Will 157-year-old steam locomotive enter Guinness Records

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

It is 157-year-old but the steam locomotive has not run out of steam as EIR 21 embarked on Fourth Heritage Run in a bid to vie for the title in the Guiness Book of Records as “The World’s Oldest Working Steam Loco’.

Railway sources said that it is expected to take another three to six months for EIR21 to replace Fairy Queen (EIR22) as the oldest steam engine after the Heritage run gets recorded.

Chief Workshop Manager M A Inbarasu, who along with his team of engineers in Perambur Loco Works helped revive the 157 year old wonder in 2010, feels the green signal will soon be given to EIR21 to enter into the record books as the ‘World’s oldest working steam loco’.

Interestingly, the recognition may have come officially on Monday with Railway Board Member Sanjeev Handa boarding the train on its fourth heritage along with general manager of southern railways Deepak Krishan from Madras Central to Perambur.

Inbarasu said that he will now be meeting the Delhi Heritage officer in this regard to get a green signal. Then once Guiness people arrive we may also have a public run.

Interestingly, the regular operation of the engine, which was manufactured in 1855 in England by Kitson Thompson and Hewitson, is still a hitch to enter into the Guiness Book of Records as its sister Fairy Queen is plying regularly between  Delhi and Alwar.

“I don’t know exactly what are the necessities to enter into the Guiness Book of Records. But we will work it out,” said Inbarasu.

Interestingly, it is the engineers of Perambur Loco Works who are instrumental in resurrecting the ancient wonders. After resurrecting EIR21, which was lying in Jamalpur Workshop, in 2010 the engineers are working to repair Fairy Queen.

“Premabur Loco Works has adequate knowledge and expertise to bring to life our nation’s ancient heritage,” he says.

The EIR 21 has the capacity of 1,000 kg of coal and 3,000 litres of water. “There was no refueling during the trip from Chennai Central to Preambur,” said Inbarasu. This time we used 3G mobile technology in the 157-year-old locomotive.

It is understood that the steam locomotive EIR 21 was used by the East India Company to move troops between Howrah and Raniganj to quell the first war of independence in 1857. “Now we are proud of running the 157-year-old wonder by combining heritage with newer technologies,” Inbarasu added.