Shimla on Wednesday witnessed running of a 100-year-old steam engine on a heritage track along a short 1km stretch between the railway station and the bus stand.
Shimla residents and tourists were thrilled to see the only existing narrow gauge vintage KC-520 steam engine chugging off. This was the engine that first ran on the Kalka-Shimla track in 1903.
Till the seventies this steam engine ferried coaches on the Kalka-Shimla track, and on Wednesday when it came to a halt at the railway extension platform near the bus stand, it was given a rousing reception by the people gathered there.
The special guests who travelled on it were from Switzerland and are associated with Bernina mountain railway. They are in Shimla under the idea exchange programme. Accompanied by senior railway officials they enjoyed their brief ride in the 1903-made engine that had two coaches attached to it.
This steam engine was brought out of retirement from Saharanpur. As per records, the KC-520 engine is said to be built by North British Locomotive Company for Rs 30,000 and was put out of service in 1971 with the advent of diesel locomotives.
The KC-520 was again put into use in 2001 for small trips between Shimla and Kathleeghat for foreign tourists as well as high-end tourists and people from the corporate sector, and at a cost of around Rs 1.08 lakh for a short trip for 25 people it became a popular attraction.
When the engine completed 100 years of its existence in 2003, Indian Railways and Himachal Pradesh government gave a privilege ride to then railway minister and 100 invitees on the historic KC 520 steam engine pulling the Kalka-Shimla toy train.
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