The Railway Museum in Hubballi, set up to preserve and portray the glorious heritage of Indian Railways and its gradual evolution, is all set for public viewing, and it will be thrown open to the public on Wednesday.
The railway museum here is the first of its kind in North Karnataka and second in South Western Railway limits after the one in Mysuru. The museum was formally commissioned on July 31 this year.
Located next to the second entry of the Hubballi Railway Station on Gadag Road just opposite the Central Railway Hospital, the museum has exhibits and installations that portray the railway heritage and how the railways has evolved over the years.
The museum has three sections, one outdoor section and two cottages named Malaprabha and Ghataprabha. A toy train, model train run, theatre coach, children’s activity room are part of the museum.
The South Western Railway has converted two beautiful cottages constructed in 1907 into two parts of the museum, Malaprabha and Ghataprabha, names of two prominent rivers of the region.
The Ghataprabha cottage has a collection of indoor artefacts and it features a model room with a running train, signal instruments and others and provides glimpses into the medical and security wings of the Railways. There is a memorabilia corner where visitors can buy souvenirs. And, for the history buffs, there is a history corner too.
One can see a series of beautiful charcoal sketches in the art gallery set up in the Malaprabha Cottage. A replica of a station master’s room and a parcel office are all set to become special attractions in the cottage.
A toy train manufactured by the Rail Carriage Workshop of Hubballi is all set to become another special attraction.
According to a press release from South Western Railway, General Manager Ajay Kumar Singh, Additional General Manager P.K. Mishra took keen interest in setting up the museum.
Chief Heritage Officer of South Western Railway Ravi Kumar and Divisional Railway Manager Arvind Malkhede teamed up with others to execute the plan. While heritage consultant Roopa Srinivasan gave inputs for setting up the museum, Neeraj Jain chipped in with restoration of heritage material for display.
Restricted entry
Considering the pandemic, the authorities have decided to restrict the entry to only 30 persons at a time and will follow all precautionary measures. For the time being, the theatre coach will remain closed. The South Western Railway has decided to allow free entry for the public for the first five days (August 5 to 9) between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
From August 11, the museum will have regular working hours. On weekdays, it will be open from noon to 7 p.m. and on weekends and public holidays, it will be open from noon to 8 p.m. The museum will remain closed on Mondays.
The authorities have fixed ₹ 20 for adults (aged above 12) and ₹ 10 for children in the five to 12 age group. For children aged less than five, there is no fee.
