struggle committee and Chamber of Commerce sought the heritage run of the locomotive during Independence Day as the Coimbatore – Mettupalayam section would be taken up for electrification shortly.
The WP class locomotive known as Big Black Boy with a star head was ruling like a king and it hauled the legendry Blue Mountain Express (Train Number formerly 5/6) and now numbered 12671/12672. The loco was used till 1980s. This was a heritage loco and the other one was known as Fairy Queen of East Indian Railway.
The plea was first placed in May and reiterated in June. With no firm reply from the Southern Railway, the rail activists are sore over missing the golden chance of a heritage run in this region probably forever.
Rail activist S. Ravi said that the Southern Railway should understand the aspiration of rail lovers and those who want to take a trip down the memory lane and relish the nostalgia rather than giving excuses. The WP class locomotives were used for heritage run in Secundarabad in 2006 and in Howrah in 2009. locomotives are still in the loco holding of the Northern Railway in Rewari near New Delhi.
The Southern Railway should come forward to operate the heritage run during the Independence Day and the cost of bringing the loco in terms of fuel, and other operating costs could be collected from those wanting to travel in it, he added.
