History comes alive again

One of the two locomotives that was repaired and painted again

A host of artefacts, two historic locomotives of the Indian Railways, a steam lorry and a fighter aircraft at the Nehru Science Centre, Worli, have been restored again in the lockdown period and are ready to be rededicated to viewers soon.

The steam wagon was originally bought by the British India Steam Navigation Company in 1906 which later became the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd

While one is the first passenger electric locomotives of the WCP-class that came in India around the 1930s and was named after then Bombay Governor Sir Roger Lumley, the other is a steam locomotive from the iconic Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The Nehru Centre took the help of Central Railway's Parel workshop to get them back in shape as they needed to be spruced up and repaired after being on display for a while. They have been restored with original livery and authentic design. Besides the two locomotives, a 114-year-old steam lorry and HF-24 Marut Indian fighter-bomber aircraft of the 1960s have also been similarly repaired and restored.

The HAL HF- 24 Marut is the first Asian jet fighter to go beyond the test phase and into successful production and active service

The steam lorry or the steam wagon was originally bought by the British India Steam Navigation Company in 1906. This company later became the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. It used the steam wagon extensively to haul ships into the dry dock and for transportation of materials.

Director speak
"In the lockdown period we have managed to restore the steam wagon and it now looks fairly new and has that majestic appeal," Shivprasad Khened, director of Nehru Science Centre. The HAL HF-24 Marut, developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was the first Indian-developed jet, and the first Asian jet fighter to go beyond the test phase and into successful production and active service. It created history by participating in the famous battle of Longewala which India won against Pakistan.

"The COVID-19 pandemic provided us an opportunity to attempt a major restoration of this aircraft and it was done following careful thought by the CMD of HAL, without much monetary considerations. After inspection and relevant permissions, engineer Muthalick Desai managed to depute a team of nine experts who put the plane back into shape, with original paint which was sourced from Russia. The HAL Nashik team deputed by Desai stayed inside our campus for nearly two weeks and worked extraordinarily hard in the restoration of the aircraft including its painting," he added.